RE: US Patent Office20 Apr 2020 10:12
What does patent pending mean?
Theme:
Protecting your ideas
A product or process secures patent pending when a patent application has been filed but is not yet granted. A patent pending is designed to warn the general public, competitors within your industry and other potential infringers that could copy an invention that they may be liable for damages once the full patent is issued.
The fraudulent use of a patent pending is prohibited by law in many countries across the globe. In the UK, a patent pending warning notice should ideally include the number of the pending application in question.
A patent pending is a clear demonstration of an inventor’s intent to pursue protection of an idea. However, the full scope of protection – or indeed whether a patent will even be issued – is far from certain.
It’s possible that a patent pending will stop aggressive competitors from attempting to copy your idea. The cost of product development combined with the prospect of possible patent infringement is often enough to stop many people in their tracks. But a patent pending itself gives you no legal right at all until a patent is granted fully.