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DEFINITION
Patent applications are applications filed with a national patent office for exclusive rights for an invention--a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent for a limited period, generally 20 years.
| Date |
Amount |
Rank |
| 2004 |
37 |
#48 |
|
| 2003 |
46 |
#53 |
|
| 2002 |
42 |
#56 |
|
| 2001 |
66 |
#54 |
|
| 2000 |
71 |
#59 |
|
| 1999 |
64 |
#57 |
|
| 1998 |
84 |
#56 |
|
| 1997 |
66 |
#55 |
|
| 1996 |
52 |
#64 |
|
| 1995 |
100 |
#56 |
|
| 1994 |
58 |
#60 |
|
| 1993 |
78 |
#55 |
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DEFINITION: Patent applications are applications filed with a national patent office for exclusive rights for an invention--a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent for a limited period, generally 20 years.
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