US patent grants the inventor four basic rights on the invention:
1.) make
2.) use
3.) sell
4.) offer to sell
The patent could be for up to 20 years depending on the type of US patent applied for.
US patent has four distinct general types:
(1) Utility patents, usually referred to as “patents” without any further qualification
(2) Design patents whichcover the ornamental appearance of various products
(3) Plant patents which cover asexually reproduced varieties of plants, e.g. hybrid roses, fruit trees bearing new types of fruit, etc.
(4) Semiconductor chip masks which are not called patents but are handled by the Patent and Trademark Office.
United States patents pertains to the grant of a property right to the inventor to make, use, sell or offer to sell an invention. United States Patents are issued by the United States patents and Trademark Office. Generally, the term of United States patents is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States or, in special cases, from the date an earlier related application was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. United States patents grants are effective only within the United States, U.S. territories, and U.S. possessions. Under certain circumstances, United States patents term extensions or adjustments may be available.
