To encourage and reward invention of new and useful devices, most countries have laws which grant patents to inventors of such devices. A patent legally prevents anybody other than the inventor from using or selling the device for some time, usually about 15 years. To obtain a patent, an inventor must file a document with the government disclosing the invention, and once the government determines that the invention is appropriate, a patent is granted. The patent document is then published by the government after a short time, usually a year.
I have filed and received over 15 patents in a variety of countries. Some countries have patent systems which allow internet viewing of patents or patent references. Click on one of the countries shown below to see patents filed in that country.