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Identify the three types of patents, their requirements, and duration.
On Sep 23, 2024
The three types of patents are utility, plant, and design patents.
(a) A utility patent covers new and useful processes, machines, manufacture, or composition of matter or any new and useful improvement thereof. To be patentable as a utility patent, the process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter must meet the criteria of novelty, utility, and nonobviousness. A utility patent has a term of twenty years from the date of application, subject to extensions for certain delays identified by statute. The patent begins on the date of the patent's grant.
(b) A plant patent protects the exclusive right to reproduce a new and distinctive variety of asexually producing plant. Plant patents require novelty, distinctiveness, and nonobviousness and have a 20-year term.
(c) Design patents protect new, original, ornamental design for an article of manufacture. A design patent protects only the appearance, not the structural or functional features, of an article. Design patents require novelty, ornamentality, and nonobviousness and have a term of 14 years from the date of grant.