Patent Terms Glossary

First to file

Definition:
The applicant who is the first to file an application for an invention will be awarded the patent over all others.

Term of patent

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

IPEA

Definition:
International Preliminary Examining Authority - either a national Office or an intergovernmental organization whose tasks include the establishment of examination reports on inventions.

Generic Term

Definition:
Terms that the relevant purchasing public understands primarily as the common or class name for the goods or services.

Pending

Definition:
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which the patent office has not yet decided whether to reject or to grant a patent application, and it has not yet been withdrawn

Informal Application

Definition:
An application that has been filed without one or more of the elements required to receive a filing date. The USPTO will return informal applications to applicants.

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