A patent is the grant to a patentee, or inventor, of an exclusive right, privilege and liberty of making, constructing or using the invention and selling it to others to be used.
In Canada the legal owner of an invention can obtain a patent by submitting a patent application and the appropriate fee to the Commissioner of Patents at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. This application will then be rigorously reviewed (i.e. examined) by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
Patent agents, which are professionals with experience in drafting applications and navigating the patent process, can often make this application process much easier and help ensure that you get all of the rights to which you are entitled.
Unless you are able to protect your invention by keeping it a secret, generally the only way to protect your invention is by way of a patent. In order to have patent protection, you must apply for and receive a patent. Since patent laws are national, you must obtain patent protection in each country in which you want protection.
“Do you have an idea and don’t know where to start? Check out our “Patent an Idea” section!
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