Patents: Introduction

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office  http://www.uspto.gov

USPTO Search Page https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/static/pages/landing.html

USPTO Classification Page http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/

European Patent Office Search Page http://worldwide.espacenet.com/

• The terms of utility and plant patents are 20 years from application date.
• The term of design patents is 14 years from date of issue.

Of the 4 main types of Intellectual Property Protection, Copyright, Trademark, Trade Secret, and Patent, Patent is introduced here.

A Patent is a property right granted by the Government of the United States of America to an inventor "to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throught the United states or importing the invention intor the United States" for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.

3 Types of Patents

• Utility--an new, useful, and nonobvious process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. 

             See http://www.uspto.gov/patents/resources/types/utility.jsp

• Design--a new, orginial, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. 

               See http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/iip/pdf/brochure_05.pdf

• Plant--an asexually reproduced distinct and new variety of plant.

               See http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/plant/

4 Criteria are

1. Novelty (New)
2. Useful (Utility)
3. Unobviousness
4. Statutory Class (process or method, machine, article of manufacture, composition of matter, or a new or useful improvement thereof.)

Citations for patents vary depending on the format:

MLA Citation:

Jobs, Steve, et al. "Highly portable media device." Patent 8,993,866. 31 March 2015.

APA Citation:

Jobs, S., et al. (2015).  U.S. Patent No. 8,993,866. Washington, DC: U.S.

ACS Citation:

Jobs, S., et al. Highly portable media device.  U.S. Patent 8,993,866, 2015.

CSE Citation:

Jobs, S, et al, inventor; 2015 Mar. 31. Highly portable media device. United States patent US 8,993,866.

Chicago Manual of Style:

Jobs, S., et al. Highly portable media device.  US Patent 8,993,866, filed August 3, 2012, and issued March 31, 2015 .

See also:  http://www.patent-search-information.com/how-to-cite-patent.html