The legal meaning is that a patent is an invention protected by legal norms, which means that an invention has been created and the relevant patent application has been submitted to the national examination and approval authority. According to the relevant laws, the patent applicant will be granted the exclusive right of invention and creation within the specified time after passing the examination. And this right is exclusive. Non-patentees who want to use other people's patented technology must obtain the consent or permission of the patentee before they can use it, otherwise they will bear corresponding legal responsibilities.
2. Type of patent
According to China's patent law, patents include three categories: invention patents, utility model patents and design patents.
(1) Invention patent: mainly used for the invention of new products, new processes and new technologies. Compared with strict review, it has to go through two stages: formal review and substantive review.
(2) utility model patents: related inventions mainly used for product improvement. The exam is relatively loose, and only a formal exam is needed.
(3) Appearance patent: it is mainly used to improve the shape of products and protect the appearance of products, and the examination is relatively loose.