Patent

A patent gives an inventor the right to stop other people making or using their invention. If someone makes or uses that invention without being allowed to, the inventor can sue that person in court to make them stop. The inventor can sell the patent to another person or company.

A patent lasts for up to 20 years, depending on the country. After that, anyone can copy the invention.

Each country has its own patents. China gives Chinese patents. India gives Indian patents. The United States gives United States patents. An inventor can get a patent in any country the inventor wants. An inventor can get patents in many different countries for the same invention. Each patent in each country costs money to get.

The rules for patents are similar in most countries.