🏛️ The Innovation Clock is Ticking

🌟 What if I told you that every invention has an expiration date? From the moment someone files a patent application, a countdown begins - but the rules aren't the same for every type of invention!

💡 What You'll Discover:

• 🔍 Why utility patents get 20 years from filing date (not approval date!)
• ⚖️ How design patents work differently - 15 years but counted from grant date
• 🎯 The hidden costs that can kill your patent before it expires
• 💰 Why maintenance fees are the secret weapon against patent holders

🚀 Key Legal Framework:

• 💎 WTO TRIPS Agreement - The global standard that made 20 years universal
• ⭐ International Patent Standards - How different countries handle the same rules

🤔 The Big Question:

In our rapidly changing tech world, does a 20-year monopoly still make sense? Are we protecting innovation or accidentally slowing it down?

🎙️ This episode reveals the delicate balance between rewarding inventors and keeping knowledge flowing to benefit everyone - including why your smartphone might have hundreds of expired patents inside it!