Legal Definitions - letters patent

The term letters patent refers to a formal legal document issued by a government or sovereign authority. Historically, these documents were open to public inspection and served to grant specific rights, privileges, or titles to individuals or organizations. In modern usage, the term is most commonly associated with the official grant of an exclusive right to an inventor for their invention or design, preventing others from making, using, or selling it without permission for a set period.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of letters patent:

• Imagine a group of entrepreneurs in the 17th century seeking to establish a new trading company to explore distant lands and establish trade routes. They would petition the monarch, who, upon approval, might issue letters patent. This document would formally create the company, grant it specific trading monopolies in certain regions, and define its powers and responsibilities. This illustrates the historical sense where the government publicly granted a significant privilege and legal status to a group.

• A scientist develops a revolutionary new material that is significantly lighter and stronger than existing options, with potential applications in aerospace and construction. After a rigorous application process with the relevant government intellectual property office, they are granted letters patent for their invention. This official document legally recognizes their exclusive right to produce, use, and license that specific material for a defined period, protecting their innovation from being copied by competitors. This demonstrates the modern and most common use of the term, where the government grants an exclusive right (a patent) to an inventor for their novel creation.