As Gollum might say, "Hobbits are sneaky tricksters." Guess what else is a sneaky trickster…the MPEP when it comes to patent terms. Did you know that, depending on when a patent issued (particularly those that issued around the time the patent term went from 17 to 20), sometimes a parent application can have a term longer than a child? It can happen.
When I have a patent term question, my "precious" is often St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens’ "Patent Calendar." At that site you can type in the earliest effective filing date, the application filing date, the issue date and any term adjustment to determine when maintenance fees are due AND when the patent will expire.
They have a Trademark Calendar too…
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