[yakubu]

A patent is a government license that confers an exclusive legal right for a specified period (20 years in Nigeria) It gives the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention in the country it is obtained.

Inventions that are patentable are:

1. inventions that are new, or inventions that constitute an improvement upon a patented invention that is new or inventions that result from an inventive activity that is capable of industrial application

(an invention is capable of industrial application if that invention can be manufactured or used in any kind of industry, including agriculture)

2. Plant varieties, animal species and essentially biological processes for the breeding plants or animals, other than microbiological processes and products.

3. Inventions that are not contrary to public order or morality.

The right to a patent in respect of an invention is vested in the “statutory inventor”. a statutory inventor is person who whether or not he is the true inventor is the first to file a patent application or validly claim a foreign priority for a work.

The laws that regulates patent in Nigeria are:

1. The Patents and Designs Act (The Act): This is the substantive legislation on patents and designs in Nigeria. 2. 1971 Patents Rules: This is the principal procedural guideline for the Patents Registry on the registration of patents

The Patents and Designs Act (the Act) provides for the requirements and procedure for how to register a patent in Nigeria.

[ibrahim]

thank you