unpatented

1 6.1

Not protected by a patent so other people can copy it

adjective
/ʌnˈpætəntɪd/

Specialized

: no patentado

Many inventors choose to keep their designs unpatented to avoid the lengthy application process.
unpatented claims

Examples

He therefore concluded that the restriction, which he saw as an unjustifiable attempt to use the monopoly of the patented machine to monopolize unpatented supplies, was impermissible.

Academic text (1991)
For unpatented intellectual property and software, the government may use, reproduce, publish, and authorize others, including competitors, to do so.

Academic text (2017)
The software was unpatented, allowing anyone to use and modify it freely.
Investors are often cautious about funding unpatented inventions due to the risk of competitors copying them.

Synonyms

nonpatented

vsunpatented

1 5.3

Not legally protected so others can copy it

expresses the same lack of protection but uses the un prefix

Antonyms

patented

Specialized

46 5.1

The government gives one person or company the only right to control its use

How Patented

patented

Specialized

46 5.1

pending

195 3.0

unpatented

Specialized

1 6.1

Surface Forms

unpatented positive

Morphology

unpatented = patented (transparent) = un + patent + ed

Adding the negative prefix 'un-' to the adjective 'patented' yields the straightforward meaning 'not patented'.

Etymology

Unpatented is formed from un- meaning 'not' and patent, which comes from an old Latin word meaning 'open' because patents were like 'open letters' that gave an official right. So an unpatented device is 'not' legally protected, and others can make similar products.