A patent is a document that discloses how to make and use an invention in an enabling manner. The patent document also defines the invention via a set of claims. The patent is granted by a government in exchange for the enabling disclosure and the payment of fees.

A patent provides its owner with the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the claimed invention for a specified period of time, which is typically 20 years from the filing date of the patent application.

In the United States, a patent also provides its owner with the right to exclude others from offering for sale or importing the claimed invention.

Thus, a patent includes claims that define the invention, and an enabling description of the claimed invention. The description section of most patents includes both text and drawings, and sometimes tables, equations, or charts. Photos are rarely allowed, and generally, the entire contents of the patent must be reproducible on paper, such as via a copying machine.

A searchable database of issued United States Patents is available on the website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.