What Is Patent Pending?

Inventors utilize a patent-pending to inform the public that they have submitted a patent application with the appropriate patent and trademark office. Patent-pending is a legal term that can be given to any patentable technique or product to indicate that a patent application has been submitted but has not yet been awarded.
This designation aims to warn the public, other businesses, and inventors—particularly potential patent or trademark infringers—that they may be held responsible for damages if a patent is awarded. Depending on the jurisdiction, disclosure phrasing might include “patent applied for,” “pat. pend,” or “pat pending.”