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Simple English definitions for legal terms
lapse patent
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A quick definition of lapse patent:
A lapse patent is a type of land patent that replaces an earlier patent that was not claimed by the previous patentee. A patent is a government grant that gives the inventor the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling their invention for a certain period of time. There are different types of patents, such as design patents for protecting the appearance of a product and utility patents for protecting the function of a product. A pioneer patent covers a major technological advance, while an improvement patent covers an improvement on an existing invention.A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A land patent that replaces an earlier patent for the same land that was not claimed by the previous patent holder.
Example: John receives a patent for a piece of land but fails to claim it. The patent then lapses. Later, Jane receives a patent for the same land, which is now considered a lapse patent.
Explanation: A lapse patent is issued when a previous patent holder fails to claim their patent, allowing someone else to receive a patent for the same land. This can occur when the previous patent holder dies, abandons the land, or simply forgets to claim their patent. The new patent holder is then granted the rights to the land, and the previous patent is considered lapsed.