As it turns out, there are as many origin stories for barbecue as there are spellings of the word on neon signs. These explanations range from a linguistic attempt to connect barbecue to boucan (also French) to a tall tale tracing barbecue to a Texas rancher who happened to brand the initials B.Q. on his livestock.
Patent protection usually ends when the patent expires. Here are the expiration dates: For all utility patents filed before June 8, 1995, the patent term is 20 years from date of filing, or 17 years from date of issuance, whichever period is longer.
A patent is a legal right granted by the UK Intellectual Property Office for a new invention. It allows the owner of the patent (the patentee) to take legal action against others who use his invention without his permission. The right has a maximum life-time of 20 years in most countries, from the date of the patent application. What a patent does not do is give the owner an automatic right to use the invention.