It simply needs to be novel and non-obvious. Once you have determined that your product is entirely new and different, you may apply for a patent through your country's patent office.
Absolutely. The term "patent pending" applied to a product has no legal ramifications. It's just advertising that they are trying to patent the technology that went into the product. Only an issued patent is enforcable. Some products will print patent numbers on their packaging if patents have issued for the technology. You cannot get a patent for something you didn't invent though. Filing a patent application involves signing an oath, and lying under oath is perjury. Patent pending can only be displayed on the product/services, when you have applied for a patent. So, there is no question of applying for a patent while a product is under pending patent. http://indiapatents.blogspot.com
The most common patent is a utility patent, which covers a new product or process. A design patent covers ornamental characteristics of a product, and a plant patent covers newly-developed hybrids.
Yes, under the laws of some countries a patent cannot be effectively enforced unless the patent number is put on the product or its packaging.
Yes
A patent gives the holder exclusive rights to that idea/product. It allows the holder to sue anyone who sells or otherwise uses the product.
complain to the Patent and trademark office
Patent mapping is the process of matching each limitation of a patent claim to a potentially infringing product or service. So if the patent claim recites limitations X, Y, and Z, patent mapping identifies which features of the infringing product or service perform limitations X, Y, and Z.
PROCESS PATENT: It is granted for a new process of manufacturing an already known product or for manufacturing a new product, or for manufacturing more articles of the same product that is reducing the cost of the already known product. PRODUCT PATENT: It is granted when a new product has been invented by the person. The product so invented may either be e more or less useful product than an already known product , or a new product altogether.
You cannot copyright a product. You may patent an invention that is "new and non-obvious" if you file the necessary application and have it examined and approved. You should expect to pay about $10,000 for a patent in the USA.
No, not if the product you are producing is covered by patents. You could however contact the patent holder and negotiate a licence to produce (you would have to pay the holder royalties), if the patent holder is amenable to this.
Epsom Salt
you can sell it.