Public Domain Pipeline
Patents expiring soon
Every patent below becomes free to use, manufacture, and sell without a license within the next 12 months. Ranked by forward citations — the best proxy for commercial importance.
Expiring in 12 months
8
Combined citations
829
Months covered
4
August 2026
2 patents expiringThis patent describes how social networks like Facebook collect what users do, create short updates about those actions, and show them to specific friends in a personalized list called a "news feed."
A breakthrough method for using modified RNA to deliver instructions to cells without causing the body to reject the treatment as a foreign invader.
September 2026
1 patent expiringA 2006 system that uses a mobile phone to receive and relay a unique, temporary ID code to a store terminal to verify and authorize a payment transaction.
January 2027
3 patents expiringA power-saving method for touchscreens that puts the main processor to sleep when not in use and wakes it up only when a touch is detected.
Apple's patent describes a way for touchscreens to adjust the timing of internal electrical signals so they perfectly match the signals coming from your finger, making touch detection more accurate.
This patent describes the software logic that allows touchscreens to distinguish between simple scrolling and multi-finger gestures, while also enabling the signature 'rubber-band' bounce effect when you reach the end of a page.
February 2027
2 patents expiringThis 2012 patent describes a handheld device, like an early BlackBerry, with a QWERTY keyboard and a trackball, focusing on the physical arrangement of keys around the navigation tool.
Apple's patent on using mathematical ellipses to track and identify individual fingers and palms on a touch-sensitive surface.
Expiration dates are derived from USPTO records. Maintenance fee lapses, terminal disclaimers, and SPTAs may alter actual expiration. Confirm with a registered patent attorney before making commercial decisions. Page refreshes daily.