Free Tool
Patent Term Adjustment Calculator
When the USPTO is slow, you get the time back. Enter your filing and issue dates to estimate the §154(b) “B-delay”— the pendency beyond three years that extends a patent's term, day for day.
Days of applicant-caused delay (e.g. responding to an Office Action later than three months). Leave blank if unknown.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is Patent Term Adjustment (PTA)?
PTA is extra patent term the USPTO grants to compensate for its own delays during examination, under 35 U.S.C. §154(b). It is added day-for-day to the standard 20-year term, then reduced by any delays the applicant caused.
How is the PTA 'B-delay' calculated?
The B-delay counts the days a patent was pending beyond three years from its filing datefiling dateThe day the patent application was submitted to the USPTO. Sets the priority date for prior-art comparisons.Read more → before issuing. Time the applicant was responsible for is subtracted, and the net adjustment is added to the expiry date.
Where this fits · The patent process
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