A company usually owns patent rights in inventions made by management or research employees, but not in inventions made by hourly employees. An assignment of patent rights should be obtained. Finally, a patent is granted in a single country. There are no international patents although European patents are available. Utility patents are granted for 20 years form the date of filing the patent application.
Design patents protect new, unobvious, and ornamental designs of products.
Design patents last for 14 years from the date the patent issues. Design patent protection overlaps with trade dress and copyright protection. It is important to know both whether the invention is patentable and whether making, using, or selling the invention will infringe an already existing patent of another. If the invention is believed to be patentable, the next step is to apply for a patent. Applications are examined by the Patent Office for procedural compliance and to make sure the invention is new and unobvious in view of the prior art.