FAQs Patent Questions

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.

Question:Utility patents protects the way an article is used and works and a design patent protects the way an article looks.

Answer:
A “utility patent” protects the way an article is used and works (35 U.S.C. 101), while a "design patent" protects the way an article looks (35 U.S.C. 171). Both design and utility patents may be obtained on an article if invention resides both in its utility and ornamental appearance.

Question:How often is the USPTO database updated?

Answer:
The database is normally updated every Tuesday, the day patents are issued. Exceptions may occur for Federal holidays and when problems arise with data availability.

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