Understanding Patent Rights

Here you will get a clear picture by reading thehe can make, use and sell his invention
following simple example “stool and chair‘stool’ with out any fear of infringing
invention concept”, which is familiar to allothers patent right. Hence, he has both negative
patent practitioners.right and positive right on his invention.
A portable seating appliance art ‘stool’Where as, Bartholomew can only exclude
having platform with three legs was invented by[negative right] others from making, using or
Abraham. And he applied for a patent andselling devices which has four leg, back support
obtained patent grant for his invention.and arm support, and his patent does not give
Another inventor Bartholomew had come withhim any right to make these devices. Indeed,
invention “chair”, in which he added asince chair also has a platform and three legs
fourth leg, back support and arm support to have[which is equivalent to stool], if chairs are made
more comfortable. As the “chair’ haswithout obtaining a license from Abraham, then it
improvement over the ‘stool’, the patentwill be infringing Abraham’s stool patent.
office granted a patent to Bartholomew for hisThus, it will be clear that a person having a patent
invention.does not give that person the right to practice his
Now there is interesting question, who owns whatinvention. The basic patent only has both positive
rights?and negative right, where as all improvement
Abraham invented basic portable appliance artpatent enables their owner to exclude others
‘stool’, and he can exclude others fromfrom practicing their patented products.
making, using, or selling his stool invention and also