Prior to 1995, the term for patents in the USA was 17 years from the issue date - and patents were not published until they issued. It was possible, through leg

Prior to 1995, the term for patents in the USA was 17 years from the issue date - and patents were not published until they issued. It was possible, through legal maneuvering, to prevent the issuance of a patent for a long time - in some cases decades, while the underlying markets grew and matured. Post-1995, patent terms in the USA are 20 years from date of filing, and applications are published after 18 months (unless the applicant waives the right to file overseas), which incentivizes companies to get their patents to issue as soon as possible.