What is a PATENT?

 A patent is a legal right granted by a government for a limited period of time to keep others from making, using, offering for sale, selling or importing the  patented invention. In general, a patent right has to be obtained for each and  every country/region in which patent protection is desired.

Patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or compositions of matters, or any new useful improvement thereof. A patent, like any other property right, may also be assigned to others. In the United States, a patent is enforceable for 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed.