Frequently asked questions about patents

What is a patent?

A patent gives an inventor or his/her employer ownership of the invention and temporarily prevents others from making, using or selling the product, method or idea that is the subject of the patent. It grants exclusive rights to the use of, and thus income from, the invention for a specified period of time. This time varies depending on which authority issues the patent. The inventor may give permission to others to use the invention and may take legal action against anyone using it without permission.
The inventor must set out the background to the invention and present full details of the invention and how it works. A patent is granted if the invention is novel, is not obvious, and is useful; exact details vary from country to country.

Why are patents important or useful to me?

Even if you are not interested in taking out patent protection for your own inventions, you might want to check what your competitors are patenting and learn about new technology. Around 80% of technical information is set out in patents and never published elsewhere. It may help you improve your own products or give ideas on directions for new research (or help you avoid work on something covered by someone else's patent). Patents can give you a lot of information about a company's activities.