The Unofficial Morgan Solar Weblog | An off-topic, slightly skewed Morgan Solar Blog. WO2011153633A1. Morgan Solar. Appraising_Inventions. Patent. A patent (/ˈpætənt/ or /ˈpeɪtənt/) is a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for detailed public disclosure of an invention. An invention is a solution to a specific technological problem and is a product or a process.[1]:17 Patents are a form of intellectual property. Under the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, patents should be available in WTO member states for any invention, in all fields of technology,[3] and the term of protection available should be a minimum of twenty years.[4] Nevertheless, there are variations on what is patentable subject matter from country to country.
Definition[edit] The word patent originates from the Latin patere, which means "to lay open" (i.e., to make available for public inspection). History[edit] U.S. patents granted, 1790–2010.[11] Law[edit] Effects[edit] Enforcement[edit] Ownership[edit]