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Patent rights are provided to your intellectual property for claiming your legal right on it. Patents restrict others in using, manufacturing, selling or importing products for a limited period of time. These exclusive rights are granted for products, inventions as well as its processes.

Let us understand the ABCs of Patents -

What is a patent?

Patent is an intellectual property right granted to the owner. It is a set of rights given to the inventor for their invention, or a process that provides a new way of doing something innovative.

The primary objective of the patent law, is to encourage innovation and commercialization of technological advances.

Types of patents –

There are four types of patents:

• Design – This type of patent provides protective rights for the design of an invention or manufacture. For example, patent granted for a model or design of a car’s body.
• Utility – An invention which is new, non-obvious and useful falls under the utility patent.
• Software – A form of intellectual property granted for collection of processes or machine. This type of patent commonly falls under the utility patent.
• Plant – The ‘plant patent’ protects the intellectual property rights of an asexually reproduced plant. This means that plants that are produced by crossing two of different types, can be patented under this category.

What cannot be patented?

Possessions that are not relevant when inventions, machines are considered. Other forms of intellectual property that cannot be patented include arts, dramas, music, literature etc. This type of intellectual property receives copyrights but not patents. 

Uses of patents

Once a patent is granted for your intellectual property, you can use it to prohibit public from using your invention, or making new products without your consent. You can also use it to leverage investors and other deals.

In case of infringement, you can enforce these patent rights provided to you.

How to apply for patent?

Let us understand this with an example; A Lego brick can be copied, manufactured and sold out in the market, but this requires a patent to keep others from duplicating this intellectual property.

Intellectual property lawyers are specialized consultants and are trained to assist you in such matters. They will not only provide you with guidance, but also aid in legal help.

You can easily hire Intellectual property lawyers in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai through one of the renowned discovery platform, Lawyered.