U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, located in Crystal City, Virginia.

Patent Cooperation Treaty. Comprised of 100 member countries that afford citizens of other countries similar patent rights.

World Intellectual Property Organization, located in Geneva, Switzerland. Responsible for administering the PCT International filings.

European Patent Office.

Japanese Patent Office.

A patent application filed under the PCT provisions for seeking protection in multiple countries.

A person responsible for reviewing patent applications for issuance of patents. Trained in law and usually have technical background.

A detailed response from the PTO, outlining reasons for compliance/ non-compliance of a patent application under the statute for issuance of a patent.

A detailed response from the PTO finally rejecting an application for a patent.

A personal meeting with the Examiner-in-Charge of a patent application to resolve pending issues for obtaining allowance.

Formally known as Notice of Allowance. The official notification from the PTO indicating Examiner's approval for the grant of a patent.

A review of prior art to determine whether or not the invention is already known.

The information already in public domain. Typically includes prior U.S. and foreign patents, publications, technical/ scientific literature, articles, etc.

A patent application containing legally prescribed specification and drawings. It is not examined, does not result into a patent, and is kept pending for only 12 months.

A patent application containing legally prescribed specification, drawings, and claims. Is examined as to merits and may result into a patent.

A review of a patent application by a PTO Examiner to determine formal, as well as substantive compliance, under the law for issuance of a patent.

Correspondence with the PTO, including an Examiner, to obtain Allowance of a patent application. Typically includes amending an application, presenting arguments for patent -ability, overcoming Examiner's objections/rejections and completing formal requirements to obtain a patent.

A patent covering the structure and/or operation of, for example, a device.

A patent covering the ornamental aspects (overall aesthetics) of an article.

A patent covering a distinct and new variety of an asexually reproduced plant.

Legal language defining the metes and bounds of an invention. A utility patent typically includes several claims of different/ varying scope. An independent claim stands on its own. A dependent claim includes its own subject matter and that which is recited in the independent claim it depends from.

The PTO's library of all U.S. patents issued since 1790. Open to public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday- Friday.

The PTO's Manual of Patent Examination and Procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations for Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights.

An attorney licensed to represent people before the courts and the PTO. Has both technical and law degrees.

A person admitted to represent people before the PTO. Has a technical degree.

A person who conducts searches, typically at the PTO. A patent searcher typically has a technical background in electrical, chemical, and/or mechanical disciplines, is familiar with the PTO's Manual of Classification, and has an understanding of the overall patent process.

All technologies (for example, fishing to robotics) are divided into PTO's 432+ classes, which are further subdivided into 200,000 subclasses. The current Manual is about 6" thick