Patents grant an inventor the right to exclude others from
producing or using the inventor's discovery or invention for a limited
period of time. A patent is an exclusive right to the benefits of an
invention or improvement granted by the U.S. Patent Office, for a specific
period of time, on the basis that it is novel (not previously known or
described in a publication), "non-obvious" (a form which anyone in the
field of expertise could identify), and useful. There are three types
of patents: a) "utility patent" which includes a process, a machine (mechanism
with moving parts), manufactured products, and compounds or mixtures
(such as chemical formulas); b) "design patent" which is a new, original
and ornamental design for a manufactured article; and c) "plant patent" which
is a new variety of a cultivated asexually reproduced plant.
