Legal Definitions - basic patent

A basic patent is a type of patent that covers a major technological advance or a wholly novel device. It is different from an improvement patent, which covers an improvement or perfection of an existing invention. The claims of a basic patent are entitled to broader interpretation and range of equivalents.

An example of a basic patent is the first patent for the telephone, granted to Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. This patent covered the invention of the telephone, a wholly novel device that marked a distinct step in the progress of the art. The claims of this patent were entitled to broader interpretation and range of equivalents, giving Bell more protection against infringement.