The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

The PTO, the same government agency that is responsible for examining trademark applications and issuing registrations, is responsible for examining patent applications and granting patents. Patent applications are examined by those skilled in the art to which the patent application relates. The process is expensive, often costing between $5,000 and $20,000, and lengthy, usually taking eighteen to twenty-four months.

Perhaps reflecting the impact of technology and the Internet, the PTO Patent Examining Division is one of the busiest of government departments. In 1999, the PTO granted a record 169,154 patents, with U.S. inventors receiving 56 percent of all patents and residents of foreign nations receiving ...

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