eip

  Patents A  patent  is a type of  intellectual property  that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an  invention   for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an  enabling disclosure  of the invention.  In most countries, patent rights fall under  private law  and the patent holder must sue someone  infringing the patent  in order to enforce their rights. In some  industries   patents are an essential form of  competitive advantage ; in others they are irrelevant. What kind of Protection Does Patent offer? In principle, the patent owner has the exclusive right to prevent or stop others from commercially exploiting the patented invention. In other words, patent protection means that the invention cannot be commercially made, used, distributed, imported or sold by others without the patent owner's consent.   Is Patent valid in every country? ...