U.S. Patents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office issues patents for inventions, granting property rights to the inventor. Generally, the term of a new patent is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States. There are three types of patents:

1) Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof;

2) Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture

3) Plant patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.

Here we briefly summarize U.S. patent requirements, which are defined in great detail in the law. Please call the OTD if you have specific questions. You may also review additional information on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Web site. This discussion focuses primarily on utility patents.