Rights and Obligations of Patentee

Rights of Patentee

1. Right to prevent others from making, using, selling, or importing the patented invention without permission.
2. Right to license or sell the patent to others.
3. Right to enforce their patent rights against infringers, which may require legal action.
4. Right to exclude others from using the patented invention for a limited period of time, usually 20 years from the filing date of the patent application.
5. Right to prevent others from making improvements or modifications to the patented invention without permission.
6. Right to prevent others from making or using inventions that are substantially similar to the patented invention.

Obligations of Patentee

1. Payment of maintenance fees: To keep a patent in force, the patentee is required to pay maintenance fees to the relevant patent office.
2. Enforcement: It is the patentee’s responsibility to enforce their patent rights against infringers, which may require legal action.
3. Disclosure: In exchange for the exclusive rights granted by a patent, the patentee is required to publicly disclose the details of the invention in the patent application.
4. Abandonment: A patentee has the right to abandon or surrender their patent at any time, which relinquishes their exclusive rights to the invention.
5. Non-discrimination: A patentee may not discriminate against potential licensees or customers based on the nationality or place of residence of the other party.