What is a Patent?
A patent is a government document that protects an invention.
If a person has a good idea for an invention, they can apply for a patent for it, as long as the idea is new. Once the government gives them a patent, no one else can copy the idea, design, pattern or object and make money from it.
A patent lasts for about 15 years, depending on the product.
Read about patents, why inventors need them and how do they get them:
https://www.bl.uk/business-and-ip-centre/articles/what-is-a-patent
Did you know......
The American inventor Thomas Edison applied for as many as 400 patents each year. In his lifetime, he applied for 1093 patents altogether!