Science Section's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Collection
PATENT & TRADEMARK DEPOSITORY

GUIDE TO PATENT INFORMATION
(www.patentlore.com/publib/)

A patent is a grant of a property right by the U.S. Government, acting through the Patent and Trademark Office, to an inventor. Possession of a patent gives the inventor the right to sue in federal court for infringement and to obtain monetary awards for damages. The term of utility patent is twenty years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States. Subject matter which is patentable is defined by law as any process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter, or any improvement on these. Subjects that cannot be patented include, mental processes, mathematical algorithms, naturally occurring articles, and scientific principles. In order for an invention to be patentable, it must be useful, novel and non-obvious. These concepts are explained in more detail in books you may consult in the Science Section's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Collection.