IP| Patents | B2
. Blog 2: Patents Patents were one of the first types of intellectual property to be recognized in modern legal systems. By patenting an invention, the patent owner gets exclusive rights over it, meaning that he or she can stop anyone from using, making or selling the invention without permission. The patent lasts for a limited period of time, generally 20 years. In return, the patent owner has to disclose full details of the invention in the published patent documents. Once the period of protection has come to an end, the invention becomes off patent, meaning anyone is free to make, sell or use it. In this way, the patent system aims to benefit everyone: · Firms and inventors can maximize profits from their inventions during the patent protection period. · ...