# Utility patent

The most common type of US patent, covering inventions that have a useful function — how something works, how it is made, or how it is used. Utility patents account for roughly 90% of all US patents issued. They last 20 years from the filing date of the non-provisional application, subject to payment of maintenance fees. Software, medical devices, chemical processes, and mechanical inventions are all protectable as utility patents.

**Full entry:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary/utility-patent

**All patent terms:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. A plain-English glossary of US patent terms._