A patent is a legal right granted by a government to an inventor or an assignee for a limited period, typically twenty years from the date of filing, in exchange for full disclosure of an invention. It confers upon the patent holder the exclusive right to make, use, sell, offer for sale, and import the patented invention without unauthorized interference from others. A patent does not itself grant the right to use the invention in all circumstances; rather, it provides the right to exclude others from exploiting it. This system operates as a balance between private rights and public interest, ensuring that innovations are protected while also contributing to the advancement of knowledge. An invention, to be patentable, must generally satisfy three essential criteria: novelty, inventive step (non-obviousness), and industrial applicability (utility). Novelty means that the invention must be new and not previously disclosed to the public anywhere in the world. Inventive step implies that the invention should not be obvious to a person skilled in the relevant field. Industrial applicability requires that the invention be capable of being made or used in some kind of industry. In many jurisdictions, including India, these criteria are codified in patent laws such as the Patents Act, 1970. The necessity of patents arises from the need to encourage innovation and creativity. In the absence of patent protection, inventors would have little incentive to invest time, effort, and resources into developing new products or processes, as their inventions could be easily copied by others without any compensation. The research and development process often involves substantial financial investment and risk, especially in