Terms of the Patent

Once a patent is granted, the owner has the right to limit who may practice the invention. The owner may authorize another to do so by granting a license, generally in return for a negotiated fee.

Occasionally, someone infringes a patent by practicing the invention without the permission of the inventor. All patent infringement negotiations and litigation are managed by OTD.

As a result of a 1995 change in U.S. patent law, the life of a utility patent is now 20 years from the filing date of the application.