What is an exclusive right granted for an invention called?

A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, providing the inventor with the legal authority to exclude others from making, using, selling, or distributing the invention without permission for a certain period of time, typically 20 years from the filing date. This legal framework encourages innovation by ensuring that inventors can potentially reap the financial benefits from their inventions without the threat of immediate copying by competitors.

Patents are crucial in incentivizing inventors, as they represent a safeguard for their intellectual property. Such rights can also lead to further developments in technology and industry, as inventors may be more willing to invest time and resources into creating new products or processes when they have the assurance that their work is protected. The process for obtaining a patent includes a rigorous application that proves the invention is novel, non-obvious, and useful.

The other options do not relate specifically to inventions in the same way. Litigation refers to the process of taking legal action, trademarks protect brand identifiers like logos and names, and copyrights protect original works of authorship, such as literature and music. Each serves a different purpose within the realm of intellectual property rights but does not confer the specific protection that a patent does for inventions.