Historically, an original patent had a red ribbon (ribbon copy), and can take 6 months (and an additional fee) to replace if it is lost. More recently the patent office has gone paperless. In litigation a certified copy of the patent record will typically be required, which requires a small fee and a delay. | Historically, an original patent had a red ribbon (ribbon copy), and can take 6 months (and an additional fee) to replace if it is lost. More recently the patent office has gone paperless. In litigation a certified copy of the patent record will typically be required, which requires a small fee and a delay. |