What is a patent?

What is a patent? The word "patent" means many things. A patent is a document that describes "how to make" and "how to use" an invention and contains claims that an invention is the personal property of the owner of the patent. Thus, a patent is a vessel for a form of intellectual property. A patent is also a right granted by a patent office that confers on the patentee the right to prevent others from making, using or selling the invention in the jurisdiction (i.e., country or region) served by the patent office. In a sense, a patent is also a contract between the patentee and the government. In exchange for granting a monopoly for a limited term to the patentee, the government obtains and places in the public domain information on how to practice the invention, thus promoting the progress of science and useful arts. It is also important to understand what a patent is not. A patent confers a negative right, not a positive one. A patent does not give its owner the right to make, use or sell a claimed invention because practicing one's own invention may infringe the claims of a prior-issued patent that has not expired.