patents
Exclusive idea ownership
Patents are government-granted exclusive rights to make, use, or sell an invention for a limited period—typically twenty years.
The system rewards innovation by protecting inventors from competition while requiring public disclosure of how the invention works.
To patent something is to obtain such protection: She patented the design before seeking investors.
Patent also functions as an adjective meaning obvious or unconcealed: a patent lie, patent nonsense.
Patent leather has a glossy, lacquered finish.
Violation of rights
- litigationLegal dispute process
- licensingGranting official permission
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- statuteEnacted written rule
regulation · compliance · precedent · adjudication · settlement · damages · discovery · plaintiff
Creator of original devices
- prototypeFirst functional specimen
- blueprintDetailed technical drawing
- gadgetNovel small device
- mechanismMeans by which something operates
design · engineering · novelty · originality · tinkering · experimentation · innovation · breakthrough
Legal right of possession
- royaltiesOngoing payments to creators
- assigneeRecipient of transferred rights
- licenseeHolder of granted rights
- monopolyOne seller, no substitutes
exclusive · proprietary · renewal · nonexclusive · cross-licensing · sublicense · exploitation · tradable
infringement
Violation of rights
- litigationLegal dispute process
- licensingGranting official permission
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
statute · regulation · compliance · precedent · adjudication · settlement · damages · discovery · plaintiff · defendant
inventor
Creator of original devices
mechanism · design · engineering · novelty · originality · tinkering · experimentation · innovation · breakthrough · discovery
ownership
Legal right of possession
- royaltiesOngoing payments to creators
- assigneeRecipient of transferred rights
- licenseeHolder of granted rights
monopoly · exclusive · proprietary · renewal · nonexclusive · cross-licensing · sublicense · exploitation · tradable · assignable
safeguard
Precaution against harm
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- defenseProtection against harm
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
shield · deterrent · blocking · defensive · strategic · insurance · priority
- historical recordsdiary, census record, annual reviews, letter, government records
- intellectual propertycopyright, trademark, trademarks, copyrights, IP rights
- Congress powersspending power, declare war, impeachment, lawmaking, appropriations
- EdisonThomas Edison, Edison, inventor, phonograph, light bulb
- federal powersdeclare war, interstate commerce, national defense, federal taxes, war powers
- government powersexecutive power, judicial power, legislative power, war powers, police power
patentspublic domain
Unprotected creative works
open source · commons · creative commons · freeware · generic
- patent protectionExclusive rights to invention
- patent holderOwner of invention rights
- patent leatherLacquered hide, highly reflective
- patent pendingInvention protection sought, ungranted
- patent officeAgency granting invention rights
- patent medicineTrademarked unproven remedy
patent, patented, patenting, patent troll, patentable, unpatented