What is the difference between a patent and a patent application?

A patent is a form of legal protection that allows an inventor to exclude others from making, using, or selling their invention for a certain period of time. A patent application is the legal document submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) when applying for a patent. When applying for a patent in Mississippi, the inventor must include detailed information about the invention in the form of a technical description, drawings, and claims. Claims are statements that clearly define the scope of the invention and must meet certain legal standards to be valid. The patent application must also include a fee, which will be refunded if the application is denied. Once a patent application is filed with the USPTO, it will be evaluated by a patent examiner. The patent examiner will review the application to make sure it meets the requirements of patentability, which include certain legal and technical standards. If the application meets all the requirements, the examiner will issue a patent. A patent is a form of protection that is granted to the inventor, while a patent application is the legal document filed with the USPTO in order to receive a patent. The patent application process is the first step in obtaining a patent, as it must be approved by a patent examiner before a patent can be awarded.

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