What is the doctrine of patent exhaustion?

The doctrine of patent exhaustion is a legal concept that is applied in the context of unfair competition law in Pennsylvania. It states that once a patent owner has sold a product that is protected by their patent, the patent holder cannot control where or how that product is used by the original purchaser. In other words, the purchaser of the product is free to use it however they wish, even if that use is in violation of the patent holder’s rights. The doctrine of patent exhaustion is based on the idea that when a patent owner sells an item to a customer, the patent owner has already been compensated for their invention. Therefore, they should not be allowed to reap additional financial benefits by restricting the use of the item they sold. The doctrine of patent exhaustion helps protect consumers from companies that try to limit the use of products they sell. It allows purchasers to use a product as they see fit, including for any purpose that is not in violation of the original patent. This doctrine also prevents companies from abusing their patent rights by charging consumers additional fees for using the product in a way that the patent owner did not specifically authorize.

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What is the doctrine of patent exhaustion?

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