Patents

The holder of a “patent” has a legal monopoly on a particular invention for a limited period of time. A patent cannot be obtained for a mere idea or suggestion — it must be for something that is complete and specific. In legal terms, the invention must be “reduced to practice,” which means that the inventor is required prepare a physical manifestation of the idea. There are two ways to do this:

• Actual reduction to practice

  by building and testing the invention, such as constructing a working prototype

• Constructive reduction to practice

  by preparing a detailed document that explains how to make and use the invention