Patent
Patents are a protection for technical solutions and inventions. This gives you protection for the design and use of the idea itself, which means that in addition to products, methods and uses can also be patented.
In order to obtain patent protection, certain requirements are placed on the invention. Firstly, it must be possible to utilize it industrially. This means that the invention must have a technical character, technical effect and be reproducible.
Technical character means that the invention must be tangible, ie an object or a way of manufacturing something. Pure discoveries or theories thus fall outside and this also applies to artistic creations or medical treatment.
Technical effect means that the invention must function technically and solve a problem in a technical way. The effect itself does not have to be new or better than already existing solutions.
That it is reproducible means that the same technical result is achieved every time the invention is used.
Secondly, the invention must be new. The novelty requirement means that it must not be known before the application is made and it does not matter in what way or where in the world it has become known. Even your own use or publication can spoil any protection.
Finally, the third criterion is that the invention has inventive step. This means that the invention must differ significantly from already known inventions and that it is not close at hand for a person skilled in the art to make the same invention.