Patent Pending (abbreviated Pat. Pend.) means a United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) statement indicating that a patent has been applied, for but not yet granted.
Legal Use of Patent Pending
The Patent Pending (or “patent applied for”) statement is used by inventors, manufacturers and sellers to let others know an application has been filed and is currently in the approval process. It is against the law to use the phrase Patent Pending unless you actually have a patent awaiting approval.
How Long Does Patent Approval Take?
The United States Patent and Trademark Office website states “most patent applications filed on or after November 29, 2000, will be published 18 months after the filing date of the application, or any earlier filing date relied upon under Title 35, United States Code.”
