What Is a Patent?
A patent gives its owner a limited right to exclude others. Learn how utility, design, and plant patents protect different kinds of inventions.
The Reading Room
Patents, in Plain English.
What a patent protects. What a claim says. Where to find the record. These guides give you a place to start and sources to read next.
Provisional vs. Non-Provisional Applications
A provisional application and a non-provisional application do different jobs. Understand the filing date, examination, and the usual twelve-month window.
How to Read a Patent
Use the cover page, figures, specification, and claims together. This reading guide explains where to look and why each part of a patent matters.
What Patent Claims Are and Why They Matter
Claims define the invention for which protection is sought or granted. Learn the difference between independent and dependent claims and how to read them.
How Long a Patent Lasts
Patent term depends on the patent type, filing history, and other factors. Learn the general rules and where maintenance fees fit into the picture.
What Patent Pending Means
Patent pending signals that an application has been filed. It does not mean a patent has issued or that the product is covered by an enforceable claim.
Prior Art and Patent Searching Basics
Prior art reaches beyond patent documents. Learn how to begin a search, follow classifications and citations, and keep track of the sources you find.
How Much a Patent Costs
Separate patent office fees from professional fees and later expenses. See example USPTO fee ranges and the questions to ask when requesting a quote.
Patent vs. Trademark vs. Copyright vs. Trade Secret
These protections address different things. Compare an invention, a brand identifier, creative expression, and information kept secret for business value.
How to Find a Patent Attorney or Agent
Start with the USPTO practitioner register, then ask about technical experience, scope, conflicts, and fees before deciding whom to engage.
What Patent Infringement Is
Patent infringement concerns acts within the scope of patent rights. Start with the claims, the relevant conduct, and the limits of a general explanation.
Patent Licensing Basics
A patent license grants permission within agreed limits. Understand the difference from assignment and the main terms a licensing discussion may cover.
What IPR and the PTAB Are
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board handles several proceedings. Learn what inter partes review examines and why institution differs from a final decision.
Patent Glossary
A short glossary of patent terms, with links to fuller guides. Find definitions for claims, prior art, prosecution, assignment, and other recurring terms.
Famous Patents and Familiar Objects
Explore the patent drawings behind familiar objects. Start with a football construction study, then follow the growing episode and print collections.