What is a patent?
An official document conferring a sole right/privilege or license to an inventor for a limited period, in Zimbabwe 20 years. The official document is specifically called Letters Patent. It is different from the invention itself.

What is an invention?
“Any new and useful art, whether producing a physical effect or not, process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter which is not obvious or any new and useful improvement thereof which is not obvious, capable of being used or applied in trade or industry and includes an alleged invention”.

A Patent confers to the patentees full power, sole privileges and authority to make, use, exercise and vend the invention for their economic benefit.