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Patent
Practical Law UK Glossary 0-107-6980 (Approx. 2 pages)
Glossary
Patent
An intellectual property right which permits the inventor to stop third parties from using the invention. Patent protection does not arise automatically and the filing of an application for a patent, followed by its grant, is necessary in order to obtain protection. In the UK a patent may only be granted in respect of an invention if:
- The invention is new;
- It involves an inventive step;
- It is capable of industrial application; and
- It is not specifically excluded from protection as a patent (section 1, Patents Act 1977).