1. What is a patent?

A patent is an industrial property title protecting an invention, which confers on its holder or his successors in title an exclusive right of exploitation from the date of filing of the patent application.

This definition covers not only patents in the strict sense of the term, but also utility certificates –, which have a shorter term of protection –, as well as supplementary protection certificates, which extend the term of protection of certain patented inventions (medicines, processes for obtaining a medicine, products needed to obtain a medicine or its process) (cf. article L. 611-2 Code de la propriété intellectuelle ).

In return for the exclusivity granted, the protected invention is disclosed to...