Extensions

Patent Term and Expiration

Projected Expiration Date:
U.S. Patent 6,032,137 expired on August 27, 2017.

The patent's term was calculated based on the filing date of its parent application, not its own filing date. As stated in the "Cross-Reference to Related Applications" section of the patent specification, "This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 08/917,761 filed Aug. 27, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,988."

Under U.S. patent law, the term of a patent that is part of a family of continuing applications is 20 years from the earliest non-provisional filing date for which a benefit is claimed. In this case, the earliest priority date is August 27, 1997. Therefore, the 20-year term concluded on August 27, 2017. The legal status of the patent is listed as "Expired - Lifetime" in public databases, confirming it is no longer in force.

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) / Patent Term Extension (PTE):
There were no Patent Term Adjustments or Extensions granted for this patent. The patent's term was governed by the 20-year calculation from its priority date.

Continuity and Patent Family

US Patent 6,032,137 is a key member of a large and heavily litigated family of patents, often referred to as the "Ballard patents" or the "DataTreasury patents."

Parent Application (Continuity Data):

• Type: Continuation-in-Part
• Parent Application: 08/917,761 (Filed: August 27, 1997)
• Parent Patent: The parent application issued as U.S. Patent 5,910,988 on June 8, 1999. This '988 patent was frequently asserted alongside the '137 patent in DataTreasury's litigation campaigns.

Child Applications (Continuations):
The application for the '137 patent (09/081,012) served as the basis for several subsequent continuation applications, which extended the family and the scope of claimed inventions. Notable continuations include:

• U.S. Patent 8,024,269: Filed December 6, 1999, as a continuation of the application leading to the '137 patent.
• U.S. Patent 7,519,558: Filed September 17, 2002, as a continuation.
• U.S. Patent 8,494,963: Filed September 19, 2011, as a continuation.

This family tree demonstrates a common patent strategy of filing a series of continuing applications to build a broad portfolio around a core invention, which can then be used for licensing or enforcement.

International Family Members:
The inventor also sought broad international protection. The U.S. application served as a priority document for numerous international filings, including applications in Europe (EP1008086A4), China (CN1319006C), Japan (JP2001514423A), and via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) with publication number WO1999011021A2. This widespread filing indicates an early intent to establish a global intellectual property position.