Minor correction, the term of a patent is 20 years from the date of filing in most countries. The amount of time you can exercise your rights during this term i

Minor correction, the term of a patent is 20 years from the date of filing in most countries. The amount of time you can exercise your rights during this term is dependent on how quickly the patent office approves your application (if you get stuck on a backlog, the term length may change). Still not a century, but it is quite long.