Patent pending an offense, which permits theoretical damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars for high-volume consumer goods. The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act revised section 292 to say that only the United States may sue for that penalty but that a person who has suffered a competitive injury may sue for recovery of damages adequate to compensate for the injury. A provisional application, like any other patent application, also allows the applicant to use the term "patent pending". Numerous characters have assumed the name Pat Pending since at least the 1960s, notably Professor Pat Pending of cartoon series Wacky Races; the
Pat Pending the Golden Gate meant to prevent Japanese submarines from entering. The boat was painted Navy grey and outfitted with a gun on the bow and depth charges on the middle deck, making it an official Navy vessel. However, after a few years, the yachting navy was replaced by real Navy vessels, and "Pat Pending" was decommissioned. After serving in the War from December 9, 1941 to July 1944, she was repurchased by Don Owen for $100. Following her decommission from the Navy, Don Owen gave the boat a major rebuild in 1945 to restore "Pat Pending" to her pre-Navy condition.