Free Tool · Patent Maintenance
When are this patent's maintenance fees due?
A US utility patentutility patentThe most common type of patent — covers functional inventions. 20-year term from filing.Read more → only stays in force if maintenance feesmaintenance feesPeriodic fees the USPTO charges to keep a granted utility patent in force (3.5, 7.5, 11.5 years post-grant). Miss one and the patent expires early.Read more → are paid at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years after grant. Miss the window — even the 6-month grace period — and the patent lapses. Enter the grant dategrant dateThe day the USPTO officially granted the patent. Enforceability typically starts here.Read more → to see every deadline.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
When are patent maintenance fees due?
For a US utility patentutility patentThe most common type of patent — covers functional inventions. 20-year term from filing.Read more →, maintenance feesmaintenance feesPeriodic fees the USPTO charges to keep a granted utility patent in force (3.5, 7.5, 11.5 years post-grant). Miss one and the patent expires early.Read more → fall due three times after grant: at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years. Each has a six-month window to pay on time, followed by a six-month grace period in which the fee can still be paid with a surcharge.
What happens if you miss a patent maintenance fee?
If the fee is not paid by the end of the six-month grace period, the patent expires early and the invention falls into the public domainpublic domainThe status of an invention no longer protected by any IP rights — anyone can use it freely. Patents enter the public domain after expiration.Read more →. A patent that lapsed unintentionally can sometimes be revived by petition, but the safest course is never to miss the window.
Do design patents have maintenance fees?
No. Only US utility patents carry the 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5-year maintenance feesmaintenance feesPeriodic fees the USPTO charges to keep a granted utility patent in force (3.5, 7.5, 11.5 years post-grant). Miss one and the patent expires early.Read more →. Design patents and plant patents require no maintenance fees at all — once granted, they stay in force for their full term without further payments.
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