What are advantages of Patent to Inventor and/or Applicant?
To the inventor a patent system confers certain definite advantages. The incentive for technological innovations is monetary reward. It is not compulsory for an invention to be patented. An inventor may use his invention secretly for as long as he can keep it secret. But the chances of keeping the formula secret are meager especially when he has to engage workmen to carry out the invention. In the case of machines or apparatus it is well-night impossible to keep the invention secret since knowledge of the invention may be obtained by dismantling the machine. If other people start manufacturing the article by independent discovery or by pilferage of the secret, the original inventor has no effective legal remedy. There is also the danger of a competitor taking out a patent for the article and suing the secret user for infringement. On the other hand, if a patent is obtained for the invention the patentee gets the exclusive right to use the invention for a definite period, which right ca
