Which term is used for a patent application that has not yet been granted and is pending examination?

• A. Patent in progress
• B. Patent active
• C. Patent pending
• D. Patent under review

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the status of an application that has been filed but hasn’t yet been granted or issued as a patent. When you file a patent application, it goes into examination, and while that process is ongoing it is described as patent pending. This label signals that protection may be granted in the future, and it’s common to mark products or documentation with “patent pending” to warn others that rights may arise from the eventual grant. It also reflects that the invention is under review by the patent office and subject to possible changes as examiners evaluate the claims. The other phrases aren’t the standard way to describe this stage: they either aren’t used in formal patent language or imply a different status (like already granted and enforceable, or not a formal designation at all).