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In most jurisdictions, the term of a patent is twenty years from the application's filing date, and it cannot be extended (the only exception being medicinal and plant protection products, regarding which patent protection can be extended up to five years via supplementary protection certificates). The reason for the limitation is to balance the monopoly that a patent gives on certain knowledge, which acknowledges the inventor's investments in R&D to come up with the invention, and the general public's right to use that knowledge. Afterward, a patent becomes accessible to everyone.
However, a patent owner must pay regular maintenance fees, usually yearly (hence the term "annuities"), to keep a granted patent in force. Failure to do that results in a patent lapse and loss of rights before the regular expiration date. AITERNUM's streamlined and automated processes, which use the latest technology, guarantee you will never miss a deadline to pay patent annuities. Entrust us with this task to alleviate the administrative burden, optimize your costs, and make sure you enjoy exclusivity on your patent for as long as possible.
