Types of Patents
Utility patents, or patents for invention, issue legal protection to people who invent a new and useful process, an article of manufacture, a machine, or a composition of matter. Utility patents are the most common type of patent, with more than 90% of patents issued by the U.S. government belonging to this category.2 A utility patent lasts for 20 years from the date of filing as long as maintenance fees are paid. Maintenance fees are surcharges applied to utility patent applications filed after December 12, 1980.
Design patents are patents issued for original, new, and ornamental designs for manufactured products. Design patents protect the design or look of something. They require the invention to which the design belongs to be original and useful. Design patents last for 15 years for applications filed after May 13, 2015. For applications filed before May 13, 2015, patents last for 14 years from the date of the filing. Maintenance fees do not apply to design patents.
Plant patents go to anyone who produces, discovers, and invents a new kind of plant capable of reproduction. These patents are granted for 20 years from the date of filing and no maintenance fees apply. --Kenton, W. (2021) Investopedia. Business Essentials. Patent
