What happens after a patent is granted?

Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an invention enters the public domain; that is, anyone can commercially exploit the invention without infringing the patent.

How do I check my PCT application status?

Checking Patent Status Online in India

1. Step 1: Access the patent search system / database on http://ipindiaservices.gov.in/publicsearch/
2. Step 2: If you know the patent application number, simply enter the application number in the field titled “Application Number”.
3. Step 3: Click on the ‘application number’ hyperlink.

What is the difference between published and granted patent?

Granted patents essentially hand the creators and manufacturers of a protected work a monopoly over that work for a set period of time. Published patent applications for inventions do not give these rights to the creators of works, but simply say that the works might be protected in the future.

What is patenting under PCT?

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) makes it possible to seek patent protection for an invention simultaneously in each of a large number of countries by filing an “international” patent application. Such an application may be filed by anyone who is a national or resident of a PCT Contracting State.

How do I check a US patent status?

A patent application’s status is available on the website of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s website – uspto.gov. The USPTO website offers a page called Public PAIR which allows the general public to view the status of a published application.

How do you know if a patent is still active?

After the patent expires, the invention is available to all. To determine if a patent is still in force, you will need access to the USPTO’s website. You can find most of the information in the text-based display, but not all. You will need to look at the patent image, which is in PDF format.

What is a PCT patent application?

This is a PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) application. As such, it is never granted. The PCT system allows one application to stand for 140+ applications in as many locations. Only those actual patent offices can grant a patent.

What is the PCT system and how does it work?

However, the PCT system does enable you to delay the very expensive step of filing many individual foreign patent applications, and it does provide you with some information for assessing the prospects of actually obtaining granted patents, and their potential scope of protection, before major costs are incurred.

How do I know if a patent has been published?

On the Google Patent page, on the right hand side you can see “Also published as.” This shows what other forms of this application have been published. This case has been published in the European Patent Office, as an A1, meaning pending application.

When should an inventor sign an assignment document for a PCT?

When any applicant in the PCT application is not also an inventor, we strongly recommend that, at the time of filing the PCT application, the inventor (s) sign an assignment document.