Which of the following enables an inventor to legally enforce his right to exclude others from using his invention?

A patent is the specific intellectual property instrument designed to grant an inventor the legal right to exclude all others from manufacturing, using, or selling the patented invention without authorization. This exclusionary right is the core function of a patent, typically lasting 20 years from the filing date. It is the only listed option that constitutes a government-backed legal mechanism for enforcing rights over an invention.

Spam refers to unsolicited bulk electronic messages and has no connection to intellectual property law or legal enforcement over inventions.

Phishing is a social engineering attack used to steal credentials or sensitive data, not a legal instrument of any kind.

An artistic license is an open-source software distribution license applicable to creative or software works, not a mechanism to legally exclude others from using a patented invention.