A document that grants the monopoly of exploitation of a discovery to its inventor.
A patent is by definition an exclusive right granted by a State or an intergovernmental organization to an inventor to prevent others from making, using, selling or importing his invention without his consent for a limited period of time (this term of protection varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction). In return for this exclusive right, the inventor must publicly disclose the technical details of his invention, thereby contributing to the advancement of knowledge and encouraging innovation.
Patents are mainly used to protect inventions that are new, involve an inventive step (i.e. non-obvious), and are capable of industrial application. This system aims to stimulate innovation by providing an incentive for inventors to invest in research and development, while ensuring that, after patent expiry, technological advances enter the public domain.
The following table shows the results of the survey.