A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. In order to be patentable, the invention must fulfill certain conditions (please see the answer to the question below " what kinds of inventions can be patented?"). A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent. The protection is granted for a limited period, generally 20 years. Patent protection means that the invention cannot be commercially made, used, distributed or sold without the patent owner's consent. These patent rights are usually enforced in a court, which, in most systems, holds the authority to stop patent infringement. Conversely, a court can also declare a patent invalid upon a successful challenge by a third party. A patent owner has the right to decide who may - or may not - use the patented invention for the period in which the invention is protected. The patent owner may give permission to, or license, other parties to use the invention on mutually agreed terms. The owner may also sell the right to the invention to someone else, who will then become the new owner of the patent. Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an invention enters the public domain, that is, the owner no longer holds exclusive rights to the invention, which becomes available to commercial exploitation by others. Patents provide incentives to individuals by offering them recognition for their creativity and material reward for their marketable inventions. These incentives encourage innovation, which assures that the quality of human life is continuously enhanced. Patented inventions have, in fact, pervaded every aspect of human life, from electric lighting (patents held by Edison and Swan) and plastic (patents held by Baekeland), to ballpoint pens (patents held by Biro) and microprocessors (patents held by Intel, for example). All patent owners are obliged, in return for patent protection, to publicly disclose information on their invention in order to enrich the total body of technical knowledge in the world. Such an ever-increasing body of public knowledge promotes further creativity and innovation in others. In this way, patents provide not only protection for the owner but valuable information and inspiration for future generations of researchers and inventors. The first step in securing a patent is the filing of a patent application. The patent application generally contains the title of the invention, as well as an indication of its technical field; it must include the background and a description of the invention, in clear language and enough detail that an individual with an average understanding of the field could use or reproduce the invention. Such descriptions are usually accompanied by visual materials such as drawings, plans, or diagrams to better describe the invention. The application also contains various "claims", that is, information which determines the extent of protection granted by the patent. An invention must, in general, fulfill the following conditions to be protected by a patent. It must be of practical use; it must show an element of novelty, that is, some new characteristic which is not known in the body of existing knowledge in its technical field. This body of existing knowledge is called "prior art". The invention must show an inventive step which could not be deduced by a person with average knowledge of the technical field. Finally, its subject matter must be accepted as "patentable" under law. In many countries, scientific theories, mathematical methods, plant or animal varieties, discoveries of natural substances, commercial methods, or methods for medical treatment (as opposed to medical products) are generally not patentable. A patent is granted by a national patent office or by a regional office that does the work for a number of countries, such as the European Patent Office and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization. Under such regional systems, an applicant requests protection for the invention in one or more countries, and each country decides as to whether to offer patent protection within its borders. The WIPO-administered Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) provides for the filing of a single international patent application which has the same effect as national applications filed in the designated countries. An applicant seeking protection may file one application and request protection in as many signatory states as needed. At present, no ?world patents? or ?international patents? exist. In general, an application for a patent must be filed, and a patent shall be granted and enforced, in each country in which you seek patent protection for your invention, in accordance with the law of that country. In some regions, a regional patent office, for example, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), accepts regional patent applications, or grants patents, which have the same effect as applications filed, or patents granted, in the member States of that region. Further, any resident or national of a Contracting State of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) may file an international application under the PCT. A single international patent application has the same effect as national applications filed in each designated Contracting State of the PCT. However, under the PCT system, in order to obtain patent protection in the designated States, a patent shall be granted by each designated State to the claimed invention contained in the international application. Further information concerning the PCT is available. Procedural and substantive requirements for the grant of patents as well as the amount of fees required are different from one country/region to the other. It is therefore recommend that you consult a practicing lawyer who is specialized in intellectual property or the intellectual property offices of those countries in which you are interested to get protection. A list of URLs and a directory of national and regional intellectual property offices are available. In order to search patent applications and granted patents, some national or regional patent offices provide free-of charge electronic databases via Internet. A list of URLs of web-based databases is available:. WIPO provides access to a comprehensive electronic database on published international patent applications filed under the PCT system from 1978 to the present day in image format and to fully searchable text of descriptions and claims for PCT International Applications filed as from July 1998. Wherever web-based databases are not available, patent information may be consulted on paper, on microfilms or CD-ROMs, at the national or regional patent offices. Searchable Internet patent databases have significantly facilitated the access to patent information. However, given the complexity of patent documents and the technical and legal skills required, it is advisable to contact a professional patent attorney if a high-quality patent search is required. WIPO Patent Information Services (WPIS) provides free-of-charge services for users in developing countries who wish to obtain technical search results in relation to their inventions. The Collection of Laws for Electronic Access (CLEA) provides easy access to intellectual property legislation from a wide range of countries and regions as well as to treaties on intellectual property administered by WIPO. Many national or regional patent Offices provide information concerning national or regional legislation on their web sites. A list of URLs of national and regional intellectual property offices are available. Procedural and substantive requirements for the grant of patents are different from one country/region to the other. In particular, practices and case law regarding the patentability of software-related inventions vary significantly in different countries. For example, in some countries, ?inventions? within the meaning of patent law must have a ?technical character? and software as such is not considered a patentable invention, while in others, such requirements do not exist, so that sofrware is generally patentable subject matter. It is therefore recommend that you consult a practicing lawyer who is specialized in intellectual property or the intellectual property offices of those countries in which you are interested to get protection. A list of URLs and a directory of national and regional intellectual property offices are available. On the other hand, computer programs may be protected under copyright. However, according to a well-established principle, copyright protection extends only to expressions, not to ideas, procedures, methods of operation or mathematical concepts as such. It is important to file a patent application before publicly disclosing the details of the invention. In general, any invention which is made public before an application is filed would be considered prior art (although the definition of the term "prior art" is not unified at the international level, in many countries, it consists of any information which has been made available to the public anywhere in the world by written or oral disclosure). In countries which apply the above definition of the term "prior art", the applicant's public disclosure of the invention prior to filing a patent application would prevent him/her from obtaining a valid patent for that invention, since such invention would not comply with the novelty requirement. Some countries, however, allow for a grace period, which provides a safeguard for applicants who disclosed their inventions before filing a patent application, and the novelty criteria may be interpreted differently depending on the applicable law. If it is inevitable to disclose your invention to, for example, a potential investor or a business partner, before filing a patent application, such a disclosure should be accompanied by a confidentiality agreement.What is a Patent?
What does a Patent do?
What kind of Protection does a Patent offer?
What Rights does a Patent Owner have?
Why are Patents necessary?
What Role do Patents Play in Everyday Life?
How is a Patent Granted?
What kinds of Inventions can be Protected?
Who grants Patents?
How can a patent be obtained worldwide?
Where can I find patent information?
How can I find the patent laws of various countries?
Can I obtain a patent for my software-related invention?
Can I discuss the details of my invention with a potential investor before filing a patent application?
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SciReg Terms of Service
1. General Provisions
These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("Customer," "User," or "you") and SolCity Nav, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("SciReg," "Company," "we," "our," or "us"), governing your access to and use of the SciReg website and all related services.
By creating an Account, submitting Registration(s), uploading Submitted Materials, purchasing Registration(s), or otherwise using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.
If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Service.
The Company reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Revised Terms become effective immediately upon publication on the SciReg website. Your continued use of the Service after publication of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of those revisions.
2. Definitions
For purposes of these Terms:
Account means a registered user account created through the SciReg website.
Customer means any individual or legal entity using the Service.
Service means the SciReg website and all services provided by SolCity Nav, LLC.
Registration means the submission of information and Submitted Materials through the Service for creation of a Registration Record.
Registration Record means the electronic record created and maintained by SciReg containing information supplied by the Customer together with the assigned registration number and registration date.
Registration Certificate means the electronic certificate generated by SciReg confirming creation of a Registration Record.
Submitted Materials means any files, documents, manuscripts, publications, software, databases, images, audiovisual works, research materials, or other content submitted by the Customer through the Service.
3. Description of the Service
SciReg is an independent online registration and publication service that enables Customers to create dated electronic Registration Records for intellectual works and other Submitted Materials.
For each accepted Registration, SciReg may:
- assign a unique registration number;
- record the date and time of Registration;
- maintain a Registration Record;
- securely store Submitted Materials;
- generate and issue a Registration Certificate;
- publish Registration information where publication is selected or otherwise authorized by the Customer.
SciReg operates as a private commercial service and is not affiliated with any governmental authority.
4. Nature of the Service
SciReg is an independent private registration service.
SciReg is not:
- a government copyright office;
- a patent office;
- a trademark office;
- a governmental registration authority;
- a court of law;
- a notary public;
- an arbitration tribunal.
SciReg does not:
- determine authorship;
- determine ownership of intellectual property rights;
- verify the identity of Customers;
- verify the accuracy of submitted information;
- verify originality of Submitted Materials;
- determine whether Submitted Materials qualify for copyright or other legal protection under any jurisdiction;
- provide legal advice or legal opinions;
- resolve disputes concerning ownership or intellectual property rights.
SciReg creates Registration Records solely on the basis of information provided by the Customer. The Company does not independently verify the identity of the Customer or the accuracy, completeness, legality, ownership, originality, authenticity, or legal status of any Submitted Materials.
A Registration Certificate confirms only that SciReg received specified information and Submitted Materials, created a Registration Record, assigned a registration number, and recorded the corresponding date and time of Registration.
A Registration Certificate is not a governmental registration, is not evidence of ownership or authorship, does not establish the existence or validity of copyright or any other intellectual property rights, and does not constitute a legal opinion, certification, adjudication, or governmental act.
5. Registration Procedure
To create a Registration Record, the Customer must:
- Create a SciReg Account or sign in to an existing Account.
- Complete the Registration form by providing the required information.
- Upload the Submitted Materials. Each Registration may include one archive file not exceeding 7 MB in size.
- Pay the applicable Registration fee, unless the Registration qualifies for a free Registration offered by the Company.
- Submit the Registration through the Service.
Upon successful completion of the Registration process and receipt of payment, if applicable, SciReg will create a Registration Record, assign a unique registration number, record the date and time of Registration, and make a Registration Certificate available to the Customer.
The Company reserves the right to reject or cancel any Registration that violates these Terms or applicable law.
6. Registration Fees
The Company may offer free Registrations and paid Registrations.
Unless otherwise stated on the SciReg website:
- the first two (2) Registrations submitted by a Customer are provided free of charge;
- each additional Registration is subject to a fee of US $7.00.
Registration fees are subject to change at any time. Any revised fees apply only to Registrations submitted after publication of the updated pricing.
All payments are non-refundable except where required by applicable law or expressly approved by the Company in its sole discretion.
Taxes, duties, bank charges, currency conversion fees, and similar charges imposed by third parties remain the sole responsibility of the Customer.
7. Customer Responsibilities
The Customer represents and warrants that:
- the Customer has the legal right to submit the Submitted Materials;
- the Submitted Materials do not knowingly violate any applicable law;
- the Submitted Materials do not knowingly infringe the intellectual property or other legal rights of any third party;
- all information provided during Registration is accurate and complete to the best of the Customer's knowledge.
The Customer is solely responsible for the content, legality, accuracy, ownership, and use of all Submitted Materials.
If Submitted Materials contain confidential, proprietary, trade secret, personal, or otherwise sensitive information, the Customer is solely responsible for determining whether submission to the Service is appropriate.
The Customer remains solely responsible for determining whether any AI-generated or AI-assisted materials qualify for copyright or other legal protection under applicable law.
8. License Granted to SciReg
The Customer retains all ownership and intellectual property rights in the Submitted Materials.
By submitting materials through the Service, the Customer grants SciReg a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:
- receive and process the Submitted Materials;
- create and maintain Registration Records;
- store backup copies;
- generate Registration Certificates;
- reproduce Submitted Materials as reasonably necessary for operation of the Service;
- publish Registration information where publication is selected or authorized by the Customer.
This license exists solely for the purpose of operating the Service and terminates when continued retention is no longer required for operation of the Service, legal compliance, dispute resolution, or legitimate business purposes.
Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of the Submitted Materials to the Company.
9. Prohibited Use
The Customer agrees not to use the Service:
- for unlawful purposes;
- to submit malicious software or harmful code;
- to upload material that intentionally infringes the rights of third parties;
- to interfere with operation or security of the Service;
- to attempt unauthorized access to Company systems or other user Accounts;
- to submit false or misleading Registration information.
The Company reserves the right to refuse, suspend, remove, or terminate any Registration or Account that violates these Terms or applicable law without prior notice.
10. Privacy
The Company collects, stores, and processes personal information solely for the purpose of operating the Service, maintaining Registration Records, communicating with Customers, processing payments, complying with legal obligations, preventing fraud, and improving the Service.
The Company does not sell Customers' personal information to third parties.
By using the Service, the Customer consents to such processing of personal information.
11. Electronic Communications
The Customer agrees that all notices, disclosures, Registration Certificates, invoices, receipts, and other communications provided electronically by the Company satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.
12. Intellectual Property
The SciReg website, software, design, logos, trademarks, text, graphics, databases, and all other materials provided by the Company are the exclusive property of SolCity Nav, LLC or its licensors and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.
Except as expressly permitted by these Terms, no part of the Service may be copied, reproduced, modified, distributed, reverse engineered, or otherwise used without the Company's prior written permission.
13. Availability of the Service
The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Service available.
However, SciReg does not guarantee uninterrupted operation or continuous availability.
The Service may be modified, suspended, restricted, or discontinued at any time without prior notice.
The Company may perform maintenance, upgrades, security improvements, or other technical operations that temporarily interrupt the availability of the Service.
14. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE."
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE COMPANY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR AVAILABILITY.
THE COMPANY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT:
- THE SERVICE WILL OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION;
- THE SERVICE WILL BE ERROR-FREE;
- DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED;
- THE SERVICE WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE;
- THE SERVICE WILL MEET THE CUSTOMER'S EXPECTATIONS OR PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS.
15. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SOLCITY NAV, LLC, ITS OWNERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF GOODWILL, OR INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE USE OF THE SERVICE.
THE COMPANY SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM:
- INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CUSTOMERS;
- UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS;
- THIRD-PARTY ACTIONS;
- INTERNET FAILURES;
- FORCE MAJEURE EVENTS;
- VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL SOFTWARE NOT CAUSED BY THE COMPANY'S GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE TOTAL LIABILITY OF THE COMPANY ARISING OUT OF ANY CLAIM RELATING TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID BY THE CUSTOMER FOR THE REGISTRATION GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.
16. Indemnification
The Customer agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SolCity Nav, LLC, its owners, directors, officers, employees, contractors, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, expenses, and reasonable attorneys' fees arising out of:
- the Customer's use of the Service;
- Submitted Materials;
- violation of these Terms;
- violation of applicable law;
- infringement of any third-party rights.
17. Suspension and Termination
The Company may suspend, restrict, or terminate any Account or Registration at any time if the Company reasonably believes that:
- these Terms have been violated;
- applicable law has been violated;
- continued use of the Service may expose the Company to legal or financial risk;
- fraudulent or abusive activity has occurred.
Termination of an Account does not affect rights and obligations that accrued prior to termination.
The Company may retain Registration Records where required by law, for dispute resolution, fraud prevention, security, or legitimate business purposes.
18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
Any legal action arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in the State of Delaware, and the Customer irrevocably submits to the jurisdiction of those courts.
19. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
20. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, and any other legal policies published by the Company, constitute the entire agreement between the Customer and SolCity Nav, LLC concerning the Service and supersede all prior understandings relating to the same subject matter.
21. Contact Information
SolCity Nav, LLC
651 North Broad Street
Middletown, Delaware 19709
United States
E-mail: scireg@scireg.org
Website: https://scireg.org
