First of all, what is a patent? Patent is the right granted by the state to the applicant to monopolize, use, dispose of and benefit from his invention and creation within a certain period of time according to the patent law. It is a kind of property right and a powerful weapon for new products and technologies to monopolize the existing market and seize the potential market according to law. There are three kinds of patents in China, including utility model patents, invention patents and design patents.
Invention patent refers to a new technical scheme proposed for a product, method or its improvement, with emphasis on method technology. Utility model refers to a new technical scheme for the shape, structure or combination of products, with emphasis on patent structure. A utility model patent is also called an invention. Appearance design refers to a new design that is aesthetically pleasing and suitable for industrial application, which is based on the shape, pattern or combination of products, as well as the combination of color and shape and pattern.
China's patents probably include these three kinds. In fact, other countries in the world basically have the same patented technology. Maybe some countries have different patent names, or some countries have different patent laws, but they are basically the same. The term of invention patents in China is generally 20 years, while the term of utility model patents and appearance patents is 15 years. During the examination, the application for a patent for invention needs substantive examination, and the other two items are not used.