Patent Terms and Definitions

Abandon: The explicit or implicit relinquishment of a potential patent right. Simple inaction may render a patent right abandoned

Affidavit: A signed statement (filed with the patent office) putting appropriate facts or opinions on record.

Author: Writer of an article, chapter or other complete work. Some articles, proceedings, or books have multiple authors. In such cases, the first author specified in the reference may be called the primary author or the senior author. The names of the authors following that of the primary author are referred to as the secondary or co-authors. Corporations, government agencies and associations may also be listed as authors of a work.

Basic Patent: The first published patent

Beilstein: A major structure and factual database in organic chemistry.

C?: Clinical Unknown Phase from IDdb. In clinical development, but the phase is unknown.

C1: Phase I (IDdb). Initial toxicity testing in healthy volunteers (except for drugs that are potential treatments for life-threatening diseases such as cancer and HIV, which go straight into subjects suffering from the target disease).

C2: Phase II (IDdb). Small-scale testing in the target population, to assess therapeutic effects and to establish dose levels for phase III trials.

C3: Phase III (IDdb). Large-scale trials in patients, usually at several centers, double blind and randomized. May also be compared to other agents.

Citation: the examiner or author may make Citations. They comprise a list of references that are believed to be relevant prior art and which may have contributed to the "narrowing" of the original application. The examiner can also cite references from technical journals, textbooks, handbooks and sources.

Citation Counts: Citation counts are a formal acknowledgement of intellectual debt to earlier patents and previously published scientific research papers. They are an important indicator of how new patents are linked to earlier patents and scientific papers.

Claim(s): The definition of the monopoly rights that the applicant is trying to obtain for the invention. The claims become the actual monopoly that is given when/if the patent is granted.

Copyright: The legal right granted to an author, editor or publisher of an article, chapter or complete work. Copyright applies to intellectual property in a variety of artistic fields and attempts to be format-neutral.

Defensive publication: A publication and disclosure to the public of a pending patent application.

Design Patent: A type of patent covering the shape characteristics of an object

Disclosure: The first public disclosure of details of an invention. This may be: deliberately revealed outside the patent system to make the invention unpatentable, or what is described in a patent application

First to file: The applicant who is the first to file an application for an invention will be awarded the patent over all others. This law is becoming increasingly the standard for countries adhering to Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs) guidelines.

First to invent: In some countries, the applicant who is the first to invent will be awarded the patent over all others.

Infringe: To make, use or sell the patented item or process within the country covered by the patent, without permission or license from the patentee.

Intellectual property: Intellectual property refers to creations — including inventions, artistic works, names and designs — that are legally protected. Intellectual property includes patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets

Inventor: Inventor names are recorded for all patents. These appear in the standard last name-initial(s) format.

Novel: A patent must be new or original. That is, the invention must never have been made in public in any way, anywhere, before the date on which the application for a patent is filed.

Novelty: The concept that the claims must be totally new. The invention must never have been made public in any way, anywhere, before the date on which the application for a patent is filed.

Patent: A patent is a document that defines the right by law for inventors and assignees to make use of and exploit their inventions for a limited period of time.

Pending: The period in which the patent office has not yet decided whether to reject or to grant a patent application, and it has not yet been withdrawn.

Status: The legal standing of a patent or patent application, i.e. whether it is pending, lapsed or still protected etc.

Term of patent: The maximum number of years that the monopoly rights conferred by the grant of a patent may last

Patent Family A patent family is the same invention disclosed by a common inventor(s) and patented in more than one country. Comprising A transitional phrase that is synonymous with means the same thing as inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. Precautionary Designation Designation of a Contracting State in an international application filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty which must be confirmed prior to 15 months from the priority date. Substantive Reasons For Refusal There are several substantive reasons for refusing registration of a mark. These include: likelihood of confusion; primarily merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of the goods/services. Filing Date The date of receipt in the Office of an application which includes (1) a specification containing a description and, if the application is a nonprovisional application, at least one claim, and (2) any required drawings. Plant Patent May be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant. Notice of Abandonment A written notification from the USPTO that an application has been declared abandoned or, in other words, is no longer pending. If the application was abandoned unintentionally or due to Office error. IFW Image File Wrapper - an electronic version of a patent application, including image and/or text versions of the bibliographic information, all papers as filed, and all office actions and correspondence related to that application. Control No. Unique number assigned to a patent reexamination request when it is filed, having a 2-digit series code for ex parte reexamination requests and a 6-digit control number. Assignee The entity that is the recipient of a transfer of a patent application, patent, trademark application or trademark registration from its owner of record.

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	Did You Know?
	You need a patent attorney or agent to file your patent application. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) strongly recommend that all prospective applicants retain the services of a registered patent attorney or patent agent to prepare and prosecute their applications.