What is the primary purpose of a patent?

The primary purpose of a patent is to grant the inventor exclusive rights to their invention for a limited time. This exclusivity enables the inventor to control the use, production, and sale of their invention, allowing them to potentially profit from their innovation and recoup any expenses incurred during the development process. By providing this temporary monopoly, patents incentivize innovation by ensuring that inventors can benefit from their hard work and investment.

Once the patent expires, the invention enters the public domain, allowing others to use, improve, or commercialize the innovation without infringing on the patent rights. This framework encourages a balance between rewarding inventors and fostering a competitive marketplace that can benefit society as whole, as it encourages the dissemination of new technologies and ideas over time.