A patent and industrial design provide the right to exclusively manufacture, use, market and sell an invention or a product in a particular region. It also provides the right to prevent others from using, manufacturing, selling and marketing the invention or product without permission. This is done by granting the patent holder exclusive rights for a period of time.
Patents are typically issued for inventions such as processes, machines, manufactured products and some chemical compositions. Industrial designs are granted for new designs of products such as furniture or tools. Patents often last up to 20 years from the date of application while industrial designs usually last up to 10 years from the date of application.
Patent protection can be used to protect both functional and aesthetic features of an invention or product from being copied by competitors. A functional feature is something that helps a product do what it is supposed to do – like how a phone’s battery holds charge or how a car’s engine works. An aesthetic feature is something that makes a product look good – like how a chair looks or how the windows on a house are arranged.
Industrial design protection can be used to protect only aesthetic features of an invention or product from being copied by competitors. This includes things like unique shapes, colours and textures that make a product look attractive. It also includes any ornamental elements such as logos and symbols used on products which can be recognised as distinctively associated with one brand over another.
The main advantage of having patent protection is that it gives inventors exclusive rights over their inventions for a certain period of time so they can profit from them without worrying about competition. Industrial design protection gives designers exclusive rights over their visual creations for 10 years so they can benefit financially from their work without worrying about competition copying them exactly.
In conclusion, patents and industrial design provide inventors and designers with exclusive rights over their creations for a set period of time which allows them to benefit financially from their work without worrying about competition copying them exactly. These exclusive rights encourage innovation which helps drive technological advances and economic growth in society as a whole.