patenting

Patenting is the legal process by which an inventor secures exclusive rights to their invention for a set period, typically 20 years. This prevents others from making, using, selling, or distributing the invention without permission. A patent requires the invention to be new, useful, and non-obvious. The process involves submitting a detailed application to the patent office, which examines and approves it if criteria are met. Patents encourage innovation by allowing inventors to benefit financially from their creations, while eventually enabling public access to new knowledge once the patent expires.