Patents are legal rights awarded by governments to inventors for their inventions, allowing them to exclude others from making, using, selling, or distributing the patented invention without permission. The patent system is intended to encourage innovation by providing inventors with a temporary monopoly on their inventions, allowing them to potentially recoup their investment in research and development. Patents can cover a variety of inventions including products, processes, machines, and designs. To obtain a patent, the invention must be novel, non-obvious, and useful. The patent application is evaluated by a patent office, and if approved, the patent holder has the right to enforce their patent against unauthorized use for the length of the patent term.