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Simple English definitions for legal terms
patent-term adjustment
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A quick definition of patent-term adjustment:
Patent-Term Adjustment: When someone invents something new, they can apply for a patent to protect their invention. Sometimes, the government takes a long time to review the application and grant the patent. Patent-term adjustment is a rule that gives the inventor extra time to use their patent if the government takes too long to approve it. This rule only applies to patents filed after May 29, 2000.
A more thorough explanation:
Patent-term adjustment is a mandatory extension of the time a utility or plant patent remains valid due to delays in the application process. This extension is available for new applications, continuation applications, and divisional applications filed since May 29, 2000. It is abbreviated as PTA.
Suppose a patent application was filed on January 1, 2010, and it took the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) three years to grant the patent. In this case, the patent-term adjustment would add three years to the patent's expiration date, giving the patent holder more time to profit from their invention.
Another example is if the USPTO takes longer than three years to grant a patent, the patent-term adjustment will add one day to the patent's expiration date for each day beyond the three-year mark.
These examples illustrate how patent-term adjustment works and how it benefits patent holders by extending the life of their patents.