Patents

	Patent executed as a result of the research study.

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a patent for an invention is a grant of property rights by the U.S. Government through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent grant excludes others from making, using, or selling the invention in the United States. A patent may be obtained by “. . . any person who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.”

There are three major types of patents granted:

1. Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof
2. Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture
3. Plant patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant

Assessment

Documentation by research study investigators of patent applications/registrations is recommended for tracking of research output.

If further documentation is needed, one recommended resource is the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases. Follow the directions as noted on the screen for searching of patents. Sequences that are patented have their own database, Publication Site for Issued and Published Sequences (PSIPS), on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website. This allows for easier viewing of sequence data in a patent application.

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Last updated: April 27, 2009