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| A U.S. patent is a written
document that gives an inventor the exclusive right for a limited time to exclude
others from making, using, importing, offering to sell or selling his or her invention
in the country. An inventor does not have an absolute right to use his or her
own patented invention, however, if doing so also would involve making, using,
importing, offering to sell or selling another invention patented by someone else.
After a patent has expired, anyone may make, use, import, and offer to buy or
sell the invention without the permission of the original patent holder. Patent
terms are fixed by law and can only be extended in special circumstances. U.S.
patents may be granted to individuals, to joint inventors, and to citizens of
other countries. |
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