Brevet

In the context of our work, “brevet” has come to be thought of as equivalent to “patent”, and for our purposes it generally is, within our French and Belgian data, and within the francophone portion of patents filed in Switzerland. Beyond our context the word has perhaps equal or perhaps greater significance in terms of certification of rank, or accreditation.

For instances in which this latter usage becomes relevant within our data, see Brevet de pilote. This rarely comes up, and mainly in searches involving

For other clarification, on “brevet” as its usage slightly varies in terms of administrative usage within the francophone sphere of patenting, see patent. Briefly, in terms of the semantics, France has the “Certificat d'addition(s)”, which, if applicable, will follow the “brevet”. Belgium has the “invention”, first filing, or the “perfectionnement”, or the “importation”, a patent having been filed earlier in a nation other than Belgium.

These are all matters of administrative culture, the international variability therein.