Law of Patents

The Law of Patents grants inventors exclusive rights to their inventions for a limited time, typically 20 years, preventing others from making, using, or selling the invention without permission. This legal protection encourages innovation by allowing inventors to benefit financially from their creations. To qualify, an invention must be new, inventive, and useful. Patents are territorial, meaning they only apply within the jurisdiction where granted. After the patent expires, the invention enters the public domain, allowing anyone to use it freely. The law aims to balance rewarding inventors with promoting technological progress for society.