A design patent may be useful in your business. This article breaks down what a Design patent is.

The type of patent we are covering in this article is the design patent. Like the name suggests, a design patent is used to grant the inventor rights to how an invention actually looks. The design patent is unique because it is only given when the inventor has created something that is new, and it only protects the appearance of the invention.

Therefore, design patents are only concerned with the aesthetics of the invention, and not how it is constructed or the materials that compose it. Usually the design patent protects the inventor for a period of fourteen years.

Are you confused about what a patent is and whether you should get one? This is a primer
for beginning inventors that answers your most commonly asked questions.

1) What is a patent?

A patent is a form of intellectual property which rewards persons whom invent a
new and non-obvious:

• process or method;

• machine;

• article of manufacture; or

• composition of matter.

In return for completely disclosing the invention including how to practice the
invention, a legal monopoly on the invention is granted to the inventor(s)
for a specific period of time.

Invention Patent

Whether you’ve discovered the latest technological wonder or figured out a way to satisfy a common woe shared by millions, the protection of an invention is very important. In order to receive credit and hopefully a profit from your vision, one must obtain a patent. While trademark (words, names, and symbols for goods or services) and copyright (for literature, art, drama, and music) are common protective approaches for intellectual property, patents are used to protect the rights of an inventor.

Before Patenting