An invention is a process, machine or gadget of some type that shows novelty (in other words is new), is useful, and is not obvious to someone skilled in the field of that invention. The process of inventing an invention necessitates that the inventor is aware that an existing technique can be modified and bettered into an invention.
Some inventions may also embody a sweeping step forward in technology that broadens the frontier of human understanding. New inventions may sometimes be protected legally by what is known as a patent. Patents are not normally granted willy-nilly, and new inventions have to meet strict conditions in order to qualify for letters patent.
New inventions have been around for countless generations right from the time that the first club was fashioned from the bough of a tree or from a thighbone. Sometimes the idea of a new invention may have been around for generations but may never have materialized – for example Leonardo da Vinci designed many machines (including flying machines) that were totally impractical to build at the time because technology had just not evolved enough.
The idea of teleporting matter has been around for some time, and one day someone may come up with a new invention that is capable of doing just that.
If you have an invention that really is new, then you may be able to apply for a patent for it. For a patent to be granted the new invention must meet one or two other conditions, apart from its novelty. It must not be obvious – that is to say that it is not so obvious that somebody skilled in the sphere of the invention could not have thought of it himself.
It must also be useful, particularly in the fields of commerce, agriculture or industry. If your new invention meets these requirements then it may be worth your while to apply for a patent – or to be more precise a provisional patent.
You will need to get a set of application papers from the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office, or CIPRO, whose offices can be found at 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside in Pretoria. An easy alternative is to come along to our offices and seek the assistance of one of our patent attorneys.
Assuming that your new invention meets all of the requirements and that an application has been made for a provisional patent, it is usually granted. The provisional patent is valid for a period of twelve months, giving you time to perfect, test and manufacture your new invention and to start marketing it. Before the twelve months are up you must apply for a full patent – this must be done by engaging a patent attorney.
Once letters patent are handed over to you you will have exclusive rights to your invention for a period of twenty years. During that time the patented new invention is your property – no-one else may use it, make it or do anything with it without your express permission.
If you have any queries regarding new inventions and patents, please contact a patent attorney at our offices.
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