Small companies can be devastated when they are hit by a submarine patent that surfaces decades after the original filing.

He polished the patent leather until it gleamed.

Before the voyage, the captain checked the patent log to ensure the ship's speed readings were accurate.

Startups often struggle to enter mature markets because a patent thicket raises legal and licensing barriers.

Smaller firms often find it difficult to launch new products because of patent thickets around key technologies.

The stonemason lifted his patent hammer and tapped along the seam to loosen the slab.

The engineer displayed his patent hammers during the demonstration to show how the new striking surface prevented slipping.

After his distinguished service, the crown awarded him a patent of precedence that placed him above others of his rank.

At the newsstand I picked up a patent inside, a small newspaper that looked like a patent from the outside but had all its content printed only on the inside.

The engineer studied the patent insides to understand how the new mechanism worked.