What is a patent?

A patent is an intellectual property right that gives the inventor of an invention exclusive rights to their innovation. Patents grant the inventor the right to decide who can make, use, or sell their invention for a fixed period of time. In Washington, patent law is designed to protect inventors’ rights and promote new and useful inventions. Patents cover both products and processes that are novel, non-obvious, and useful. Novel means that the invention is not previously known by or available to the public. Non-obvious means that the invention could not have easily been made or developed by a person skilled in the technology area. Finally, the invention must provide some useful purpose or result. Patents are only valid in the United States, although many countries recognize each other’s patents. To obtain a patent in Washington, the inventor must file an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The application must contain information about the invention, such as the novel features, drawings or diagrams of the invention, and an explanation of how it works. Once the USPTO approves the application, the inventor receives a patent. This gives the inventor the right to block others from making, using, or selling the invention without permission. Patent rights are time-limited, and the inventor must pay annual fees to maintain the patent. The USPTO also offers a reexamination process to challenge patents that are not valid.

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What is a patent?

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