Legal analysis: The object of patent rights, also known as the object protected by patent law, refers to inventions and creations for which patent rights should be granted according to law. According to Article 2 of my country’s Patent Law, the objects of patent law include inventions, utility models and designs.
1. Invention refers to a new technical solution proposed for a product, method or improvement thereof. An invention must be a technical solution, the result of the inventor's application and combination of natural laws in a specific technical field, rather than the natural laws themselves. Therefore, scientific discoveries do not fall within the category of inventions. At the same time, inventions are usually intellectual achievements in the field of natural sciences, and achievements in the fields of literature, art and social sciences cannot constitute inventions within the meaning of patent law.
2. Utility Model
Utility model refers to a new technical solution proposed for the shape, structure or combination of a product that is suitable for practical use. Utility model patents only protect products. The product should be an entity manufactured by industrial methods and occupying a certain space.
3. Appearance design
Appearance design, also known as industrial product appearance design, refers to the shape, pattern or combination of the product and the combination of color, shape and pattern. A new design that is aesthetically pleasing and suitable for industrial applications.
Legal basis: Article 2 of the "Patent Law of the People's Republic of China"
The objects of patent law include inventions, utility models and designs.