Brown & Michaels

Frequently Asked Questions
on PATENTS

http://www.bpmlegal.com/patqa.html#2a

Can a patent be renewed?
No, it cannot be renewed. Nor can one pick up the rights to an expired patent. Once a patent expires, the invention is in the public domain.

Can I have my patent's term extended?
Some patents have had their terms extended, by private laws in Congress, or by a section of the Patent Law which provides for restoration of patent term lost due to government regulatory delays. In almost every case these were drug patents, where the testing and approvals required by the FDA ate up almost all of the patent term. For nearly all inventions, extension is not an option.

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