paten

A patent is a legal right granted by a government to an inventor, allowing them to exclude others from making, using, selling, or distributing their invention for a set period, typically 20 years. This protection encourages innovation by ensuring inventors can benefit financially from their work. In exchange for this exclusive rights, the inventor must publicly disclose details of the invention, enabling others to learn and build upon it once the patent expires. Patents are common for new inventions, processes, or improvements, fostering technological progress and innovation.