Are you confused about what a patent is and whether you should get one? This is a primer for beginning inventors that answers your most commonly asked questions.
1) What is a patent?
A patent is a form of “intellectual property” which rewards persons whom invent a new and non-obvious:
a) process or method;
b) machine;
c) article of manufacture; or
d) composition of matter.
In return for completely disclosing the invention including how to practice the invention, a “legal monopoly” on the invention is granted to the inventor(s) for a specific period of time.
That legal monopoly is the right for the inventor(s) to exclude other persons and businesses from:
a) making;
b) using;
c) offering for sale or selling; or
d) importing;
the invention in the United States.
2) What is “patent pending”?
Once a patent application is prepared and filed and prior to issuance of a patent, the invention can be marked “patent pending” or “patent applied for”.
While these have no legal significance and grant the inventor(s) no legal...