翻訳コラム

特許とは何か? 発明とは何か?
特許を学ぶ初歩の初歩です。
特許とはまさに発明に与えられる独占権です。発明を保護し、発明した発明者を保護するための制度です。特許を付与して発明者にその発明を独占させる、つまり独占権を与えて、一定期間は特許権者以外の他人がこれを原則として実施できず、もちろん他人が模倣もできないにしています。この独占権が特許です。
上述した「一定期間」とは、特許権の存続期間のことであり、特許出願から20年です。この期間は発明者が発明を独占できます。
特許権者とは誰がなるのでしょうか? つまり、誰が一定期間、発明を独占できるでしょうか?
通常は発明者ですが、会社が特許権者になることもあります。特許を受ける権利を発明者から会社に譲渡することが多いからです。
特許出願をした者は特許出願人といい、発明者が特許出願すれば発明者が特許出願人になるし、特許を受ける権利を会社に譲渡して、会社が特許出願すれば、会社が特許出願人になります。これが特許になったあかつきには、会社が特許権者になります。

What is patent ?
What is an invention?
This is rudimentary knowledge about patents.
Patent is absolutely a right for monopolizing an invention. A patent system intends to protect inventions and inventors who made inventions. The purpose of the patent system is granting a patent to an inventor and allowing an inventor to monopolize his/her invention, and prohibiting others from carrying it out except for the patent right holder, and needless to say, imitating the invention for the predetermined term in principle. This right to the monopoly of an invention is a patent right.
“The predetermined term" described above is a patent term which is 20 years from the date of patent application.
An inventor can earn the right of a monopoly of his/her invention during this term.
Who becomes a patent right holder? In other words, who can hold a monopoly position of an invention during the predetermine term?
Ordinarily, an inventor becomes a patent right holder but a company may become a patent right holder because a right to obtain a patent is often assigned to a company.
A person who files a patent application is referred to a patent applicant. If a company files a patent application for an invention made by an employee, the company becomes a patent applicant. On the other hand, if a right to obtain a patent is assigned to a company from an inventor, and the company files a patent application, the company becomes a patent applicant, and if a patent is granted, it becomes a patent right holder.