Glossary
- Patent attorney
- A lawyer admitted to a state bar who has also passed the patent bar and is registered with the USPTO.
- Patent agent
- A non-lawyer registered by the USPTO to prepare and prosecute patent applications.
- Patent prosecution
- Preparing, filing and arguing a patent application before the USPTO until it is granted or abandoned.
- Trademark
- A word, phrase, symbol or design that identifies the source of goods or services.
- Copyright
- Protection for original works of authorship, such as writing, music, art and software code.
- Trade secret
- Valuable business information protected by being kept secret rather than registered.
- Registration number
- The number the USPTO assigns to each registered patent attorney and agent; it can be checked in the USPTO's practitioner search.
- USPTO
- The United States Patent and Trademark Office.