utility model
utility model. Patents. A system of patent registration giving patent-like rights in some countries, usu. for a shorter term than a patent but with little or no search required. • Utility-model patents are not available in the U.S. or Great Britain, but are offered in Japan and many European countries, including Germany and France. Their provisions vary greatly. They are available for machines only, and not for chemicals. — Also termed petty patent; second-tier patent; small invention; (in German) Gebrauchsmuster.
