卖家知识产权政策 - 关于专利的常见问题
专利是保护发明的知识产权 (IP) 的一个类型。
什么是专利？
专利是针对发明的一种法律保护形式。已公布的专利可授予其所有者禁止他人在固定年限内制造、使用、提供销售、销售或将发明进口至美国的权利。
专利是否有不同的类型？
在美国，专利有两种主要类型： 实用新型专利和外观设计专利。
实用专利是最常见的专利类型，新机器、制造物品、物质组成、工艺或对任意这些内容的改进可获得此专利，通常为商品的结构和功能提供保护，而不是商品外观。
另一方面，商品的独特外观（但不包括商品的结构或功能）可获得设计专利。
专利与商标和版权有何不同？
专利与商标的不同之处在于，它为发明（如新机器）而不是为用于识别商品来源（如商品的品牌名称）的文字或标志提供保护。专利与版权的不同之处在于，它不为图书或照片等创造性作品的表现内容提供保护，而是保护某种特定的发明，如新的图书印刷方法或新的相机类型。
美国专利和商标局提供了相关资源，可从中了解有关专利的更多信息。
亚马逊官网原文详情：
Intellectual Property Policy for Sellers - FAQ about Patents
A patent is a type of intellectual property (IP) that protects inventions.
What is a patent?
A patent is a form of legal protection for inventions. An issued patent grants its owner the right to exclude others from making, using, offering to sell, selling, or importing the invention into the United States for a fixed number of years.
Are there different types of patents?
There are two principal types of patents in the United States: Utility patents and Design patents.
Utility patents, the most common kind of patent, may be granted for a new machine, articles of manufacture, composition of matter, process, or improvement to any of those, and generally protect the structure and functions of a product rather than how it looks.
Design patents, on the other hand, may be granted for the unique look of a product, but do not cover the structure or functions of a product.
How are patents different from trademarks and copyrights?
A patent is different from a trademark in that it protects an invention (such as a new machine) rather than a word or logo used to identify the source of the product (such as the brand name of the product). A patent is different from a copyright in that it does not protect the expressive content of a creative work like a book or a picture, but protects a specific invention, such as a new method of printing books or a new type of camera.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office offers resources to learn more about patents.
How can I make sure that I do not violate someone’s patent when selling on Amazon?
The manufacturer or distributor of a product might be able to assist you with patent-related issues. If you are unsure whether your content or product violates someone else’s patent, you should consult a lawyer before listing on Amazon.
文章来源：亚马逊官方网站
