BAR DATE

bar date.Patents. The date by which a U.S. patent application must be filed to avoid losing the right to receive a patent. • In the U.S., the bar date for a patent application is one year after the invention is disclosed in a publication or patented in another country, or put into public use, sold, or offered for sale in the U.S. <since the invention was offered for domestic sale on January 1, 2000, the bar date for the U.S. patent application is January 1, 2001>. Cf. absolute novelty under NOVELTY. [Cases: Patents  67.1. C.J.S. Patents § 52.][Blacks Law 8th]