What does it mean when a patent fee status has lapsed?

When a US Patent (software) status shows "Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee", does it mean the patent is in public domain and anyone can develop and release products on the patent without risk of being sued?

  • Answer:

    If you use the information in any expired patent (whether by time expiration or failure to pay maintenance fees), the company cannot successfully claim damages related to that patent. They can always find some reason to sue you.  You'd be amazed how many companies cite expired patents in legal action, and how much of a nuisance the mere threat of a legal action can be.

Phillip Remaker at Quora Visit the source

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