patent

adjective | \ ˈpat-ᵊnt, 3 also ˈpāt- \ | pat·ent

1. a : open to public inspection — see also letters patent at letter 2

   b : secured or protected by a patent a nonexclusive patent license to produce and sell the product sought to enforce her patent rights against infringement

2. : of, relating to, or concerned with the granting of patents especially for inventions a patent lawyer involved in patent litigation

3. : readily seen, discovered, or understood a patent defect if no bad faith or abuse is patent — compare latent

noun | \ ˈpat-ᵊnt \ | pat·ent

1. : an official document conferring a right or privilege : letters patent at letter 2

2. a : the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention or products made by an invented process that is granted to an inventor and his or her heirs or assigns for a term of years — see also intellectual property at property — compare copyright, trademark

   Note: A patent may be granted for a process, act, or method that is new, useful, and not obvious, for a new use of a known process, machine, or composition of matter or material, as well as for an asexually reproduced distinct and new variety of plant (excluding one propagated from a tuber), and for any new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. Design patents are issued for a term of 14 years. Patents issuing on applications made after June 8, 1995, for basic or plant patents (excluding design patents) are for a term of 20 years from the date of application. An inventor can file a provisional patent application, which requires less documentation and lower fees than a regular application, before reducing the invention to practice. This allows the inventor to claim “patent pending” status for the invention and to establish an earlier filing date and priority of the invention. A regular patent application must be made within a year of the provisional application or it will expire. Patents are considered personal property and may be sold, assigned, or otherwise transferred. Under common law, if a patented invention or discovery is made while the inventor is working for a company, and is made on company time with company facilities and materials, the employer receives an irrevocable, nonassignable, nonexclusive, royalty-free license to use it. Often an employee is required contractually to assign his or her patent to the employer.

   b : the writing securing such a right received his patent in the mail

   c : a patented invention all substantial rights to a patent —Internal Revenue Code

3. : an instrument making a conveyance of public lands to issue a patent to each of said Indians for the village or town lot occupied by him —U.S. Code — see also fee patent at fee 1

transitive verb | pat·ent

1. : to obtain or grant a right to (something) by a patent the land was patented to the railroad; specifically : to protect the rights to (an invention) by a patent printed matter cannot be patented : to protect the rights to (an invention) by a patent printed matter cannot be patented