A Patent Is an Open Letter
A patent grants exclusive rights to an invention. The name means open, from the letters patent that granted it.
A patent grants an inventor exclusive rights for a limited period. The name is about publication: *letters patent* were open letters from the Crown, unsealed so anyone could read them, as opposed to letters close. That openness is still the bargain — an inventor discloses how the invention works, and receives a temporary monopoly in return.
- Exclusive rights to an invention. *A granted patent.*
- Obvious. *A patent absurdity.*
- Patent leather — a glossy finish. *Patent leather shoes.*
- To register. *Patent the design.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | patent | A granted patent. |
| Plural | patents | Several patents. |
| Verb | patent | Patent the process. |
| Adjective | patent | Patent nonsense. |
| Related | patently | Patently untrue. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Letters patent were open letters.Hence the name.
- That is patently absurd.Obviously.
- A patent expires after twenty years.In most jurisdictions.
Patent requirements
- Novelty — not previously disclosed anywhere
- Inventive step — not obvious to a skilled person
- Industrial application — capable of being made or used
- Disclosure — the invention must be described so others can reproduce it
- Term — usually twenty years from filing
From Latin *patentem*, lying open, from *patere*, to be open. Letters patent were issued unsealed for public reading.
Why is it called open?
Because letters patent were unsealed public documents, in contrast to letters close, which were sealed and addressed privately.
Can you patent an idea?
No. A patent requires a specific technical invention described in sufficient detail for a skilled person to reproduce it.