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.
Q: How Long Do Patents Last? Today, patents last 20 years from the filing date of the application. For patents that existed before June 8, 1995, the duration of the patent was 17 years from the issuance of the patent or 20 years from the filing date, whichever was longer. Design patents are limited to 14 years from the date of issuance, while plant patents last 17 years from the date of issuance.