Question

Identify which of the following intellectual property is not patentable?

Options

• process of manufacturing.

• machine used for manufacturing.

• designs or patterns used for manufacturing.

• substances used for manufacturing.

Answer 1

designs or patterns used for manufacturing.

Explanation:

• Patents protect inventions – that is, new and useful processes, machines, or compositions of matter.
• Designs or patterns are not patentable under patent law because they are protected under a different law, the Designs Act, which covers the aesthetic or ornamental appearance of an article, not its functional aspect.

So while a process, machine, or substance can be patented, designs or patterns cannot be patented; they are protected as industrial designs, not patents.