Patent Law

Patents portal page of the USPTO, an agency of the Department of Commerce that grants patents, registers trademarks, "advises the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, and U.S. Government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement, and promotes the stronger and more effective IP protection around the world." Includes the USPTO's searchable patent databases, patent statistics, the Official Gazette for Patents, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decisions, the Patent Center system for electronically filing and managing patent applications, the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), the U.S. Patent Classification system, and the Public Search Facility, in Alexandria, VA.

"The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) is a tribunal within the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that reviews rejections made by examiners in proceedings called 'ex parte appeals' and decides patentability questions for issued patents raised by third parties in proceedings called 'AIA trials.' AIA stands for America Invents Act, which created the PTAB (previously known as the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences or BPAI). The Board includes statutory members and administrative patent judges. The statutory members of the Board are the USPTO director, deputy director, commissioner for patents, and commissioner for trademarks."

"Established in 2014 to support and improve the international patent system. The office leads efforts to assist U.S. inventors and businesses in protecting their patent rights worldwide and supports the global innovation community."

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas, including patent appeals. Site includes opinions and orders of merits and motions panels, caseload statistics, and rules of practice.

The ITC is an independent, quasi-judicial federal agency with broad investigative responsibilities on matters of trade. The ITC adjudicates cases involving allegations of patent infringement by imported goods (Section 337 investigations, conducted pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930). Site includes Section 337 publications, investigational history materials, and access to the ITC's Investigations Database System (IDS), a database of information related to all unfair import investigations conducted by the ITC under Section 337, and the Electronic Document Information System (EDIS), the ITC’s document management system for filing and accessing documents related to ITC investigations.

The jurisdiction of the House Committee on the Judiciary includes the United States Patent and Trademark Office, patents, trademarks, and copyright.

The jurisdiction of the Senate Judiciary Committee includes the United States Patent and Trademark Office, patents, trademarks, and copyright.

"The five IP offices (IP5) is the name given to a forum of the five largest intellectual property offices in the world that was set up to improve the efficiency of the examination process for patents worldwide. The members of IP5 are: the European Patent Office (EPO); the Japan Patent Office (JPO); the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO); the National Intellectual Property Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNIPA); and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The IP5 Offices together handle about 80 per cent of the world's patent applications, and 95 per cent of all work carried out under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The IP5 Offices work together closely to improve efficiency and address the growing backlogs in applications worldwide. The heads of the IP5 Offices meet annually to decide on strategy and review progress."

WIPO "is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation. We are a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 193 member states. Our mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international IP system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all."

Includes Patent topics and issues; Patent law and treaties; Patent filing; and Patent search and analysis.

WIPO administers 26 intellectual property treaties, including the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), which "makes it possible to seek patent protection for an invention simultaneously in each of a large number of countries by filing an "international" patent application."

WIPO Lex "provides free of charge access to legal information on intellectual property (IP) from around the world. The WIPO Lex Database is organized into three collections, consisting of IP laws and regulations, WIPO-administered treaties and IP‑related treaties, and IP judgments."

WTO "is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible." TRIPS "is the most comprehensive multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP). It plays a central role in facilitating trade in knowledge and creativity, in resolving trade disputes over IP, and in assuring WTO members the latitude to achieve their domestic policy objectives. It frames the IP system in terms of innovation, technology transfer and public welfare. The Agreement is a legal recognition of the significance of links between IP and trade and the need for a balanced IP system."

The ABA-IPL "advances the development and improvement of intellectual property laws and their fair and just administration. The Section furthers the goals of its members by sharing knowledge and balanced insight on the full spectrum of intellectual property law and practice, including patents, trademarks, copyright, design, and trade secrets."

"AIPLA was formed to maintain a high standard of professional ethics, to aid in the improvement in laws relating to intellectual property and in their proper interpretation by the courts, and to provide legal education to the public and to its members on intellectual property issues." Site includes Model Patent Jury Instructions.

The FCBA "represents the interests of those involved with the subject matter which comes before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and its reviewed tribunals." Site includes Model Patent Jury Instructions and Model Patent Local Rules.

"The ITCTLA is dedicated to improving the administration of Section 337 (unfair import investigations) and informing attorneys, international trade officials, and legislators about practice before the ITC."

"The Patent and Trademark Office Society is for Patent and Trademark professionals and other interested individuals. Founded in 1917, the Society is today internationally recognized for its activities in the patent and trademark fields. From its inception, the Society has actively influenced the patent and trademark systems - promoting the systems' growth and well-being, recalling our rich heritage and promoting the social and intellectual welfare of our members."

PTAB Bar Association is "an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the highest professional and ethical standards among lawyers and stakeholders who appear before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Association fosters constructive dialog between fellow bar members, the PTAB itself, and corporate and government stakeholders.

"EFF champions user privacy, free expression, and innovation through impact litigation, policy analysis, grassroots activism, and technology development. We work to ensure that rights and freedoms are enhanced and protected as our use of technology grows."

"Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), established in 1972, is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets."

"The PPAC reviews the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of patent operations [at the USPTO] and advises the director on these matters."

"The International Society for Patent Information Professionals is a not-for-profit organization for individuals having a professional, scientific or technical interest in patent information. The mission of PIUG is to support, assist, improve and enhance the success of patent information professionals through leadership, education, communication, advocacy and networking. Through this international forum and discussion, we also promote and improve the retrieval, analysis and dissemination of patent information."

Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs) are a nationwide network of public, state, and academic libraries designated by the USPTO to disseminate patent and trademark information and to support the public's diverse intellectual property needs. Accessing the patent and trademark information at a PTRC with the help of a trained specialist, you may be able to determine if someone else has already patented your invention or obtained a federal registration for a trademark on goods or services. PTRCs also have access to PubWEST and PubEAST, examiner-based search systems.