A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor. Generally, the term of a new patent is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States. There are three types of patents: (1) Utility, covering function; (2) Design, covering ornamental design; and (3) Plant, for a new variety of plant.
Prior art refers to publicly available documentation such as existing patents or articles in journals or newspapers that describe technologies already in use. In order to grant a patent, the examiner will search for prior art to insure that the invention is novel. For additional information, see First Inventor to File video.
Once a patent has been granted, the inventor has the right to exclude others from making use of that invention. A license is a lease agreement between a patent owner and another party granting permission to use the invention.
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. A service mark is the same as a trademark, except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods. Trademarks differ from patents. For additional information, see the Basic Facts about Trademarks videos.
Search Trademarks
in the USPTO Trademark Database
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