A United States government patent lasts:
a. forever
b. 50 years
c. 20 years
d. 7 years
The correct answer and explanation is :
Correct Answer: c. 20 years
Explanation (300 words):
In the United States, a utility patent—by far the most common type of patent—lasts for 20 years from the date of filing the patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This 20-year term applies to utility patents, which protect new and useful inventions, processes, machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter.
However, it’s important to note that simply being granted a patent doesn’t mean the protection lasts the full 20 years automatically. Patent holders must also pay maintenance fees at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years after the patent is granted. If these fees aren’t paid, the patent expires early and the invention enters the public domain.
There are other types of patents as well:
- Design patents, which protect the ornamental design of a functional item, last 15 years from the date of grant (for applications filed on or after May 13, 2015).
- Plant patents, which are granted for new and distinct plant varieties that can be asexually reproduced, also last 20 years from the date of filing.
The 20-year term provides inventors with a time-limited exclusive right to make, use, sell, and license their invention. This limited monopoly incentivizes innovation by rewarding inventors while also eventually allowing the public to benefit from the invention once the patent expires.
Once the patent term ends, anyone can legally produce, use, or sell the invention without infringing on the original patent. This balance between private innovation and public benefit is central to the U.S. patent system.
Thus, the correct answer to the question is c. 20 years, reflecting the standard term for a U.S. utility patent.