As it turns out, there are as many origin stories for barbecue as there are spellings of the word on neon signs. These explanations range from a linguistic attempt to connect barbecue to boucan (also French) to a tall tale tracing barbecue to a Texas rancher who happened to brand the initials B.Q. on his livestock.
Patent protection usually ends when the patent expires. Here are the expiration dates: For all utility patents filed before June 8, 1995, the patent term is 20 years from date of filing, or 17 years from date of issuance, whichever period is longer.
Step 4. Add 20 years to the application filing date if the application was filed on or after June 8, 1995, to calculate the normal expiration date for the patent. If the patent application was filed before June 8, 1995, the patent's term is 17 years after the grant date of the patent.tep 4. Add 20 years to the application filing date if the application was filed on or after June 8, 1995, to calculate the normal expiration date for the patent. If the patent application was filed before June 8, 1995, the patent's term is 17 years after the grant date of the patent.