Prior art definition: Top Countries

United States of America  1. An invention which was known or used by others in US, or patented or described in a printed publication in US or a foreign country, before the invention by the applicant; 2. An invention which was patented or described in a printed publication in US or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in US, more than one year before the filing date; 3. An invention abandoned by the applicant; 4. An invention which was patented, or was...

Are patent text and images Copyrighted?

There is a debate over this topic that text and images of patent are subject of copyright protection. I have researched over this and found out that the answer to this debate is no. Copyright: Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of "original works of authorship" including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished. The 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive...