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The word patent means open or exposed, and the main goal of the United States patent system is to open or expose new advances in technology and promote science and the useful arts. A patent is an official document granted by the U.S. government to a recipient, called the patentee, conveying specific rights. The rights are refereed to as patent rights. An U.S. patent has a limited life. The term of an U.S. patent issued after 1995 is 20 years.

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