Patents are a crucial means to incentivize research and development by allowing inventors to capture the benefits of an invention for a limited period of time. The promise of such benefits is an important motivation for the expenditure of scarce resources and time with significant opportunity costs. A patent is valid for 20 years from the date of filing of the patent application, provided the required annual maintenance fees are paid on time. Following the expiry of this time period, the invention passes into the public domain and anyone is free to use the invention including manufacture, sale, etc. This exclusive right is granted in exchange for complete disclosure of the invention to the public by providing exhaustive and accurate details of the invention in the patent specification. Such disclosure should be in sufficient detail to enable a person skilled in the technology to perform the invention. Moreover, this exclusive right of exploitation as well as enforcement of rights granted under a patent, are territorial rights and are applicable only in the country which issues the patent.