China doesn't believe in patents....but if they did....it would be expired now for Dick Nite spoons. Here's the scoop......

Patent Duration



Different types of patents enjoy different lifetimes. A patented utility or plant have exclusive protection for 20 years from the filing date of the patent application, while a design patent only endures for 14 years once it is granted by the PTO. After a patent expires, the invention falls into the public domain. A patent's life is quite short compared that of a copyright, which endures from the time a creative work is set in fixed form for the life of its author and another 70 years after the author's death. A registered trademark has an initial term of protection of 10 years but can be renewed indefinitely.
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