A patent is an intellectual property right granted by the government to an inventor “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States” for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted. There are three types of patents:
Utility Patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. Here is a link to theUnited States Patent Office's flow chart of the process for obtaining a utility patent.
Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. However, a Design patent only covers the ornamental appearance of an object.
Plant patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.
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