The exclusive rights over the benefits of use, production, and distribution of a product or idea belong to the originator of that physical or intangible item. In the United States and in many countries abroad, patent law is the portion of governance that specifies these rights and allocates a procedural route to obtain them. Given the real threat of an individual or entity that can illicitly profit from these benefits, it is all the more important for inventors and creative artists to seek the professional legal advice of a patent lawyer. A patent lawyer is knowledgeable of the intricacies of patent law, and can advise his or her client as to the proper and correct application procedures for attaining a patent.