Top of page Q: What is “patent pending”?
Patent pending refers to the status of an applicant who has filed a patent application with the Patent Office and is awaiting processing of the application. Once an applicant is “patent pending” the applicant may begin marketing his/her invention without jeopardizing patent rights. In addition, the applicant can affix the words “patent pending” on their invention to warn others that the applicant is pursuing a patent.
