A utility patent has a life of 20 years from the date of filing. This, however, includes all of the time that the application is in the Patent Office. Whatever time it takes comes out of the life of the patent.

The first question that you need to answer is whether or not your invention is in a specialized area. Some of these are biotech, genetics, pharmaceuticals, chemical, and, in my view, software and computer architectures. Most patent attorneys will not draft applications in these specialized areas if they do not have engineering or scientific training in them. Personally, I won't draft patent applications in most of these areas.

A provisional patent application is valuable in the case where multiple simultaneous inventions take place, but the value of the inventions will not be known until within a year from the initial filing. The best example is a pharmaceutical company which develops 200 different drugs from a common family, but doesn't know which ones to file patents on, and won't until some initial clinical trials are conducted.

No. A U.S. Patent protects inventions in the U.S. only. Although an invention covered by a U.S. Patent can be produced in another country, it can not be imported or sold in the U.S. If foreign protection is desired, you can discuss the PCT process with your patent attorney.

TWICs remain valid for five years, unless the expiration date was based on a comparable credential (FAST card, Merchant Mariner Document or Hazmat Endorsement). The expiration date is displayed on the face of the credential and TWIC holders will be responsible for renewal. For applicants who pay the reduced fee, the expiration date of their TWIC will be 5 years from the date listed on the credential associated with the comparable security threat assessment.

It depends on the condition. When you start, to adequately address your concern, it is recommended to take it in the full dosage and it lasts about 8-10 days. You may lower the dose afterward.

The term of a utility patent is 20 year from the date of filing. The term of a design patent is 14 years from the date of issuance. This is a legal question, but our 'gut feeling' is that you cannot now file for a patent when you have been selling the product for many years. Check with an attorney to be sure. A patent attorney, or patent agent, is someone that you can trust with your idea. Patent agents and patent attorneys are ethically bound to keep your information confidential.

This can vary depending on a lot of factors, but most utility patents will last for 20 years from the date of filing the patent application.

For a utility patent, the whole process usually takes 1-2 years. However, patents for some areas of technology may take up to several years. In addition, some applications that meet with more resistance from the Patent Office may require up to several years of arguments and continuations. Other types of patents usually take shorter time.

The issuance of a patent grants to the patentee a monopoly on that invention that extends for the life of the patent. That is, the patentee has the exclusive right to prevent others from making, using, selling, offering to sell, and importing the patented invention. It is this right that can be exploited commercially. Before the law changed on June 8, 1995, patents had a life of seventeen years from their issue date, provided the three maintenance fees were timely paid.