Patents are generally categorized into three distinct types: utility, design, and plant patents. By far the most common are utility patents, which protect new and useful processes, machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter. Design patents, by contrast, safeguard the ornamental appearance of a functional item. Plant patents apply to new and distinct varieties of asexually reproduced plants. From a term perspective, utility and plant patents typically extend up to 20 years from the filing date of the application, while design patents carry a term of up to 15 years from issuance.
