How do I protect an invention from being copied?

Protecting an invention from being copied in North Dakota may require registering a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A patent is a form of intellectual property protection that grants exclusive rights to an inventor. It prevents others from making, using, selling, or importing the invention without permission. To obtain a patent, the inventor must submit a patent application to the USPTO. The patent application must include detailed description of the invention that proves that the invention is novel and non-obvious. It must meet certain legal requirements, including disclosure of the best mode the inventor of the invention knows for practicing the invention. Once the patent application is approved, the inventor has exclusive rights to the invention for a period of 20 years from the date of filing. This means that others who attempt to copy the invention without permission may be subject to a lawsuit for patent infringement. In addition to registering a patent, the inventor may need to use trade secret protection to prevent the invention from being copied. Trade secrets include things like confidential recipes, formulas, customer lists, and other information. They are not generally available to the public and are kept secret. Trade secret protection can help protect inventions from being copied, as long as the inventor takes the necessary steps to keep the information confidential.

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