patent

Patent

The exclusive right to use documented intellectual property in producing or selling a particular product or using a process for a designated period of time.

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Patent

A right, granted or guaranteed by a government, giving an inventor the exclusive right to make, produce, and sell his/her invention for a certain period of time. While the time limit varies from country to country, most governments recognize each other's patent laws. In the United States, the length of a patent is 20 years. Patents exist to protect inventors from having their ideas stolen, a concept intended to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.

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patent

The first transfer of title out of the government to a private individual or company.

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Patent

The exclusive right of an inventor to make, use, or sell his invention for a period of years. A patent is an intangible asset that may be depreciated over its remaining life. The sale of a patent usually results in long-term capital gain.