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>They prevent other companies from creating their own "generics" through a process called "evergreening" where they change patents in small, insignificant ways
by michael_j_ward 7y ago
>They prevent other companies from creating their own "generics" through a process called "evergreening" where they change patents in small, insignificant ways while still maintaining the patent on the core product.
To be really clear:
1) A company receives patent X in 2000, which expires in 2020.
2) In 2018, that company gets a new patent Y that is really patent X but with "small, insignificant" changes.
Are you saying that after step 2, that original patent for X is now extended or will that still go generic in 2020?
- rayiner 7y agoNot just the original patent, but every invention embodied in the original product will go into the public domain.
- michael_j_ward 7y agoYou are saying that step (2) has no effect on patent X from step (1), and thus patent X still enters public domain in 2020, correct? Note- I understood this to be your position from your other comments. I asked the clarifying question to understand `pdeuchler`'s idea of the `evergreening` process.