1. Preparation: gather technical data

A patent protects your technical innovation for 20 years in France, Europe and most other countries. A patent prohibits third parties from using the invention. It thus creates a monopoly of exploitation for its holder in the territory for which it was obtained, and on the content of the invention as circumscribed in the claims (hence the importance of careful drafting). As the patent system has a national territorial scope, it requires filing in every country where protection is sought.