Santa Cruz Standard

The longest time between a patent being filed and granted in December in Topanga was 148 days, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The patent application was filed by Nicki Huggins Studio, Inc. for a footstool. It was filed on July 19, 2021 before being approved on Dec. 14, 2021.

Though patents are required for inventions and products, the granting of a patent is not a guarantee for success. Dennis Crouch, co-director of the Center for Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship, said roughly 50 percent of patents expire prematurely due to costs.

There were two patents granted for Topanga inventors in December.

Applicant Name	Days to be Granted
Nicki Huggins Studio, Inc.	148
Nicki Huggins Studio, Inc.	141