Patent Life Cycle

Here's a guided tour of the patent registration process, featuring all of its many intricacies from start to finish.

1. PATENT LIFE CYCLEPATENT LIFE CYCLE
NAVIGATING THE USPTO

2. CLEARANCE
Prior Art Search

3. APPLICATION
3 TYPES:
UTILITY
PATENT
PLANT
PATENT
DESIGN
PATENT

4. APPLICATION
FIRST PUBLIC DISCLOSURE < 1 YR.
> 1 Yr. Ineligible

5. APPLICATION
Provisional and/or Non-Provisional Application
for Utility and Plant patents
Option to submit International
(PCT) Application < 1 yr.

6. APPLICATION
< 6 mos. Hague System
international filing option for
design patents

7. PUBLICATION

8. EXAMINATION
Patentable subject matter; Useful; Non-obvious;
Novel = Prior Art Search + Review Claim(s)

Plant patents: asexual reproduction requirement
Design patents: non-functional requirement

9. PATENT PROTEST
PREISSUANCE
SUBMISSION
Cancellation
(or Narrowing Claims)
?

10. DIVISIONAL
APPLICATION
CONTINUATION
APPLICATION
OFFICE ACTION(S)
RESPONSE(S)
[PTAB APPEAL]
Abandoned
?

11. NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE
ISSUE FEE PAYMENT
[PUBLICATION FEE PAYMENT]
30 Days
Abandoned
?

12. REGISTRATION

13. < 9 Mos.
Post Grant Review
or
Inter Partes Review
< 1 Yr.
Derivation Proceeding
< 20 Yrs.
Ex Parte ReexaminationClaims Cancellation
?

14. Abandoned
UTILITY PATENT ONLY
MAINTENANCE:
FEES
3.5 Yrs./7.5 Yrs./11.5 Yrs.
?

15. 20 Yrs. from Filing Date:
Utility Patent
Plant Patent
15 Yrs. From Filing Date:
Design Patent
EXPIRATION
PUBLIC DOMAIN

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