Patent
It takes an average of 3–4 years for a patent application to be examined and granted by the USPTO. The United States is a party to the PCT, the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Applications can enter through the PCT or be filed directly. In the US, patents are divided into 3 types: design, plant and utility patents. Protection for a design patent ends after 14 years.
Utility model
There is no utility model system in the United States.