The Compleat Lawyer Winter 1997, Volume 14, No. 1 copyright American Bar Association. All rights reserved.
Patents are the friends of both inventors and the public.
Once issued, and subject to the payment of government fees, a patent gives an inventor the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the patented invention for 20 years from the filing date. The patent also gives the public a set of illustrated instructions that explain how the invention works. A patent grants only the right to exclude others, not the absolute right to make or sell the invention. Other impediments, such as if someone else's patent covers a key component of the invention, may stand in the way. Additionally, patentable inventions must be new, useful, and non-obvious.