# Patent pending

A notice that a patent application has been filed with the USPTO but has not yet been examined or granted. "Patent pending" provides no legal protection against copying — it simply puts the public on notice that a patent may issue. If a patent does issue, the patentee may be able to collect reasonable royalties going back to the publication date of the application.

**Full entry:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary/patent-pending

**All patent terms:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary

---

_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. A plain-English glossary of US patent terms._