Patent Pending and Patent (What does it actually mean?)

[MarkPearson]

I need to know where I stand about a product that is patent pending or actually patented in the US, does that give that company world rights to that item?

"United States Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent covering the process, machine and system used to print on flowers and other organic materials"

Does this mean no one else can do this?

Or is is just protecting the US?

 

[JaneOwen]

I hate giving woolly answers but.... it depends.

If you can find out the US patent number, or have other details like the patent owner's name for instance, you will be able to read the detail of the patent on the US Patent and Trademark Office Site at http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html

You should then be able to work out if it affects you. You can also check out whether it is a US or worldwide patent. There could be a seperate patent for the EU or UK. You may find http://www.patent.gov.uk/patent/index.htm
helpful as well.

Hope that helps

 

[dagr]

A US patent only covers the USA (for both selling there and manufacturing location). If the same company wanted to patent the same thing around the globe, they'd have to do it region by region, via the EPO for Europe, for example.