| Term |
Definition |
Context
general
infotech
patent
trademark |
| abstract
of the disclosure |
A concise
statement of the technical disclosure including that which is new in the
art to which the invention pertains - see MPEP
608.01(b) for more |
p |
| ABC |
activity
based cost accounting - an accrual-based accounting method for determining
unit-based costs of delivering services by allocating the costs to budgetary
resources; it measures the performance and costs related to a specific
activity or function. |
g |
| Administrative
Instructions |
set
out the provisions and requirements in relation to the filing and processing
of the international (patent) application under the PCT
and are established by the Director General of WIPO |
p |
| ADS |
Application
Data Sheet |
p |
| agent |
(may
be referred to as a practitioner) - one who is not an attorney
but is authorized to act for or in place of the applicant(s) before the
Office, that is, an individual who is registered to practice before the
Office. -- See 37
CFR § 10.6 and the searchable online Patent
Attorney Agent Roster |
p |
| AIPA |
American
Inventors Protection Act of 1999 -- see MORE |
p |
| AIPLA |
American
Intellectual Property Law Association |
g |
| application
(patent) |
a nonprovisional
utility patent application must include a specification, including a claim
or claims; drawings, when necessary; an oath or declaration; and the prescribed
filing fee -- see How
to Get a Patent for guides for each type of patent application |
p |
| application
number (patent) |
the
unique number assigned to a patent application when it is filed. The application
number includes a two digit series code
and a six digit serial number |
p |
| attorney |
(may
be referred to as a practitioner) - an individual who is a member in good
standing of the bar of any United States court or the highest court of
any State and who is registered to practice before the Office. -- See
37
CFR § 10.1(c); § 10.6(a);
and § 10.14(a)
and the searchable online Patent
Attorney Agent Roster |
p |
| BPAI |
Board
of Patent Appeals and Interferences |
p |
| CD |
a type
of form designation such as Form
CD435, meaning a Commerce Department form |
g |
| CD |
a compact
disc (electronic data storage media) |
i |
| certificate
of mailing |
a certificate
for each piece of correspondence mailed, prior to the expiration of
the set period of time for response, stating the date of deposit with
the U.S. Postal Service and including a signature |
p |
| CFC |
Combined
Federal Campaign
an annual government-wide campaign
for charitable contributions from Federal employees |
g |
| CFO/CAO |
Chief
Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer |
g |
| CFR |
Code
of Federal Regulations - see MORE
INFO |
g |
| Chapter
I |
the
first, mandatory phase under the Patent Cooperation Treaty
that includes performance of an international-type search, issuance of
an International Search Report, and publication of the application and
Search Report by the International Bureau of WIPO |
p |
| Chapter
II |
the
second, optional phase under the Patent Cooperation Treaty
that includes examination of the international application and issuance
of an International Preliminary Examination Report. |
p |
| CIO |
Chief
Information Officer |
g |
| CIP |
Continuation-in-Part
an application filed during the lifetime
of an earlier nonprovisional application, repeating some substantial portion
or all of the earlier nonprovisional application and adding matter not
disclosed in the earlier nonprovisional application -- see MPEP
201.08 for more |
p |
| claims |
define
the invention and are what are legally enforceable. The specification must
conclude with a claim particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming
the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention or discovery.
The claim or claims must conform to the invention as set forth in the remainder
of the specification and the terms and phrases used in the claims must
find clear support or antecedent basis in the description so that the meaning
of the terms in the claims may be ascertainable by reference to the description.
(See § 1.58(a)).
-- see MPEP
608.01(i) for more |
p |
| common
law rights |
property
or other legal rights that do not absolutely require formal registration
in order to enforce them. Proving such rights for a trademark in court
can be very difficult, requires meticulous documentation, and places a
heavy burden on the individual. Active Federal registration of trademark
can provide a higher degree of legal protection and readily-demonstrated
evidence of ownership of a mark. |
g |
| Contracting
State |
a national
Office or an intergovernmental organization which is party to the Patent
Cooperation Treaty. |
p |
| Continuation |
a
second application for the same invention claimed in a prior nonprovisional
application and filed before the first application becomes abandoned or
patented -- see MPEP
201.07 for more |
p |
| Continuing
application |
a continuation,
divisional, or continuation-in-part patent application |
p |
| Control
No. |
unique
number assigned to a patent reexamination request when it is filed, having
a 2-digit series code (90 for ex parte reexamination requests; 95 for inter
partes reexamination requests), and a 6-digit control number. |
p |
| copyrights |
protect
works of authorship, such as writings, music, and works of art that have
been tangibly expressed. The Library
of Congress registers copyrights which last for the life of the author
plus 70 years. |
g |
| CPA |
Continued
Prosecution Application
a continuation or divisional application
filed under 37
CFR 1.53(d) -- see MPEP
201.06(d) for more |
p |
| CRU |
Central
Reexamination Unit |
p |
| customer
number |
(previously
referred to as "payor number") - a number assigned by the Office that is
used to simplify the submission of an address change, to appoint a practitioner,
or to designate the fee address for a patent. Customer numbers are primarily
used by attorneys and law firms, and must be requested using the "Request
for Customer Number" form (PTO/SB/125). -- see 37
CFR § 1.33(a), 1.76
and MPEP
403 for more |
p |
| dead |
a dead
or abandoned status for a trademark application means that
specific application is no longer under prosecution within the USPTO, and
would not be used as a bar against your filing. It does not necessarily
mean that there are not other marks that the trademark examining attorney
would cite. It is also possible to revive an abandoned application (for
example, if the USPTO declared the application abandoned for failure of
the applicant to respond to an Office action, but the applicant later proved
that a response was sent and the USPTO simply failed to match it with the
file in a timely manner, then the case could be revived). Also, regardless
of the status of an application within the USPTO, the owner may still claim
common
law rights. |
t |
| Demand |
Form
PCT/IPEA/401, filed with an International Preliminary Examining Authority,
demanding that an international application shall be the subject of an
international preliminary examination. |
p |
| deposit
account |
an
account that is established in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO),
upon payment of a fee for establishing such an account, for the convenience
in paying any fees due, in ordering services offered by the USPTO, copies
of records, etc. --see MPEP
509.01 for more or view
deposit accounts |
g |
| design
patent application |
an
application for a patent to protect against the unauthorized use of new,
original, and ornamental designs for articles of manufacture -- see
also nonprovisional patent application |
p |
| design
patent |
may
be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design
for an article of manufacture -- see also patent |
p |
| designation |
an
indication made by applicant, in the Request for an International Application
filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, as to the
Contracting States in which protection for an invention is desired. |
p |
| disclosure |
in return
for a patent, the inventor gives as consideration a complete revelation
or disclosure of the invention which protection is sought --see MPEP
608 for more |
p |
| disclosure
document |
a paper
disclosing an invention (called a Disclosure Document) and signed by the
inventor or inventors that has been forwarded to the USPTO by the inventor
(or by any one of the inventors when there are joint inventors), by the
owner of the invention, or by the attorney or agent of the inventor(s)
or owner. The Disclosure Document will be retained for two years, and then
be destroyed unless it is referred to in a separate letter in a related
patent application filed within those two years. -- see MPEP
1706 for more about the disclosure
document program |
p |
| divisional
application |
a
later application for an independent or distinct invention disclosing and
claiming (only a portion of and) only subject matter disclosed in
the earlier or parent application. --see MPEP
201.06 for more |
p |
| DO |
Designated
Office
the national Office or intergovernmental
organization of or acting for the Contracting State designated by the applicant
under Chapter I of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. |
p |
| DOC |
Department
of Commerce |
g |
| EBC |
Electronic
Business Center - includes links to Patents EBC and Trademarks EBC
a web page containing hyperlinks
to all online systems for conducting electronic commerce with the USPTO |
g |
| EFS |
Electronic
Filing System (for patent applications)
supports secure electronic filing
of Patent application documents via the Internet |
p |
| EFT |
Electronic
Funds Transfer |
i |
| election
(PCT) |
an indication
made by applicant, in the Demand for an International Application filed
under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, as to the Contracting
States in which applicant intends to use the results of the international
preliminary examination. |
p |
| element |
a discretely
claimed component of a patent claim |
p |
| embodiment |
a manner
in which an invention can be made, used, practiced
or expressed |
p |
| EO |
Elected
Office - the national Office or intergovernmental organization of or acting
for the Contracting State elected by the applicant under Chapter II of
the Patent Cooperation Treaty. |
p |
| EPO |
European
Patent Office |
g |
| EU |
European
Union |
g |
| examination
copy |
a copy
of an international application filed under the Patent Cooperation
Treaty maintained by the International Preliminary Examining Authority. |
p |
| express
mail mailing label |
patentcorrespondence
delivered to the USPTO via the "Express Mail Post Office to Addressee"
service of the United States Postal Service (USPS) which is considered
filed in the Office on the date of deposit with the USPS, shown by the
"date-in" on the "Express Mail" mailing label. |
p |
| express
mail mailing label |
The
filing date for Trademark documents is not the same as for patent documents
- see Trademarks
express mail for specific guidance |
t |
| FAQ |
Frequently
Asked Questions |
g |
| FASAB |
Federal
Accounting Standards Advisory Board |
g |
| FTAA |
Free
Trade Agreement of the Americas |
g |
| filing
date |
the
date of receipt in the Office of an application which includes (1) a specification
containing a description and, if the application is a nonprovisional application,
at least one claim, and (2) any required drawings -- see MPEP
506 for more |
p |
| FOIA |
Freedom
of Information Act |
g |
| FR |
Federal
Register - see News
& Notices for links |
g |
| FWC |
File
Wrapper Continuing application
a continuation, continuation-in-part,
or divisional application filed under 37 CFR 1.62*, which uses the specification,
drawings and oath or declaration from a prior nonprovisional application,
which is complete as defined by 37 CFR 1.51(a)(1) -- see MPEP
201.06(b) for more
* NOTE: 37 CFR 1.62 was deleted
effective December 1, 1997. See 1203 OG 63, October 21, 1997. |
p |
| GI |
Geographical
Indications -- see MORE |
t |
| GICP |
General
Information Concerning Patents |
p |
| Group |
(also
referred to as a Technology Center or TC) - a unit of
several Group Art Units in the mechanical, electrical,
chemical or design area, managed by one or more Group Directors. Groups
are more properly referred to as Technology Centers,
or TCs. |
p |
| Group
Art Unit |
(may
be abbreviated "AU," "GAU" or "Grp Art Unit" on Office correspondence)
- a working unit responsible for a cluster of related patent art. Staffed
by one supervisory patent examiner (SPE) and a number of patent examiners
who determine patentability on applications for a patent. Group Art Units
are identified by a four digit number, i.e., 1642. |
p |
| home
copy |
a copy
of an international application filed under the Patent Cooperation
Treaty maintained by the receiving Office where the international application
was filed. |
p |
| IB |
International
Bureau - the secretariat of the WIPO which, among other
functions, centralizes information of various kinds relating to the protection
of intellectual property. |
p |
| INTA |
International
Trademark Owners Association |
t |
| intellectual
property |
patents,
trademarks,
copyrights
or trade secrets |
g |
| interference |
a proceeding,
conducted before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (Board),
to determine priority of invention between a pending application and one
or more pending applications and/or one or more unexpired patents --
see MPEP
2300 for more |
p |
| international
application |
an application
filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. |
p |
| invention |
any
art or process (way of doing or making things),
machine, manufacture, design, or composition of matter, or any new and
useful improvement thereof, or any variety of plant, which is or may be
patentable under the patent laws of the United States. -- see 37 CFR 501.3(d)
for more |
p |
| IP |
intellectual
property |
g |
| IPEA |
International
Preliminary Examining Authority - either a national Office or an intergovernmental
organization whose tasks include the establishment of examination reports
on inventions which are the subject of international applications. |
p |
| IPER |
International
Preliminary Examination Report (Form PCT/IPEA/409), produced by an International
Preliminary Examining Authority, is a preliminary and non-binding opinion
on whether the invention claimed in an international application appears
to be novel, to involve an inventive step (to be non-obvious), and to be
industrially applicable. |
p |
| IPO |
Intellectual
Property Owners Association |
g |
| ISA |
International
Search Authority - either a national Office or an intergovernmental organization
whose tasks include the establishment of documentary search reports on
prior art with respect to inventions which are the subject of international
applications. |
p |
| ISR |
International
Search Report (Form PCT/ISA/210), produced by an International Searching
Authority, is a report listing citations of published documents that might
affect the patentability of the invention claimed in an international application. |
p |
| IT |
information
technology |
i |
| ITU |
Intent
to Use - see MORE
INFO |
t |
| joint
application |
an application
in which the invention is presented as that of two or more persons --
see MPEP
201.02 and MPEP
605.07 for more |
p |
| JPO |
Japan
Patent Office |
g |
| JPTOS |
Journal
of the Patent and Trademark Office Society |
g |
| kind
codes |
WIPO
Standard ST. 16 codes (kind codes) include a letter, and in many cases
a number, used to distinguish the kind of patent document (e.g., publication
of an application for a utility patent (patent application publication),
patent, plant patent application publication, plant patent, or design patent)
and the level of publication (e.g., first publication, second publication,
or corrected publication). Detailed information on Standard ST. 16 and
the use of kind codes by patent offices throughout the world is available
on the WIPO web site at http://www.wipo.int/scit/en,
under the links for WIPO standards and other documentation. |
p |
| KSA |
knowledge,
skills and abilities (job qualifications) |
g |
| lawyer |
see
attorney |
p |
| maintenance
fees |
fees
for maintaining in force a patent based on an application filed on or after
December 12, 1980 --see MPEP
2500 for more |
p |
| MPEP |
Manual
of Patent Examining Procedure |
p |
| national
stage application |
an application
which has entered the national phase of the Patent Cooperation
Treaty by the fulfillment of certain requirements in a national Office,
which is an authority entrusted with the granting of national or regional
patents. Such an application is filed under 35 U.S.C. §371 in the
United States and is referred to as a "371 application." |
p |
| NIPLECC |
National
Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council |
g |
| non-lawyer |
a person
who is not an attorney or lawyer. -- See 37
CFR § 10.14(b) |
p |
| nonprofit
organization |
for
purposes of small entity determination per MPEP
509.02 - (1) a university or other institution of higher education
located in any country; (2) an organization of the type described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) and
exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
(26 U.S.C. 501(a)); (3) any nonprofit scientific or educational organization
qualified under a nonprofit organization statute of a state of this country
(35 U.S.C. 201(i)); or (4) any nonprofit organization located in a foreign
country which would qualify as a nonprofit organization under paragraphs
(e) (2) or (3) of MPEP
section 509.02 if it were located in this country -- see MPEP
509.02 for more |
p |
| nonprovisional
patent application |
an application
for patent filed under 35 U.S.C. 111(a); wherein patent application includes
all patent applications (i.e., utility, design, plant, and reissue) except
provisional applications. The nonprovisional application establishes the
filing date and initiates the examination process. |
p |
| OBRA |
Omnibus
Budget and Reconciliation Act |
g |
| OED |
Office
of Enrollment and Discipline |
p |
| Office |
in the
context of actions or activities involving the USPTO this refers to the
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) itself |
g |
| OG |
Official
Gazette |
g |
| OGC |
Office
of General Counsel |
g |
| OIIP |
Office
of Independent Inventors Programs (prior), now part of the Inventors
Assistance Center |
g |
| OIPE |
Office
of Initial Patent Examination |
p |
| OPLA |
Office
of Patent Legal Administration |
p |
| original
application |
"Original"
is used in the patent statute and rules to refer to an application which
is not a reissue application. An original application may be a first filing
or a continuing application -- see MPEP
201.04(a) |
p |
| PAC |
Patent
Assistance Center (prior), now the Inventors
Assistance Center |
p |
| PAC |
Public
Advisory Committee |
g |
| PAIR |
Patent
Application Information Retrieval -- see Patent
EBC for more
provides secure access for customers
who want to view current patent application status electronically via the
Internet |
p |
| parent
application |
The
term "parent" is applied to an earlier application of the inventor disclosing
a given invention --see MPEP
201.04 for more |
p |
| patent |
a property
right granted by the Government of the United States of America to an inventor
“to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the
invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into
the United States” for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure
of the invention when the patent is granted.
-- see also design
patent, nonprovisional patent application, plant
patent, provisional patent application, reexamination
proceedings, reissue application, utility
patent |
p |
| patent
application publication |
Pre-Grant
Publication of patent application at 18 months from priority date - Search
online |
p |
| patent
number |
unique
number assigned to a patent application when it issues as a patent -- see
list |
p |
| patent
pending |
A phrase
that often appears on manufactured items. It means that someone has applied
for a patent on an invention that is contained in the manufactured item.
It serves as a warning that a patent may issue that would cover the item
and that copiers should be careful because they might infringe if the patent
issues. Once the patent issues, the patent owner will stop using the phrase
"patent pending" and start using a phrase such as "covered by U.S. Patent
Number XXXXXXX." Applying the patent pending phrase to an item when no
patent application
has been made can result in a fine. |
p |
| payor
number |
see
customer
number |
p |
| PBG |
Patent
Business Goals |
p |
| PBG
Final Rule |
Patent
Business Goals Final Rule - implement streamlined patent practice;
a result of the American
Inventors Protection Act of 1999 |
p |
| PCT |
Patent
Cooperation Treaty (more)
provides a mechanism by which an
applicant can file a single application that, when certain requirements
have been fulfilled, is equivalent to a regular national filing in each
designated Contracting State. There are currently over 112 PCT Contracting
States. |
p |
| PCT
Regulations |
provide
rules concerning matters expressly refers to in the Patent
Cooperation Treaty, any administrative requirements, matters, or procedures,
and concerning any details useful in the implementation of the provisions
of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The rules must be
adopted by the Assembly of WIPO. |
p |
| PDF |
Portable
Document Format - a common proprietary document format from Adobe used
for documents having mixtures of text and images that preserves the look
and feel of a printed page and permits the user to zoom and magnify the
pages when viewing; not "archival" because of its proprietary nature |
i |
| person |
for
purposes of small entity determination per MPEP
509.02, a person is defined as any inventor or other individual
(e.g., an individual to whom an inventor has transferred some rights in
the invention), who has not assigned, granted conveyed, or licensed, and
is under no obligation under contract or law to assign, grant, convey,
or license any rights in the invention -- see MPEP
509.02 for more |
p |
| petitions
(patent matters) |
See
MPEP
711.03 and Petitions
Practice within the USPTO on Patent Matters for information |
p |
| PG Pub |
Pre-Grant
Publication of patent application at 18 months from priority date |
p |
| PKI |
Public
Key Infrastructure - a system of administrative procedures and methods,
combined with secure information technologies, that is used to manage secure
electronic commerce. Provides for a means of securely identifying participants
in electronic transactions as well as secure transmission and handling
of data. |
i |
| plant
application (patent) |
are
applications to protect invented or discovered, asexually reproduced plant
varieties. |
p |
| plant
patent |
may
be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces
any distinct and new variety of plant. --see also patent |
p |
| PLT |
Patent
Law Treaty |
p |
| postcard
receipt |
a self-addressed,
stamped postcard with itemized list of parts of patent application and
number of pages per MPEP
503; used as a receipt for what was submitted in an application |
p |
| PPAC |
Patent
Public Advisory Committee |
p |
| PPS |
PowerPoint
Show file - a type of encapsulated, non-editable Microsoft slideshow |
i |
| PPT |
PowerPoint
file - a native, editable type of Microsoft slideshow file |
i |
| precautionary
designation |
designation
of a Contracting State in an international application filed under the
Patent
Cooperation Treaty which must be confirmed prior to 15 months from
the priority date. |
p |
| primary
examiner |
a patent
examiner who is fully authorized to sign office actions (signatory authority)
regarding patentability |
p |
| prior
art (reference) |
See
MPEP
900 for information |
p |
| priority
claim |
claims
under 35 USC 119(a)-(e) and 35 USC 120 for the benefit of the filing date
of earlier filed applications. |
p |
| Pro
Se |
used
to designate an independent inventor who has elected to file an application
by themselves without the services of a licensed representative. |
p |
| provisional
patent application |
a provisional
application for patent is a U. S. national application for patent filed
in the USPTO under 35 U.S.C. §111(b). It allows filing without a formal
patent claim, oath or declaration, or any information disclosure (prior
art) statement. It provides the means to establish an early effective filing
date in a nonprovisional patent application filed under 35 U.S.C. §111(a)
and automatically becomes abandoned after one year. It also allows the
term "Patent Pending" to be applied. -- see Provisional
Patent Application |
p |
| PTDL |
Patent
and Trademark Depository Library -- see PTDL |
g |
| PTO |
Patent
and Trademark Office, former designation for USPTO
also a type of form designation for
forms generated by the USPTO (as in PTO-892) |
g |
| PTOL |
a type
of form designation
such as Form PTOL, meaning a Patent and Trademark Office Legal form |
g |
| PTOS |
Patent
and Trademark Office Society |
g |
| publication
number |
a number
assigned to the publication of patent applications filed on or after November
29, 2000. It includes the year, followed by a seven digit number, followed
by a kind
code. Example 200011234567A1 |
p |
| RCE |
Request
for Continued Examination
a request filed in an application
in which prosecution is closed (e.g., the application is under final rejection
or a notice of allowance) that is filed to reopen prosecution and continue
examination of the application; requires the filing of a submission and
payment of a fee -- see 37 CFR 1.114 |
p |
| record
copy |
original
copy of an international application filed under the Patent
Cooperation Treaty maintained by the International Bureau of the World
Intellectual Property Organization. |
p |
| reexamination
proceeding |
at any
time during the enforceability of the patent, any person may request reexamination
by the Office of any claim of a patent on the basis of prior patents or
printed publications cited under 37 CFR 1.501. In order for the request
for reexamination to be granted, a substantial new question of patentability
must be present with regard to at least one patent claim. The request must
be in writing and must be accompanied by payment of a reexamination request
filing fee as set forth in 37 CFR 1.20(c). -- see 37 U.S.C. 302, MPEP
2209, et seq., for more |
p |
| reference
(prior art) |
See
MPEP
900 for information |
p |
| reissue
application |
an application
for a patent to take the place of an unexpired patent that is defective
in one or more particulars (items or details)--see
MPEP
201.05 and MPEP
1400. |
p |
| restriction |
if two
or more independent and distinct inventions are
claimed
in a single application, the
examiner may require the applicant
to elect (designate) a single invention to
which the claims will be restricted (limited to).
This requirement is known as a requirement for restriction (also
known as a requirement for division). Such requirement will normally
be made before any action on the merits; however, it may be made at any
time before final action (final rejection). (See 37 CFR § 1.141 and
§ 1.142) |
p |
| Request
(PCT) |
Form
PCT/RO/101, filed with an international application in a receiving
Office, which includes an indication of applicant(s) and a designation
of one or more Contracting States. |
p |
| RO |
Receiving
Office - the national Office or the intergovernmental organization with
which an international application has been filed. |
p |
| SB |
a type
of form designation such as Form PTO/SB/05 |
g |
| search
copy |
copy
of an international application filed under the Patent Cooperation
Treaty maintained by the International Searching Authority. |
p |
| serial
number |
a number
assigned to a patent application when it is filed. A serial number is usually
used together with a two digit series code
to distinguish between applications filed at different times. |
p |
| series
code |
a two
digit code representing a period of time. Application Filing Date - examples:
01/01/79-12/31/86
Series
06; 01/01/87-12/31/92 Series 07; 01/01/93-12/31/97
Series
08; 01/01/98-Present Series 09 |
p |
| SF |
a type
of form designation such as Form SF51, meaning a Standard Form used throughout
the Federal Government |
g |
| SIR |
a published
statutory invention registration contains the specification and drawings
of a regularly filed nonprovisional application for a patent without
examination if the applicant - (1) meets the requirements of section
112 of this title; (2) has complied with the requirements for printing,
as set forth in regulations of the Commissioner; (3) waives the right to
receive a patent on the invention within such period as may be prescribed
by the Commissioner; and (4) pays application, publication, and other processing
fees established by the Commissioner. A request for a statutory invention
registration (SIR) may be filed at the time of filing a nonprovisional
application for patent, or may be filed later during pendency of the nonprovisional
application. See
MPEP 1100 for more |
p |
| SIRA |
Search and Information
Resources Administration, an organizational unit of the Patent business
area. See Patent
Resources and Planning for more |
p |
| small
business concern |
for
purposes of small entity determination per MPEP
509.02 - any business concern meeting the size standards set forth
in 13 CFR Part 121 to be eligible for reduced patent fees. Questions related
to size standards for a small business concern may be directed to: Small
Business Administration, Size Standards Staff, 409 Third Street, SW, Washington,
DC 20416. see MPEP
509.02 for more |
g |
| small
entity |
for
purposes of small entity determination per MPEP
509.02 - means an independent inventor, a small business concern,
or a nonprofit organization eligible for reduced patent fees -- see
MPEP
509.02 for more.
According to the U.S Patent and
Trademark Office, a small entity can be a for-profit company with 500 or fewer
employees, a nonprofit organization or an independent inventor. |
g |
| specification |
a written
description of the invention and the manner and process of making and using
the same -- see MPEP
608.01 for more |
p |
| substitute
patent application |
an application
which is in essence a duplicate of a prior (earlier filed) application
by the same applicant abandoned before the filing of the substitute (later
filed) application; a substitute application does not obtain the benefit
of the filing date of the prior application -- see MPEP
201.09 for more |
p |
| TARR |
Trademark
Application Registration Retrieval system -- see TMEBC |
t |
| Technology
Center |
(or
TC, also referred to as a Group) - a unit of several Group
Art Units in the mechanical, electrical, chemical or design area, managed
by one or more Group Directors. Formerly referred to as Groups. |
p |
| TESS |
Trademark
Electronic Search System -- see TMEBC |
t |
| TIFF |
a lossless,
archival image file format - a type using G4 compression is used for patent
images - choose a TIFF viewer from list
of all available plugins |
i |
| TMEP |
Trademark
Manual of Examining Procedure |
t |
| TMOG |
Trademark
Official Gazette |
t |
| TPAC |
Trademark
Public Advisory Committee |
t |
| trade
secret |
information
that companies keep secret to give them an advantage over their competitors. |
t |
| Trademark |
protect
words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services.
Trademarks, unlike patents, can be renewed forever as long as they are
being used in business. |
t |
| TRIP |
Trade
Related Aspects of Intellectual Property |
g |
| TTAB |
Trademark
Trial and Appeal Board -- see BISX on TMEBC
for decisions of TTAB |
t |
| USC |
United
States Code - see MORE
INFO |
g |
| USPTO |
United
States Patent and Trademark Office, designation became effective April
3, 2000; a result of the American Inventors Protection
Act of 1999 |
g |
| utility
patent application |
protect
useful processes, machines, articles of manufacture, and compositions of
matter. |
p |
| utility
patent |
may
be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new, useful, and nonobvious
process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or
any new and useful improvement thereof. See also patent |
p |
| WCT |
WIPO
Copyright Treaty |
g |
| WIPO |
World
Intellectual Property Organization
an intergovernmental organization
of the United Nations system. WIPO is responsible for the promotion of
the protection of intellectual property throughout the world and for the
administration of various multilateral treaties dealing with the legal
and administrative aspects of intellectual property. - see MORE
INFO about International Intellectual Property protection |
g |
| WPPT |
WIPO
Performances and Phonograms Treaty |
g |
| WTO |
World
Trade Organization - see MORE
INFO about International Intellectual Property protection |
g |
