Defining Patents and Their Purpose

A patent is defined as an intellectual property right granted by the government to inventors, allowing them to exclude others from making, using, or selling their invention for a limited time. This exclusivity is granted in exchange for public disclosure of the invention, fostering innovation by requiring inventors to share their ideas with the public. The underlying principle promotes the progress of science and useful arts, as mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. Without such protections, inventors might withhold their inventions out of fear of being copied, which would hinder technological advancement.