patentiert

Patented (German: patentiert) is the status granted to an invention, process, or design when a patent office has issued a patent confirming exclusive rights for the inventor or assignee. The term indicates that the protected subject matter has been formally examined and approved for protection within a jurisdiction.

To be patentable, an invention typically must be novel, have an inventive step (be non-obvious), and be capable of industrial application. The patent office conducts searches and examination, and may require a disclosure enabling a skilled person to reproduce the invention. If the application meets the requirements and the applicant pays the required fees, a patent is granted.

Patents grant territorial rights. The protection applies only in the country or region that granted the patent. To obtain broader protection, applicants file in other jurisdictions or through regional instruments (for example, a European patent, which designates multiple member states after grant). Patents typically last about 20 years from the filing date, subject to payment of maintenance fees. During this term, the patent holder can exclude others from making, using, selling, or importing the claimed invention without permission, and may license or sell the rights.

Patent marking, such as displaying a patent number on products, can aid enforcement and, in some jurisdictions, damages claims. After expiry, the invention enters the public domain. Not all ideas or technologies are patentable; certain subject matter may be excluded or limited by law, and patent protection does not grant rights to use the invention if doing so infringes other patents.