Patents
Patents give the holder exclusive rights to prevent third parties from commercially exploiting an invention for a certain time period, typically 20 years from the filing date of a patent application.
Patent rights were established over 200 years ago in Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution: “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”
There are three types of patents:
- 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;
- Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture; and
- Plant patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.
Our patent-related services include:
- Patent searches
- Patent applications
- Patent procurement and protection strategies
- Intellectual property audits
- Patent-related agreements, such as license agreements; nondisclosure agreements; employment or independent contractor agreements; purchase/sale agreements; and other agreements to help protect or leverage your patent assets
