(706) 638-1453. Walker County originated in 1833. Drawn from the original Cherokee County and part of Murray County, the region owes its name to Major Freeman Walker of Augusta, a lawyer and U.S. senator. Although residents first called the county seat by its Indian name, Chattooga, they later renamed it to honor the Marquis de Lafayette.
Once a patent is issued, a maintenance fee must be paid on the 4th, 8th, and 12th anniversaries of the date of issuance. You have to pay maintenance fees. http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/maintain.jsp Also, patents are not self-enforcing.
If a patent is granted, it will expire 20 years from the filing date of the patent application. If the patent office takes longer than three years to examine and grant a patent, the term of the patent may be adjusted accordingly. In some ways it may be beneficial to the inventor to have a long wait since the life of his patent will be extended.