What term describes an indication that a patent application has been filed but not yet processed?

• A. Patent pending
• B. Patent filed
• C. Patent granted
• D. Patent rejected

Answer: (A)

This item tests the term used when a patent application has been filed but is not yet granted. Patent pending is the standard label for that stage: an application has been submitted and is under examination, but no patent has been issued yet. It signals to others that protection could be granted in the future, and the inventor is moving through the review process. It doesn’t mean rights are in force now—exclusive rights only come after a patent is granted. The other phrases describe different outcomes or informal notions: a patent granted means the patent office has approved the invention and issued rights; a patent rejected indicates the application was not approved; and patent filed isn’t the formal status used to describe the ongoing process.