FAQs Patent Questions

Question:Can I obtain international patent protection for my invention?

Answer:
Since the rights granted by a U.S. patent extend only throughout the territory of the United States and have no effect in a foreign country, an inventor who wishes patent protection in other countries must apply for a patent in each of the other countries or in regional patent offices.

Question:The Patent Cooperation Treaty facilitates the filing of applications for patents, it is presently adhered to by over 124 countries

Answer:
Another treaty, known as the Patent Cooperation Treaty, was negotiated at a diplomatic conference in Washington, D.C., in June of 1970. The treaty came into force on January 24, 1978, and is presently adhered to by over 124 countries, including the United States. The treaty facilitates the filing of applications for patent on the same invention in member countries by providing, among other things, for centralized filing procedures and a standardized application format.

Question:How do I obtain the status of a patent?

Answer:
The Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system permits third parties to obtain information about applications that have been published pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 122(b) and issued patents, such as the status of maintenance fee payments and whether or not a reissue application or reexamination request has been filed. PAIR can be accessed on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) web site at http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/pair.

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