Today many Americans carry a cell phone around with them. Define patent law and describe how patents encourage competition?

Patent law applies when a person invents something, then describes it on a patent. When that patent is submitted and approved, no one else can claim invention of that item. Patents encourage competition because the first person to come up with a great idea for an invention and patent it will own the idea: people want to be the first, and are motivated

Well the competition is the cell phone brands. There is at least 100 diffrent phone brands in the USA today. Some you may have never heard of but they are still there.