What is the grace period for paying maintenance fees?

The grace period for paying maintenance fees is specified in 37 CFR 1.362(e). While MPEP 2531 doesn’t explicitly state the duration of the grace period, it references this regulation: “Reply to the notice is required prior to expiration of the grace period provided by 37 CFR 1.362(e) in order to avoid the expiration of the…

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Can USPTO employees provide information about patent expiration dates?

USPTO employees can provide general information about patent term calculation but are restricted from offering specific expiration dates for individual patents. According to MPEP 1701: “Office employees may provide factual information regarding the calculation of patent term in general (i.e., a design patent term is 15 years-from-grant if the underlying design patent application was filed…

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What is a terminal disclaimer in patent law?

A terminal disclaimer is a legal document filed by a patent applicant or owner to overcome a double patenting rejection. It typically: Disclaims the terminal part of the statutory term of a later-filed patent that would extend beyond the expiration date of an earlier-filed patent Agrees that the later-filed patent shall be enforceable only for…

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