Patent Law
Patent
An exclusive right granted for a new invention that is novel, involves an inventive step, and has industrial application, preventing others from making or using it without permission.
A patent gives the inventor a time-limited monopoly (typically 20 years from filing) over their invention, in exchange for publicly disclosing how it works — meant to encourage innovation by letting inventors commercially benefit from their work.
Not everything is patentable — certain categories, such as mere discoveries, abstract theories, and specific exclusions under patent law, cannot be patented even if novel.
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