Comment Re:Patentees usually want delay (Score 1) 218
This is a misinterpretation regarding motivation. The patent duration runs from the grant date, but the 20-year term starts running down from the date of filing. Inequitable conduct is almost always raised in litigation and the practitioner preparing/filing the application also has a duty of candor any prior art material to patentability. A presumption that a thorough search could weigh heavily to show the applicant intended to deceive the USPTO, invalidating the entire patent, not just the particular claims disclosed.