The patentee may disclaim one or more claims of his or her patent by filing within the Office a disclaimer as supplied by the statute (35 U.S.C. 253). Failure to pay the present maintenance payment on time might lead to expiration of the patent. A six-month grace interval is offered when the upkeep charge could also be paid with a surcharge. The grace interval is the six-month period immediately following the due date. The USPTO does not mail notices to patent owners that upkeep charges are due. If, however, the maintenance fee isn’t paid on time, efforts are made to … Read More
