What is the primary purpose of a patent?

The primary purpose of a patent is to give inventors exclusive rights to their inventions. This means that an inventor can prevent others from making, using, selling, or distributing the patented invention without their permission for a certain period, typically 20 years from the filing date. This exclusivity incentivizes innovation by allowing inventors to potentially profit from their creations without the fear of competition immediately copying their work.

In contrast, protection for artistic works falls under copyright law, which is designed to safeguard the expression of original ideas rather than the ideas themselves. Confidentiality of business information is protected through trade secret laws, which focus on keeping sensitive information private rather than granting exclusive market rights. Preventing trademark infringement pertains to protecting brand names and logos, which is a separate area of intellectual property law distinct from what patents cover.