What is the difference between a patent and a utility patent?
Patents and utility patents are both types of intellectual property that provide legal protection for inventors and entrepreneurs. While many people use the terms patent and utility patent interchangeably, there is actually a distinct difference between the two. A patent is a form of intellectual property law that grants inventors exclusive rights to their inventions. In order to obtain a patent, the invention must be novel, useful, and non-obvious. A patent grants an inventor exclusive rights to manufacture, use, and sell the invention for a set period of time. A utility patent, on the other hand, is a form of patent that is specific to a certain type of invention. Utility patents are intended to protect inventors who develop machines, articles of manufacture, and chemical compositions. To obtain a utility patent in the state of Rhode Island, applicants must present a written description of their invention and submit the application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In summary, patents and utility patents differ in that a patent grants exclusive rights to the inventor of a novel invention, while a utility patent is specific to a certain type of invention and is intended to protect inventors developing machines, articles of manufacture, and chemical compositions.
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