Patent family
Encyclopedia
A patent family is "a set of patent
s taken in various countries to protect a single invention
(when a first application
in a country - the priority
- is then extended to other offices
)." In other words, a patent family is "the same invention disclosed by a common inventor(s) and patented in more than one country."
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s taken in various countries to protect a single invention
Invention
An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...
(when a first application
Patent application
A patent application is a request pending at a patent office for the grant of a patent for the invention described and claimed by that application. An application consists of a description of the invention , together with official forms and correspondence relating to the application...
in a country - the priority
Priority right
In patent, industrial design rights and trademark laws, a priority right or right of priority is a time-limited right, triggered by the first filing of an application for a patent, an industrial design or a trademark respectively...
- is then extended to other offices
Patent office
A patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of patents. In other words, "patent offices are government bodies that may grant a patent or reject the patent application based on whether or not the application fulfils the requirements for...
)." In other words, a patent family is "the same invention disclosed by a common inventor(s) and patented in more than one country."
See also
- Continuing patent applicationContinuing patent applicationUnder United States patent law, a continuing patent application is a patent application which follows, and claims priority to, an earlier filed patent application....
- Triadic patentTriadic patentTriadic patents are a series of corresponding patents filed at the European Patent Office , the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office , for the same invention, by the same applicant or inventor. Triadic patents form a special type of patent family....
- INPADOCINPADOCINPADOC, which stands for International Patent Documentation Center, is an international patent collection. The database is produced and maintained by the European Patent Office...
patent family database - Derwent World Patents IndexDerwent World Patents IndexThe Derwent World Patents Index is a database containing patent applications and grants from 44 of the world's patent issuing authorities....
patent family database
External links
- Patent families on the Espacenet web site
- Patent families on the European Patent OfficeEuropean Patent OfficeThe European Patent Office is one of the two organs of the European Patent Organisation , the other being the Administrative Council. The EPO acts as executive body for the Organisation while the Administrative Council acts as its supervisory body as well as, to a limited extent, its legislative...
web site: Patent family system