**4.3 Patents**

Patents also referred to as patents for invention, are the most widespread means of protecting technical inventions. The term "patent", or letter "patent", also refers to the document issued by appropriate government authority. Patents are exclusive rights that are valid only in the country or territory where they were filed and granted, under the laws of that country or region.

Requirements of patentability include


Once a patent is granted by a state or by a regional office acting for several states, the owner of a patent has the right to prevent anyone else from commercially exploiting the invention for a limited period, generally 20 years [1, 22].
