A number of famous celebrity inventors hold patents forinteresting inventions. Here are a few of our favorites: Bill Nye, Eddie VanHalen, Andy Warhol, and Prince.
A patent is an intellectual property right granted by theGovernment of the United States of America to an inventor “to exclude othersfrom making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout theUnited States or importing the invention into the United States” for a limitedtime in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent isgranted.
There are three types of patents. Utility patents may begranted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine,article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and usefulimprovement thereof. Here is the process for obtaining a utility patent. Designpatents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamentaldesign for an article of manufacture. Plant patents may be granted to anyonewho invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.