patent
noun [ C ]
LAW uk/ˈpeɪtənt, ˈpætənt/ usthe legal right to be the only person or company to make or sell a product for a particular number of years, or a document that gives you this right:
apply for/file/take out a patent Filing a patent is a long and expensive process.
be awarded/granted a patent An American company was granted the patent last year.
a patent on sth He expects to be awarded a patent on his invention later this month.
a patent for sth The company has been granted a patent for a milk carton opener.
The drugs are protected by patent.
The lawsuit will continue even after the patent expires.
a patent attorney/lawyer
a patent application
come/go off patent
if a product comes off patent or goes off patent, the period of time for which someone has the patent for it comes to an end:
A lot of the company's top-selling drugs were going off patent.
patent pending (also patent applied for)
used to show that the person who has made or is selling a product has asked for a patent on it:
The company has a patent pending on the machine.
patent
verb [ T ]
LAW uk/ˈpeɪtənt, ˈpætənt/ usto get the legal right to be the only person or company to make or sell a product for a particular number of years:
patent a device/process The company has designed and patented a device which it claims will sharply reduce pollution emissions from older cars.
patent
adjective
uk/ˈpeɪtənt, ˈpætənt/ us LAW
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