Powered by This information is not to be substituted for proper legal counsel. The most common type of patent is a utility patent.
Utility patents protect function, usually in a device or method.
A utility patent may be filed either as a provisional patent application or a standard patent application. The next most common is a design patent, which protects aesthetic appearances. A third, highly uncommon, patent exists. This is a plant patent, which protects asexually reproduced plants such as roses. An invention is something that is new, useful and non-obvious.