Term of a Patent
The federal government issues patents to protect inventors from having their inventions duplicated by others for a specified period of time. Patent protection duration depends on the type of patent that is issued.
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Patent Types
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There are three patent types: design, utility, and patent. Utility patents protect manufactured articles. Fabric designs are protected by design patents. Plant patents protect new plant varieties that reproduce asexually.
Utility Patents
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These provide 20 years of protection from the patent's application date.
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Design Patents
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These provide 14 years of protection from the patent issue date.
Plant Patents
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These provide 20 years of protection from the patent's application date.
Maintenance Fees
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Utility and design patents require maintenance fees during the fourth, eighth, and 12th years of patent protection.
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