ohio
At&t
In the most basic terms, patents protect inventions, and copyright protects creative works.
There are about 486 US patents listing Michael Thoms as an inventor, most for inventions related to dentistry.
Thomas Edison: 1,093
99,220, including utility patents, plant patents, design patents, and reissues.
California historically files for more patents than any other state; in 2010, California applied for nearly four times as many patents as its closest competitors, New York and Texas.
The USPTO granted a total of 247,727 patents from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011, including Reissue Patents, Plant Patents, Design Patents, and Utility Patents.
the granting of patents
The US Patent Office issued 99,200 total patents from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 1990, including 9 reissue patents, 6 plant patents, 194 design patents, and 98,991 utility patents.
Yes. They are initially good for 20 years, but may be renewed. In the USA and most other countries, expired patents cannot be renewed and the invention is permanently "public domain" property.
43 patents