Copyright on the content of patents
Encyclopedia
The copyright status of the content of patent applications and patents may vary from one legislation to another.
, a patent applicant may obtain copyright
protection or mask work protection for the content of their patent application if they include the following authorization notice in their application:
Otherwise, however, "the text and drawings of a patent are typically not subject to copyright restrictions."
United States
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a patent applicant may obtain copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
protection or mask work protection for the content of their patent application if they include the following authorization notice in their application:
- A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to (copyright or mask work) protection. The (copyright or mask work) owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all (copyright or mask work) rights whatsoever.
Otherwise, however, "the text and drawings of a patent are typically not subject to copyright restrictions."
External links
- United States Patent and Trademark OfficeUnited States Patent and Trademark OfficeThe United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property identification.The USPTO is based in Alexandria, Virginia,...
(USPTO) web site, Copyright and Trademark Issues RE: Materials from USPTO Website.