The Speed Dial Screen ........................................................................................................................ 13. Working in the Speed Dial Screen ........................................................................................................ 14. Managing Your Speed Dial List ...........................................................................................................
(As of year 2005). Answer: Utility and plant patents are granted for a term which begins with the date of the grant and usually ends 20 years from the date the applications were filed. You must make the timely payment of the appropriate maintenance fees. Design patents last 14 years from the date you are granted the patent. No maintenance fees are required for design patents.
US patents with a filing date before June 8, 1995 provide protection for up to seventeen years counting from the date of grant (the date given with reference numeral 45), or 20 years from the filing date, whichever expires later. However, the patent holder is required to pay maintenance fees to keep his patent valid. In most European countries, these fees are yearly. The USA requires maintenance fees to be paid at 3.5 years, 7.5 years, and 11.5 years after issuance. If the holder does not pay a maintenance fee, the patent becomes abandoned.