The firm's patents expire in 2015, and technology has moved on.

该公司的专利权有效期截止到2015年，而到那时，生物技术早已有极大的进步。

After a certain amount of time, usually about 20 years, a patent expires, which lowers the barriers to entry.

经过一定的时间，通常是20年左右，专利就会到期，这降低了进入门槛。

The Cherry patent expiring was a game changer, an environment modifier, a different gravy.

- 即将到期的樱桃专利是一个游戏规则的改变者，一个环境调节剂，一个不同的肉汁。

Here's Professor Mark Miodownik, a material scientist at University College, London, explaining more to BBC World Service programme, People Fixing The World: As the millennium turned, patents expired and that meant people started making very cheap 3D printers.

伦敦大学学院的材料科学家马克·米奥多尼克教授，向BBC全球服务节目People Fixing The World解释了更多：随着千禧年的到来，专利过期了，那意味着人们开始制造非常便宜的3D打印机。