Page 21 - Innovator Handbook

Patents and Other Legal Protection
What is a patent?
A patent is a legal document that establishes certain rights in an invention, including limited rights to exclude others from making, using, selling, or importing the invention. A patent has two major components — a technical description of the invention and how to practice it (the specification), and the legal definition of the invention (the claims).
What types of subject matter can be patented?
Patentable subject matter includes processes, machines, compositions of matter, articles of manufacture and in certain cases computer programs and methods.
What is the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)?
The USPTO is the federal agency, organized under the Department of Commerce, that administers patents on behalf of the U.S. government. The USPTO employs patent examiners skilled in all scientific and technical fields to evaluate patent applications. The USPTO also issues federal trademark registrations.
What is the definition of an inventor on a patent and who determines this?
Under U.S. law, an inventor is a person who takes part in the conception of the ideas contained in the claims of a patent application. Thus,
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