A patent is a document, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), that grants an inventor sole rights to an invention. It confers the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention in the United States or importing the invention into the United States. The USPTO does not enforce patents (that responsibility lies with the holder of the patent), but it does provide the patent-holder with the rights to enforce it.
There are three types of patents available:
- Design - issued for products or items that have a look that is new, original or ornamental
- Plant - issued for a newly discovered or reproduced variety of plant
- Utility - issued for an invention or discovery of a new, useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or compositions of matters, including useful improvements
Filing for a patent should be done with the consultation of a lawyer. Venexus will have a patent lawyer contact you to help you file your patent.