That's not true. If you patent the Microwave, I am free to heat my food in the oven. The result is the food is cooked, the method is different. The process is a

That's not true. If you patent the Microwave, I am free to heat my food in the oven. The result is the food is cooked, the method is different. The process is a key part of the patent. Edit: After gasp researching (which maybe we should all consider before commenting) you can patent one of 4 things, process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_(patent) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_(patent) so process is definitely something you can patent, but is not necessarily required.