Which Famous Patents Are Expiring Soon? (2026–2030)

A US utility patent expires 20 years after its filing date, and on that day the invention enters the public domain — anyone can make, use, or sell it without a license or a royalty. That means technology filed in 2006 becomes free to use in 2026, technology filed in 2009 in 2029, and so on. Below are notable patents reaching expiry between 2026 and 2030, pulled from PatentBrief's own dataset and ranked by how often later patents cite them.

A few ground rules before the tables:

• Expiry is measured from filing, not grant. A patent granted in 2011 but filed in 2009 still expires in 2029.
• Maintenance fees can end it earlier. A utility patent also needs fees paid at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years after grant; skip one and it lapses before the 20-year mark.
• "Expired" means the claims stop being enforceable — it does not erase the public record, and related continuation patents may still be in force.

Expiring in 2026

Patent	Number	Assignee	Filed	Expires	Citations
How modified RNA tricks cells into making proteins	US 8,278,036	University of Pennsylvania	Aug 21, 2006	Aug 21, 2026	322
Displaying friends' activities in a social-network feed	US 7,669,123	Facebook	Aug 11, 2006	Aug 11, 2026	231

The University of Pennsylvania patent is one of the foundational modified-nucleoside RNA patents behind the mRNA vaccine platform — a striking example of how much can ride on a single filing date.

Expiring in 2027

Patent	Number	Assignee	Filed	Expires	Citations
Bounce-back when you scroll past an edge	US 7,469,381	Apple	Dec 14, 2007	Dec 14, 2027	402
Scrolling and rubber-band effects on touchscreens	US 7,844,915	Apple	Jan 7, 2007	Jan 7, 2027	132
Using math to recognize your fingers	US 7,812,828	Apple	Feb 22, 2007	Feb 22, 2027	93

The "bounce-back" patent was one of the patents at the center of the Apple v. Samsung litigation — it becomes free for anyone to practice in late 2027.

Expiring in 2028

Patent	Number	Assignee	Filed	Expires	Citations
How touchscreens read your swipes (the "heuristics" patent)	US 7,479,949	Apple	Apr 11, 2008	Apr 11, 2028	1,120
Switching between slow and fast scrolling	US 8,683,378	Apple	Jan 9, 2008	Jan 9, 2028	42

US 7,479,949 — the touchscreen "heuristics" patent Steve Jobs once held up on stage — is the single most-cited patent on this list.

Expiring in 2029

Patent	Number	Assignee	Filed	Expires	Citations
The iPhone's slide-to-unlock gesture	US 8,046,721	Apple	Jun 2, 2009	Jun 2, 2029	141
Predicting interests from who views whose profile	US 8,311,950	Google	Oct 1, 2009	Oct 1, 2029	73

Expiring in 2030

Patents filed in 2010 — including much of the early social-era and smartphone portfolio — reach the end of their 20-year term in 2030. Browse the full, continuously updated list on the 2030 expiry tracker.

Citation counts and expiry dates are drawn from PatentBrief's dataset; each expiry is the filing date plus 20 years under 35 U.S.C. § 154. Maintenance-fee lapses or terminal disclaimers can move an actual expiry earlier — always confirm a specific patent's status in USPTO Patent Public Search before relying on it.

How to check any patent's expiry

1. Find the patent's filing date (not the grant date) and add 20 years — that is the statutory term for a utility patent.
2. Confirm maintenance fees were paid at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years; an unpaid fee expires the patent early.
3. Watch for a terminal disclaimer, which can tie a patent's expiry to an earlier-expiring relative.

PatentBrief tracks patents entering the public domain each year — see the patents expiring soon pages and the public-domain index.

FAQ

Does a patent expire 20 years from filing or from grant? From filing. A US utility patent's term runs 20 years from its earliest non-provisional filing date, regardless of when it was granted (35 U.S.C. § 154). Patent term adjustment can add days for USPTO delay, and maintenance-fee lapses can subtract years.

Can I freely use an invention once its patent expires? Once a patent expires, its claims are no longer enforceable and the invention enters the public domain. Be careful, though: a separate, still-active patent — including a continuation in the same family — can cover the same product, and trademarks or copyrights may apply independently.

How do I find every patent expiring in a specific year? Use PatentBrief's expiry tracker, which lists patents reaching their 20-year term each year from 2026 through 2030, sorted by how often they are cited.