Patent design

[tom356]

Hi Brad

Thanks for your help..
My question is 3.
1. How long does a patent last for , years?

 2. I want to apply for a patent, I did a search and I did find something similar to what mine does, but mine is a total different design..
His would never work the design is so bad..I can be for sure he never used it..it was silly..

3.On his patent it also says: continuation in part of application filed on sept 2005 now abandoned.
 How does one patent become abandoned?
I there something you have to do every year to keep it up?

Been trying to contact him with the name on the patent  but no luck.. He filed in 2010
Its possible he could have died or sick never know..

thank you for all you help..Tom

[Brad]

Patents can last for up to 20 years assuming the inventor has paid all of his fees.  Check out this post I wrote which tells you how you can check to see if its still active:
https://patentfile.org/how-to-use-expired-or-abandoned-patents-instead-of-re-inventing/

If you have a different design you may still be able to get your own patent approved.


There are lots of ways a patent can go abandoned, the most common is if they don't pay their fees which are due every 3.5 years.

Thanks