LAW 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 47: Digital Millennium Copyright Act, World Trade Organization, United States Court Of Appeals For The Federal Circuit
Document Summary
Types, duration, & notice: there are 3 types of patents, rights to which may be obtained by proper filing w/ patent & trademark office (pto) in washington, d. c, utility patents: Inventions classified as utility/functional patents grant inventors of any new & useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter or any new & useful improvement of such devices the right to obtain a patent. Prior to 1995, utility patents had life of 17 yrs. from date of grant: under uruguay round trade agreement act, effective june. 8, 1995, duration of u. s. utility patents was changed from 17 yrs. from date of grant to 20 yrs. from date of filing to be consistent w/ patent law of world trade organization (wto) member states: design patents: Protects new & nonobvious ornamental features that appear in connection w/ article of manufacture. Protects inventors of asexually reproduced new varieties of plants.
