Patents provide important research information
Thomson Scientific
March 2007
Intellectual property rights (IPR) have been developed over hundreds of years to provide a means for recognizing and rewarding human creativity. The instruments of these rights include copyright, design, trademark and patent protection. Of these, patents are unique in being designed to stimulate as well as protect creativity, and they can be a vital resource for researchers as well as for lawyers. This article was originally published in the February/March 2007 edition of Research Information .
Introduction
Patents offer both protection for inventors and their inventions and a mechanism to realise returns on the often substantial investment made in developing those inventions. But there is a trade-off . . .
Read the full article (PDF)