The United States Patent and Trademark Office, USPTO, is responsible for registering, reviewing and granting patents to inventors in the United States. A patent denotes the intellectual property right designated for an inventor. The USPTO designates patents under the regulations outlined under the United States Code, USC, Title 35. This title of the USC also highlights the rights of the patent holder.
The patent indemnity clause is inserted by the U.S. government in a contract to protect itself from patent infringement lawsuits. If a contractor hired by the government uses a patented technology, this clause makes it legally responsible.
U.S. patent policy governs the ownership of patents for inventions made at institutions that received public money such as public universities, nonprofits and small businesses that get government support. Under this policy, ownership remains with the organization, rather than the federal government. This approach encourages research and development, and promote commercial development of products made through federally funded research. Other federal policies protect some military inventions from being disclosed.
"A patent, or invention, is any assemblage of technologies or ideas that you can put together that nobody put together that way before. That's how the patent office defines it. That's an invention." ~Dean Kamen, inventor of the segway. In order to protect and preserve your innovative ideas, acquiring a patent for any new assembly is a must. Although it can be a lengthy process, much of it can be done from your own home through online databases and applications. The United States Patent and Trademark Office website will be your best friend throughout the process, as the application and…
Under normal circumstances, it is illegal to own a monopoly on anything in the United States. However, if you obtain a patent, the government essentially gives you the legal right to a monopoly for 14 to 20 years.
As a patent owner, you can legally prevent another person or company from using your patent---but not the federal government or a private company performing under a government contract. Federal law gives the government the right to use any patent without the need for a license. However, you can require the government to pay license royalties for use of the patent, if you take the right steps.
A patent is the exclusive right to make use of an invention, granted by the government to the inventor. The government may refuse to issue a patent if it fails to meet certain criteria.