What does a patent grant to its holder?

A patent grants its holder a temporary exclusive right to the invention. This means that for a limited duration, typically 20 years from the filing date for utility patents, the patent holder has the sole authority to make, use, sell, and distribute the claimed invention. This exclusivity allows the patent holder to protect their invention from unauthorized use by others, enabling them to potentially recoup their investment in research and development.

The temporary nature of this exclusive right is significant because it encourages innovation by allowing inventors to benefit from their inventions while also ensuring that, after a designated time, the invention enters the public domain, allowing others to build upon the idea or create derivative works. The time-limited aspect of patents promotes a balance between incentivizing innovation and fostering competition and subsequent advancements in the field.

In contrast, the other choices imply different rights or forms of ownership that do not accurately reflect what a patent provides. For example, the notion of indefinite rights (one option) misrepresents the essence of patent law, which is designed to be a time-limited grant to promote innovation and public benefit.