The common types of American patents are invention patents and appearance patents, but there is no utility model patent.
The form of patent examination, the duration of authorization, the duration of protection and the information required for application in the United States are shown in the following table:
2. Entity system
According to the different situation of American patent applicants, it can be divided into three types: large entities, small entities and micro entities. According to the type of entity, the government will reduce the official fees that American patent applicants need to pay.
(1) For large entities (the applicant company has more than 500 employees), the patent application fee is not reduced.
(2) For small entities (independent inventors, non-profit organizations or small and medium-sized enterprises with less than 500 employees), the patent application official fee is reduced by 50%.
(3) Micro-entities (qualified as small entities; Listed as an inventor in less than 4 US patent applications; The total income is less than three times the average household income of the United States in the previous year; The patent application fee shall be reduced by 75% if the patent is not transferred or transferred to an entity whose total income is three times the average household income of the United States in the previous year.
3. Invention patents
(1) Protect content
The contents protected by the American invention patent application include preparation methods, machines, products, combinations of substances or any novel and applicable improvements thereof.
(2) Application process
The main process of American invention patent application: submission of application (after the application is submitted, the official will provide an application receipt containing information such as the patent application number) → formal examination stage (according to the applicant's requirements, it will be published automatically within 65,438+08 months from the application date or priority date or within 65,438+08 months from the application date) → substantive examination stage (American invention patents usually receive 65,438+)
Patent registration (payment and registration procedures shall be handled within 3 months from the date of receipt of the notice).
4. Appearance patent
(1) Protect content
American patent application for design protection refers to the novelty, originality and decorative design of finished products.
(2) Application process
The main process of applying for an appearance patent in the United States: the application stage (the drawing of an appearance patent is more complicated than that in other countries, with the biggest difference being hatched) → the examination stage (including formal examination and substantive examination) → the public stage (automatic publication after 65,438+08 months from the date of application or publication within 65,438+08 months according to the applicant's application) → the authorization stage (the applicant pays within 3 months after receiving the notice).