Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Since 1790, the basic role of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has remained the same: to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries (Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution). Today, the USPTO is a federal agency in the Department of Commerce, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Through the issuance of patents, the USPTO encourages technological advancement by providing incentives to invent, invest in, and disclose new technology worldwide. Through the registration of trademarks, the agency assists businesses in protecting their investments, promoting goods and services, and safeguarding consumers against confusion and deception in the marketplace. By disseminating both patent and trademark information, the USPTO promotes an understanding of intellectual property protection and facilitates the development and sharing of new technologies worldwide.
Is there a question about what the USPTO
can or cannot do that you cannot find an answer for? Send questions
about USPTO programs and services to theUSPTO Contact Center (UCC). You can suggest
USPTO webpages or material you would like featured
on this section by E-mail
to the webmaster@uspto.gov.
While we cannot promise to accommodate all requests, your
suggestions will be considered and may lead to other improvements
on the website.