Roadmap on How to Patent an Idea [2026 Guide]

Without understanding how to patent an idea, innovators risk losing their competitive edge when competitors copy their innovations, potentially costing them millions in lost revenue and market opportunities. This article explores how you can work with a skilled patent lawyer to get the necessary defense for protecting intellectual property by transforming vulnerable concepts into enforceable legal assets.

Steps for How to Patent an Idea

When you want to patent an idea, you must develop a concrete invention with specific technical details showing patent-eligible subject matter and compliance with novelty, non-obviousness, and utility requirements. The U.S. patent system generally follows a first-inventor-to-file system, meaning filing early is critical. However, the applicant must be an inventor, and limited proceedings can apply in certain circumstances.

Public disclosures, offers for sale, or public use before filing can bar patentability, particularly outside the United States. In the U.S., some inventor-originated disclosures may be protected by a limited one-year grace period, although reliance on the grace period is risky and fact-dependent. To have the greatest chance for success, learn how to patent an idea, along with the considerations and nuances of the process.

Step 1: Determining if Your Idea Can Be Patented

A patent is a type of property right. It gives the patent holder the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, or importing whatever is within the scope of the patent. Patent protection grants the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, offering for sale, or importing the claimed invention, but it doesn’t guarantee market exclusivity or the right to practice the invention.

Can you patent an idea? Before you file a patent application for your idea, you need to determine if the idea can be patented. To be patentable, your idea must be:

1. Novel;
2. Non-obvious; and
3. Useful.

The foundational requirements for patentable subject matter are established in 35 U.S.C section 101, which defines the categories of inventions eligible for protection: “Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefore, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title”.

In addition, the description of the invention must be clear enough to enable a person skilled in the art to replicate and use the invention without undue experimentation. This guarantees that the patent serves its primary purpose: advancing public knowledge in exchange for limited exclusive rights.

Novel Idea

For an invention to be novel, it must be different from anything else that has previously been available in the world. An invention is not novel if:

• It has been previously patented.
• It has been described in a printed publication.
• It has been in public use.
• It was available for sale.
• It was otherwise available to the public.

The law doesn’t prohibit a patent on an improvement of an invention that has already been patented. An improvement may be novel if it introduces at least one structural or functional feature that is not disclosed in the prior art.

Merely achieving a better result (such as increased speed) doesn’t, by itself, establish novelty unless tied to a new and previously undisclosed technical feature. As long as your idea has some element that is different from other ideas it might build upon, your idea may meet this requirement.

Non-Obvious Determination

Patent examiners review patent applications and make a determination on whether an idea is non-obvious. These examiners are guided by a specific set of rules when making this determination. They will look at the totality of the circumstances and make a decision based on the prior art that is available.

If your invention makes only minor changes to a prior invention, then it probably will not be eligible to get a patent. Minor changes such as size, color, or shape may be considered obvious if they represent predictable variations of the prior art. However, even changes in configuration or structure may be non-obvious if they produce unexpected results or solve a problem in a way not suggested by the prior art.

Because of this, we help inventors develop a good understanding of the prior art related to their idea. Knowing the closest prior art helps you determine how your idea is different from any previous related inventions.

Useful Idea

Finally, to get a patent, your idea and invention must be useful. Under traditional patent standards, your invention must have a specific, substantial, and credible utility.

While this may sound difficult to fulfill, the definition of usefulness in patent law is relatively broad. In most cases, the things that fail to have utility are things like ‘perpetual motion machines’ or machines that claim to create energy without fuel.

To get a patent, your invention just needs to operate to perform an intended purpose in the world. In other words, it cannot have merely a speculative or possible future use.

Step 2: Complete Prep Work and Document Everything

Before you look into getting a patent, complete some background preparatory work to patent an idea. This will go a long way when it comes time to filing your patent application, as you will have already completed a lot of the legwork.

Prototype

While it’s not necessary to build a prototype of your invention in order to get a patent, it can be a very helpful step to complete early on in the process. There are a few reasons why prototypes are helpful when patenting an idea:

• Prototypes force you to develop applicable designs and procedures for your invention.
• Prototypes help determine the functionality of your invention.
• Prototypes bring to light places where your invention could improve.
• Prototypes help make sure your invention will accomplish what it’s set out to do.

You don’t need to spend a ton of time making sure each aspect of your invention is perfect before you start the patent application process. It’s better to begin the application process sooner rather than later so that you can preserve an early application filing date. 

Most often, the approach taken by successful inventors is to file a patent application at an early stage to establish their rights to the concept, and then improve and perfect their product. An initial application can support later-claimed subject matter only if the improvements are fully described and enabled in the original disclosure. New technical matter added later requires a new filing and doesn’t receive the earlier priority date.

Goals for Inventing

Do you want to commercialize your invention and market it? If so, a patent can provide the protection your product needs from competitors. On the other hand, you might just license your invention to companies that would produce and sell it for royalties. 

In both scenarios, patents give you leverage in negotiations. Another goal could be creating a legacy or establishing credibility in your personal or business portfolio. A patented invention can demonstrate innovation and technical expertise. 

Whatever your objective is, having a good idea of why you want a patent will help you make informed decisions throughout the process. Patenting is expensive and time-consuming, so make sure it aligns with your vision. Inventors have different journeys, and knowing your goals early can help you choose the right path.

Business Plan

Draft a business plan for your idea and invention. The business plan does’t need to be complex and perfect. It’s more about thinking through your idea and getting processes on paper.

Drafting a business plan helps you evaluate the pros and cons of seeking a patent. It also forces you to evaluate whether your invention will actually make money. Finally, a business plan helps you identify what steps you will need to take to get the idea off the ground.

Extent of Public Exposure

Another important thing to consider is the extent to which your idea has already been made public. Have you already somehow shared your idea or invention in the public domain?

For example, have you published it in an article or journal, showcased it at a trade show, or established a campaign to drum up funds? If your invention has been publicly disclosed, you may still be eligible for U.S. patent protection if the disclosure originated from you and the patent application is filed within one year. However, public disclosure can permanently bar patent rights in many foreign jurisdictions.

U.S. patent law provides a one-year grace period, under the right circumstances, when you have exposed your invention to the public. Be sure to determine the exact date of the first time your invention was revealed to the public. This date may start your one-year clock, so think carefully before you expose your invention publicly.

Market Research

As a final note on prep work, conduct some market research on your idea before you file your patent application. This helps give you some background information on how the public would react to your idea, and whether it pays to get patent protection.

It also helps you better understand whether your idea could actually make money, and how long it might take to recoup that money. Even if you have a great idea, it might be too hard to get off the ground, or it requires too much legwork from you or money upfront. 

The public may not understand the value of your product, and marketing it might not be worthwhile. These are important factors to at least briefly explore before you file a patent.

Step 3: Assess Ownership Considerations

In many cases, it’s easy to identify the inventors of your patent. You may have come up with the idea all on your own and may have spent your own time and effort to develop a prototype. In some cases, there can often be multiple players involved in the development of an idea. 

An inventor is someone who helped think of and create the idea underlying the claimed invention. Likewise, an inventor is someone who contributed to the ingenuity of the underlying idea and invention. Just because someone helped build a prototype or provided an expert opinion for you doesn’t mean they are a co-inventor.

Inventorship Considerations

Every co-inventor must be included in your application. The minimum contribution requirement in order to be a co-inventor on a patent application is that they contributed to the subject matter that is embraced by at least one claim in the application. Inventors may jointly apply for a patent even if:

• The inventors did not work together physically or at the same time.
• Each inventor did not make the same type or amount of contribution.
• Each inventor did not contribute to the subject matter of every claim within the application.

This is an important discussion to have with your patent attorney or agent. You want to make sure that the proper inventors are named in the patent application. Our patent attorneys can provide advice based on any particular nuances applicable to the situation of our clients.

Note that even though someone might have contributed to the invention and must be named on the application, you might not want that person to have ownership rights in the invention. In that case, you will want to have the inventor assign their rights to you or your company.

Owners of the Patent

The next step is to determine who you would like to be the owner of the patent, and who might have ownership claims should you apply for a patent. Regarding the first part, who would you like to be the owner, the two main things to think about are:

• Should the patent be owned by a company?

or

• Should the patent be owned by you individually?

If you simply apply for a patent, it will be owned by the inventors individually. If there are multiple inventors or investors involved, someone will want the invention placed in the name of a company co-owned by the various inventors and investors.

Ownership Considerations

Regarding the second part, about whether someone else has a claim of ownership over my patent, here are some things to consider:

• Is the invention related to your job?
• Did you come up with the invention during work hours?
• Did you use company resources to develop the invention?
• Were you tasked by your employer with developing this idea?
• Did you spend time working on this outside of work hours?
• Is the invention unrelated to your job?
• Did you regularly discuss the idea with your colleagues or boss?

Inventors initially own their inventions unless they have assigned their rights by contract. Employers may obtain ownership through written assignment agreements or may hold limited ‘shop rights’ under certain circumstances. Before filing, review how employment agreements, shop rights, and invention assignments can affect who owns patent rights: the employer or inventor.

Our patent lawyers can check any agreements you may have signed with your company, as some employment agreements directly address this question. We can also make a thoughtful, honest assessment about whether your big idea is intellectual property that actually belongs to the company you work for.

Step 4: Conduct a Patent Search Using a Patent Database

Next up is to conduct a patent search for your idea using various patent databases. This will determine whether or not your invention is truly novel, as we discussed above, because it will let you know if others have already obtained a similar patent.

You can conduct your search within the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s various patent databases. Doing this search before you submit your application can save you substantial time and money if you discover your idea has already been patented by another. Here are some of our tips.

Classes and Subclasses

Conduct a search within classes and subclasses on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website. The USPTO classifies patents using the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system, which contains thousands of detailed technical classifications jointly maintained with the European Patent Office. Examples of patent classes include Apparel, Cutlery, Metal Working, Sewing, and Woodworking.

The advantage of searching within classes and subclasses is that you will find important prior art, even if they use different terminology. So finding the correct class/subclass to look in will reveal that “container lid remover” patent that might have escaped your keyword research for can opener.

Issued Patents and Patent Applications

The United States Patent Office has two main patent databases: a database for patents that have been issued and a database for patent applications that have been published.

Each database contains unique hits. This is because not every patent application gets published, and not all applications are eventually granted patents. Published applications are prior art and can be used against your efforts to get your own patent.

Full Text and PDF Image Databases

The Patent Office has two types of databases for issued patents: Full-Text and PDF Image.

The PDF image database only allows you to search by patent number or classification code. It can be harder to fruitfully search the PDF image database. However, this database goes much further back in time than the full-text database.

Third-Party Databases

There are also some third-party patent search databases you can use to facilitate your search. These databases have advanced filters. This includes searching by date, author/inventor, and other key features beyond class and subclass.

These databases can also be more intuitive to navigate, as they mimic other platforms you may be familiar with. They can also convert non-English text to English quickly and cluster documents within patent families.

Google Patents

Google Patents is an extremely easy-to-use search database. It has a search window that looks just like the familiar search window. Just type in a query and up pop thousands of patent results.

Google Patents is a great way to find a patent if you already know the patent number or if you know the name of the inventor. It can be a good way to quickly, easily, and inexpensively discover that there’s something like your invention.

Patent Law Firms

After you have spent some time on your own searching the patent databases, it’s a good idea to work with a law firm to conduct a search on your idea and invention. Our patent attorneys and patent searchers are much more experienced with looking for and finding the best prior art that will help you to understand how different your invention really is from the prior art.

Our attorneys will often find things you might have been unable to do on your own. They can also provide you with pointers for further searching on your own.

Step 5: Choose Your Patent Type

The USPTO grants patents for different types of inventions, including:

• Utility patents
• Design patents
• Plant patents

These patent types provide protection for different ideas.

Utility Patents

A utility patent protects the way something is used and works. These useful inventions are split up into four categories:

• Machine;
• Process;
• Manufacture; and
• Composition of matter.

It grants the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling, offering for sale, or importing the claimed invention without authorization. It will expire 20 years from the earliest effective U.S. nonprovisional filing date (subject to patent term adjustment and other rules). This patent requires fees that must be paid multiple times in order to retain the patent for the full term, and patents will expire early if the fees are not paid.

Design Patents

A design patent protects the way an invention looks. This includes the shape and configuration of a product, as well as the surface ornamentation that is applied. In some cases, a design patent can protect both the shape and the ornamentation.

A design patent costs much less than a utility patent, and generally involves a narrower scope of protection and a different legal standard focused on visual appearance. Design patents expire 15 years from the patent issue date. They don’t have any maintenance fees or renewal requirements.

Plant Patents

To secure a plant patent, you must successfully asexually reproduce a new plant variety, a process available for most flora, excluding tuber-propagated plants. Once issued, the patent safeguards the entire plant by granting the inventor the right to exclude others from asexually reproducing, selling, or using the patented plant, but not plants independently grown from seed.

Although the process involves various search and issue fees, a major benefit is that plant patents don’t require maintenance fees to keep them in force. This makes them a cost-effective long-term asset for horticulturalists, as the protection remains active until its natural expiration.

Step 6: Submit the Patent Application

The next step is to decide what type of patent application you should file. Set out below are the main types of applications to file, and key considerations as you make this determination.

Submitting your application through the Patent Center, the USPTO’s electronic filing system, allows you to begin the formal patent examination process. While many inventors navigate these digital tools independently, consulting a patent lawyer can be instrumental in making sure your documents meet the rigorous legal standards required for approval.

Provisional Patent Application

A provisional patent application is an informal application. It must include a written description sufficient to satisfy the disclosure requirements of U.S. patent law to support later-claimed subject matter. It will not be examined, and it can support an earlier effective filing date only for subject matter adequately described and enabled in the provisional application.

Filing a provisional patent application will establish your priority in your invention for the sake of a future filing of a nonprovisional (utility) application. A provisional patent application gives you a year to conduct market research and further refine your invention before investing the more substantial money, time, and effort into a nonprovisional patent application and the patent prosecution process.

Here are a few details that must be included in your provisional patent application:

• Cover sheet;
• Written description;
• Drawings (if necessary);
• Fees

Nonprovisional Patent Application

A nonprovisional patent application is the formal application submitted to the USPTO to start the patent process. If you filed a provisional first, this application must be filed within one year after filing your provisional patent application. Filing this application allows you to describe the invention as patent pending while the application remains pending.

Nonprovisional patent applications start the process toward obtaining utility patents. It’s helpful to engage an attorney when filing your nonprovisional patent application. A patent attorney will be able to provide you with advice on the appropriate language to use in the application, as well as guide the extensive processes and procedures that happen after filing.

A nonprovisional patent application must include the following:

• Application Transmittal Form or Letter;
• Specification, including a description and a claim or claims;
• Drawings, when necessary;
• Oath or declaration; and
• Required filing, search, and examination fees.

Divisional Patent Application

A divisional patent application can follow a nonprovisional patent application. It’s used to pursue an independent or distinct invention that is carved out of an application that is already patent pending. 

This type of application is often filed after you receive a restriction requirement office action from an examiner. That is, if the USPTO examiner believes there is more than one invention present in an application, they may issue a restriction.

This will require you to choose one. The divisional application may be filed later to pursue the invention you didn’t initially choose.

Continuation Application

A continuation application is a patent application that is filed after your original application that has the same specification and drawings as the original, yet contains new or different claims than the original.

The continuation application maintains a strong claim of priority from the original because of the fact that the invention shown in the drawings and described in the specification has not changed.

Continuation-in-Part Application

A continuation-in-part (CIP) application is used when you make improvements or come up with add-ons to your original invention while it is patent pending. Since many inventors continue to work on their inventions even after an application has been filed, a CIP can seek additional patents for these improvements, while maintaining priority from the original application.

If this is you, and you have developed some improvements, use a continuation application. A CIP application receives the original priority date only for subject matter fully supported in the parent application. Newly added material receives a later filing date.

International Patent Applications

As patents are territorial in nature, U.S. patents don’t protect an invention or idea in foreign countries. If you want to protect your idea internationally, you will need to get a patent in any country where you would like to get protection. Because it can be very expensive to do so, you’ll want to look into filing an international application first.

A common international patent application to start the international patenting process is the Patent Cooperation Treaty Application (PCT Application). The PCT provides a unified procedure for filing applications internationally. It can effectively start the process to provide you protection in the states that are part of the treaty. 

Eventually, you would need to file “national” patent applications in the countries where you want protection. The advantage of the PCT application is that it gives you up to 30 months from your first application to file those national patent applications.

Step 7: Navigate the Examiners and USPTO

Patent examiners are tasked with ensuring applications meet the legal requirements for patentability. They will likely issue “office actions”, which are formal documents that detail any issues or rejections they have with your application. 

While this may seem discouraging, it’s normal and a common part of the process. Our patent lawyers can address the examiner’s concerns and amend your patent claims to align with the feedback. We achieve this by building a clear and compelling case for your invention. 

We can interpret legal jargon and write technical descriptions in a way that satisfies the examiner’s requirements. Understanding how examiners evaluate claims and addressing any objections directly can significantly improve your chances of securing a patent.

Office Actions

As an initial note, office actions are official communications sent to you from the Patent Office as it evaluates your application. Most of these communications come from your examiner to notify you of the results and status of their evaluation.

Office actions may communicate legal problems with your patent, from small typos to larger issues with your application. Whatever issues are raised in an office action, each must be responded to in order to provide a complete response. Also, any objections and rejections must be overcome for your application to be approved.

Examiner Response

The examiner will then review your applicant response and make a couple of potential determinations:

• Notice of Allowance: This is issued if the examiner believes the response sufficiently addresses the identified issues, which allows your application to proceed forward.
• Final Official Action: This may be issued after a prior non-final Office Action and your response, when the examiner maintains rejections and concludes prosecution is closed (subject to limited amendments and further options such as RCE or appeal).

A Notice of Allowance essentially approves your patent application. You must then pay the issue fee and, if applicable, a publication fee before your patent is granted. At that point, your idea is no longer patent pending, and you can enforce your patent against others.

A Final Office Action, also called a Final Rejection, may be issued when the examiner is able to make the same rejections it made previously for a second time. They can also issue a final rejection when they make new rejections. If you receive a Final Office Action, you have a few options:

1. You can continue to amend the application and try to convince the examiner to grant the application (with more limited options).
2. You can appeal the examiner’s decision.
3. You can file an RCE (Request for Continued Examination) along with the government fee to buy at least one additional ‘round’ of argument with the Examiner.
4. You can file a continuation or continuation-in-part application; or
5. You can abandon the application.

Step 8: Manage the Appeals and Petition Process

Sometimes it isn’t possible to convince an examiner that their rejection of your patent application is incorrect. If this happens, you may want to consider filing some type of appeal.

Appeals Process

You can file a Notice of Appeal and appeal the examiner’s final determination of patentability. That is, after a final office action is issued. Appeals are heard by the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB).

The PTAB is comprised of Administrative Patent Judges who review appeals from examiner rejections, hear arguments regarding your application, and consider applicable documents. The Board will then decide whether or not to reverse the examiner’s rejection and grant your patent application over the examiner’s decision.

An appeal may be a good option if your examiner substantively disagrees with the novelty, utility, or non-obviousness of your invention. The Board is well-versed in the legal arguments surrounding these key legal issues and can sometimes make a different determination than that made by the examiner.

Petition Process

If you have an issue with something related to the application process, you may want to file a petition. Petitions, unlike appeals, are submitted to and determined by the Office of Petitions at the Patent Office. 

In general, petitions address issues within the process. For example, if you want to seek certain exceptions to the patent prosecution process timeline or requirements, petitions are used. Petitions are also used to revive an application that was abandoned when the inventor unintentionally fails to respond to an office action or pay a fee on time.

Are You Barred From Patenting?

Not all inventions qualify for patent protection, and understanding potential obstacles early on will save you time and money. 

• One common barrier is whether your invention is in a category that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office doesn’t allow for patenting. For instance, abstract ideas, laws of nature, and pure mathematical formulas are generally not patentable.
• Inventions publicly disclosed for more than a year before filing a patent application are usually barred because of the “one-year rule”. These disclosures include publications, sales, or public demonstrations.
• U.S. patent law doesn’t exclude inventions based solely on morality or public policy concerns, although specific statutory exclusions and regulatory limitations may apply in certain technical fields. For example, some biotechnology innovations, like human cloning, are not patentable.

Patent laws are country-specific and should be considered along with international laws. 

What Should I Know About Critical Timing and the First-to-File Rule?

The first-to-file rule is the principle that the first inventor to file for a patent has priority for that patent. This is a change to the historic rule in the United States that the inventor who first created an invention received priority, even if someone else managed to file their patent application first.

The first-to-file rule is simpler and easier for the government to enforce than a first-to-invent rule. However, the rule can also potentially hurt inventors who have an idea and create an invention, but take their time perfecting it before actually filing their application.

The risk is that they may be ‘beaten to the punch’ by someone who invents later but files quickly. This is why you need to file your patent application as soon as possible to make sure you preserve your priority under the first-to-file system. Once you file your application, you’ll be able to state that your idea is patent pending.

Do I Need a Registered Patent Attorney to Patent an Idea?

When considering getting a patent, another thing to consider doing early on is getting an eligibility opinion from a patent attorney. A registered attorney will have experience filing patents and understand the nuances involved within the underlying patent statutes and applicable case law, and the landscape of other patents.

Because of this, a patent attorney will have a much better understanding of whether your idea can actually be patented or not. The case law in this area is always changing and morphing, and it’s hard to predict exactly how an examiner will come down on any one idea.

Even still, our patent attorneys will point out and guide you through certain pitfalls, complications, and considerations that you may not have thought of on your own. We can also help you understand additional costs beyond the initial filing fee, such as issuance fees.

Related Questions

How Much Does It Cost to Patent an Idea?

If you do everything yourself, at the very least, a patent application will cost several hundred dollars. However, the skillful preparation of an application can start at a few thousand dollars for a design patent and can reach upwards of $40,000 for complex ideas such as a software patent.

Are There Low-Cost Options for Getting Patents?

A low-cost option involves filing a provisional application and claiming micro-entity or small entity status to reduce government filing costs significantly. To keep expenses down, you can also have a patent agent help you respond to Office Actions on time to avoid unnecessary extension penalties.

How Can I Patent My Idea for Free?

People often wonder if there’s a way to patent an idea for free, and unfortunately, there’s no ”how to patent an idea for free” mechanism to patent your invention. The so-called “poor man’s patent”, where you mail a description of your idea to yourself, doesn’t work. Even if you found someone who was willing and able to write an effective patent application for you for free, the USPTO will still charge its fees to you.

Can I Sell My Idea Without a Patent?

While you can sell an idea without a patent, you lack exclusive rights to prevent others from copying it unless you use a robust non-disclosure agreement. To maximize your market share and protect your interests, it’s highly recommended to consult a registered attorney or agent before disclosing your concept to potential buyers.

Can I Sell My Idea As An Invention?

It’s generally not possible to sell an idea as an invention, where you have not at least applied for a patent. Ideas can be sold or licensed contractually (idea submission agreements). The only exception to this occurs when a serial inventor with a track record has a pre-existing relationship with a company interested in their ideas.

Can You Patent An Idea Without A Prototype?

It’s possible to patent an idea without a prototype. The process requires that the inventor explain how the invention works in writing. That is, the patent application must describe (and show in the drawings) the invention with enough detail so that the reader can reproduce the invention.

What Is the Difference Between a Utility Model and a Patent?

Utility models, where available, typically have shorter terms and simplified examination procedures. However, they still require novelty and differ significantly in scope and enforceability depending on the country. As a good alternative, these are often used in international markets but must be requested in countries where the legal framework exists.

Can I License an Idea Without a Patent?

You may license an idea by relying on robust confidentiality agreements and trade secret protections to prevent unauthorized use. However, without a patent, your legal leverage is limited to contract law rather than exclusive federal property rights.

When Should I Pay My Patent Fees?

You need to pay fees at the time of patent filing, search, and examination to move your application through the USPTO. Once granted a utility patent, you must pay maintenance fees at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years to keep the patent from expiring prematurely.

What Are the Options for Patent Enforcement?

If you encounter patent infringement, you can pursue a licensing agreement to collect royalties or have a patent lawyer file a lawsuit to protect your market share. Litigation is a powerful tool, though mediation is often a good alternative for resolving disputes quickly.

Conclusion

Knowing how to patent an idea empowers inventors to transform their creativity into a patent portfolio that generates long-term value. To keep your patent active while managing required fees and procedural errors, partnering with experienced patent law professionals enables your intellectual property to receive comprehensive protection from application through enforcement.