Patent

What is a Patent?
A patent is a right granted, giving you exclusive authority or right to commercially exploit your invention for a particular period. The right is granted for any device, substance, method or process. It has to be new and original to you. You are granted the right to stop others making, selling, using, importing or dealing in that product or processes that are covered by the patent.

The right granted for patent protection is not automatic. You need to apply for the rights of ownership to the invention by filing a patent application for registration. A patent is legally enforceable, but in some countries this is not always feasible because of the costs involved.

How Patents Work
When you (as an inventor) create a new device the first thing you need to do is patent it. This patent is the government’s way of giving you exclusive ownership of the product you created for a certain period of time. This allows you to reap the financial revenue from your original work and in effect, puts the control of the product into your name.