What is a patent?
Answer in brief
A patent is a right granted by the USPTO to exclude others from making, using, selling or importing an invention for a limited time. It does not by itself give you the right to make the invention.
Kinds of patents
- Utility: processes, machines, articles and compositions; generally 20 years from filing.
- Design: ornamental designs; 15 years from grant.
- Plant: new asexually reproduced plant varieties.
How to get one
File an application with the USPTO, usually prepared by a registered patent attorney or agent. See Patent Law Center for the process.
Sources for this entry
- USPTO — Managing a patent USPTO
A utility patent's term is generally 20 years from the earliest filing date, subject to maintenance fees; it grants only the right to exclude. - USPTO — Types of patent applications USPTO
Utility, design and plant patents; a provisional application is abandoned 12 months after filing and is not examined. - USPTO — MPEP § 1505 Term of Design Patent USPTO
Design patents from applications filed on or after May 13, 2015 last 15 years from grant (35 U.S.C. 173).
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How the related websites connect
This is one of 19 coordinated Wysebridge references. The related sites answer neighboring questions and share the same publisher entity, Wysebridge. They are not independent endorsements.
- Patent Law Center — Patent types, provisional applications, prosecution and maintenance fees explained.
- Best Patent Bar Review — Choosing a patent bar review course, compared on pass rate, price and method.
- Patent Bar Exams — The USPTO registration exam: format, fees, dates, past exams and practice.
- The Patent Bar Exam — A first-timer's guide to the patent bar: the application, test day and scoring.
- How to Study for the Patent Bar — Study plans, hours, the MPEP chapters that matter most, and how to practice.
- How to Pass the Patent Bar — Pass rates, test-taking strategy, MPEP lookup speed and retake planning.
- Patent Bar Practice Questions — Original exam-style practice questions with answers explained against the MPEP.
- MPEP.net — The Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, explained chapter by chapter.
- MPEP.ai — Using AI to search, study and check the MPEP, and where it goes wrong.
- How to Become a Patent Agent — Eligibility, the USPTO application, the exam, cost and pay, step by step.
- How to Become a Patent Attorney — The technical degree, the patent bar, law school and the state bar, in order.
- Patent Agent Salary — What patent agents earn without a law degree, and how pay grows.
- Patent Attorney Salary — What patent attorneys earn, by setting and career stage, with sources.
- Best IP Law Schools — How to judge a law school for an IP career, using published rankings and ABA data.
- The Best Patent Attorneys — How to choose and verify a registered patent attorney, by state.
- Best Patent Agents — How to choose and verify a registered patent agent, and what agents can do.
- Best Intellectual Property Law Firms — How to evaluate IP firms, using independent directories rather than self-ranking.
- Best Trademark Law Firms — When trademark counsel is required, what filing costs, and how to choose a firm.
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Best IP Law. “What is a patent?.” Wysebridge Reference. Content reviewed 9 November 2026.
https://bestiplaw.com/what-is-a-patent/