{"id":5072,"date":"2016-04-04T11:47:54","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T16:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/types-of-patents.html"},"modified":"2024-12-09T22:54:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T03:54:00","slug":"types-of-patents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/intellectual-property\/types-of-patents.html","title":{"rendered":"Types of Patents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Types of Patents<\/h1>\n
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\n By FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Amber Sheppard, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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The United States patent system recognizes three different types of patents: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents. Utility patents secure functional inventions, from machines and chemical compositions to manufacturing processes. Design patents focus on the item’s aesthetic aspects. Plant patents address agricultural inventions by protecting unique varieties of plants developed through asexual reproduction methods.<\/p>\n

Utility patent protection lasts for 20 years. It grants the inventors the exclusive rights to make their creations available for sale, use, or duplication. Design patents, on the other hand, do not need maintenance payments to stay valid. Meanwhile, plant patents share the same duration as utility patents. It lasts for 20 years and requires periodic maintenance fees to remain valid.<\/p>\n

Overview of Three Different Types of Patents<\/h2>\n

There are three types of patents: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents. Each type has its own eligibility requirements<\/a> and protects a specific type of invention, useful process, or discovery. However, one invention or discovery can have more than one type of patent available.<\/p>\n

For example, if a person invents an object and wishes to patent both its functional features and its design, they need to apply for two separate patents\u2014a utility patent and a design patent.<\/p>\n

Patents protect inventions and discoveries that are new and non-obvious<\/a>. This article will provide an overview of the three different types of patents<\/a> and provide a brief explanation of how to get patent protection.<\/p>\n

Utility Patents<\/b><\/h2>\n

A utility patent<\/a> is the most common type of patent that people seek. This type of patent covers:<\/p>\n