What is the patent term for utility and plant patents?

The patent term for utility and plant patents in the United States is indeed 20 years, and this duration is determined from the filing date of the nonprovisional application. This standard was established by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, which modified the patent term in alignment with international practices set by the TRIPS agreement. This change emphasizes the importance of filing date as the starting point for calculating the patent term, ensuring that inventors have a consistent period to exploit their inventions commercially.

The 20-year term applies uniformly to utility and plant patents, providing a clear and predictable time frame for patent protection. This allows inventors to plan their business strategies and investments accordingly, knowing that they have two decades to prevent others from making, using, or selling their inventions without permission.

Clarifying the other options helps provide context: 15 years is not the correct term for any patent type; 10 years from the priority date is shorter than the actual duration and does not align with patent laws; and 25 years from the date of issue is inaccurate as well, as it exceeds the established term. Thus, the correct understanding of the patent term for utility and plant patents directly supports the rationale that the correct answer is 20 years from the filing date.