What is a Patent?

A patent is a right, granted by government, to exclude others from making, using, or selling your invention in Canada.

Patents are government grants that give inventors exclusive rights to their inventions.

Patent protection applies in the country that issues the patent. In Canada, this protection extends for 20 years from the date of filing. Patents are granted for products or processes that are novel, useful, and inventive (new, workable, and ingenious). In this way, patents serve as a reward for ingenuity.

Patents are vital resources for businesses, researchers, inventors, academics, and others who need to keep abreast of developments in their fields.

Patents are also an important means of sharing know-how, because each patent document describes a new aspect of a technology in clear and specific terms and is available for anyone to consult.

Eighteen months after a patent application is filed, the document is made public in order to promote the sharing of knowledge.

In Canada, a patent is given to the inventor who first files an application. It's therefore wise to file as soon as possible after completing your invention because someone else may be on the same track.

To learn more about protecting your intellectual property get your Free Guide to Patents.


Labels: Invention in Canada, Patent Protection, Canadian Patents, Patent Application, Patent Canada, Patent Search


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