Can patents last indefinitely?

Patents have a limited duration, typically lasting for 20 years from the date of filing for utility patents and 15 years for design patents in many jurisdictions, including the United States. This finite lifespan is established to encourage innovation while also ensuring that once the patent expires, the invention enters the public domain, allowing others to build upon and improve it without restriction. This balance aims to incentivize inventors by providing them a period of exclusivity to profit from their innovations, after which the broader society can benefit from increased access to technology and ideas.

Other choices imply scenarios that are not aligned with patent law. For instance, patents cannot last indefinitely as this would undermine the core purpose of patents, which is to promote public benefit after a certain period. Regularly renewing patents is not an option as the system does not support perpetual renewals beyond the established terms. While the type of invention might affect the nature of a patent (such as different durations for different types), it does not influence the overarching fact that patents are not indefinite.