patent cliff

American  

noun

1. a potential sharp drop in sales and revenue for a company when one of its patents expires.

   the looming patent cliffs faced by pharmaceutical firms.

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Etymology

Origin of patent cliff

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

The biggest winners share another thing in common: Their businesses look set to keep growing, without an imminent patent cliff.

From The Wall Street Journal

A patent cliff is what happens when one or a few blockbuster drugs lose protection and cheaper copies flood in, knocking a hole in revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s showing an ability to grow even through a meaningful patent cliff.

From Barron's

As Citi’s Davis puts it, “This will be the biggest patent cliff of all time.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But no company has a patent cliff quite like Merck’s.

From Barron's