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.
A patent allows you, and only you, to profit from your genius when you invent something new. No one else can manufacture or sell your invention unless you give permission. However, this protection does not last forever. Depending on what youâve invented, your patent will expire in either 14 or 20 years. When this occurs, anyone can copy your idea and market it. When a patent expires, the protection it offers ceases to exist.