Patents: context and current conditions

Introduction: this research analyzes the current conditions of industrial property in Colombia and patents in the international context, as a facilitating tool for business success in the contemporary world. Method: this research is based on the hermeneutic field coupled with a qualitative approach since it is focused on analyzing patents as a key tool for protecting industrial property. The research design is documentary, based on reports prepared by national and international institutions, such as the Andean Community and the World Intellectual Property Organization. Likewise, legal writings of a legal and doctrinal nature, from national and international orders and other documentary sources, are used. Results: the importance of knowing the patent modalities (invention or utility model) is identified, as well as the need to carry out a previous study of the state of the art to ensure the invention’s novelty. Conclusions: patenting abroad has become more accessible than ever, since this procedure facilitates the international protection of inventions, thus allowing the registration of a patent in several countries with a single method in a single country and a single language; this aspect reduces costs and contributes to competitiveness in the international market. Likewise, the use of the foreign patent system is highlighted, covering plants, fruits, or procedures not found in the Colombian system, which can be used if patented at the international level.