patent extensions

[wlwiley]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York
Can you extend a patent at the end of its life by adding a new patented item to it that would add value? Would the part that is patented run out or by adding a new patented feature, you would be able to protect the current patented item?

[divgradcurl]

Originally Posted by wlwiley

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York
Can you extend a patent at the end of its life by adding a new patented item to it that would add value? Would the part that is patented run out or by adding a new patented feature, you would be able to protect the current patented item?

Patent terms cannot be extended.

If your "new feature" created a patentable invention, it could be patented -- but the underlying item that was covered by the first patent would enter the public domain once its own patent expired. You can't use a later-filed patent to extend the protection for the original invention. To put in simple terms, if A was patented, and you found that adding B made a separately-patentable invention, you could get a patent on A+B, but anyone else would be free to use A by itself once A's own patent expired.