How are you doing? Are you ready for another opportunity to eliminate another suspect? Let's go and learn how patents protect inventors, and why they are important.

Patents give the inventor a legal monopoly of his/her invention.  Word Central defines monopoly as “complete control over the entire supply of goods …complete possession” or “a commercial product controlled by one person or company”.  The control the patent holder has over his/her intellectual property guarantees that any money made by selling the invention will go to himself or herself. Only the inventor has the right to sell all or parts of the invention or license the invention to a manufacturer in exchange for royalties or a percent of the sales. This governmental protection rewards inventors and encourages them to keep on inventing new and improved products and technologies.

You have already learned that copying or selling intellectual property without permission is called infringement. The government offers additional protection by giving the patent holder the right to sue if patent laws are not obeyed. Often the patent holder doesn't even know he is the victim of the infringement crime. The government is able to help by tracking applications and watching out for counterfeiting.

Protecting intellectual property is important because it helps encourage creativity and innovation. Most people agree that new inventions are helpful, and better medicines are beneficial. Without protection, innovators, people who make new things, would not get paid and would not be able to keep on inventing. Then people and businesses would suffer the consequences.

Sometimes the USPTO can take up to a year to grant a patent. Some companies or inventors don't want to wait that long to sell their products so they put a mark on their products that says "Patent Pending" or "Patent Applied For". Neither one offers any real protection but manufacturers hope to discourage others from copying their products. A patented product can be marked with the word "Patented" and can even have the patent number. This now protects the patent holder.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can only protect your rights within the United States. Next, you will learn all about international treaties that offer additional protection for the patent holder. But first...

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