美国专利法理解.docx

美国专利法理解.docx

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美国专利法理解

A

Abandonment（ofapatentapplication）–stoppingtheprosecutionprocess;canbeimplicit（failuretoreplytoanofficeactionorpayaprescribedfeewithinthetimeperiodallowed）orexplicit（PTOisinformedbytheapplicantorhisagentthatfurtherprosecutionwillnotbepursued）.

Application（patentapplication）–formaldocumentsfiledrequestingthegrantofapatent.

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B

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C

Claim–astatementbythepatentapplicantdescribingthe"heart"oftheinvention;subjectmatterprotectedbyapatent.

Conception（inventionconception）–creationintheinventor’smindofausefulwaytosolveaproblem;actofvisualizinganinvention,completeinallessentialdetail;occurswhenasolutionisformulated,notwhentheunderlyingproblemisrecognized.

ConfidentialityAgreement–alegaldocumentthroughwhichintellectualpropertycanbedisclosedbyonepartytoanothertobeusedonlyforstatedpurposes,nottobedisclosedtoothers,andreturnedtothegiveruponrequest.

ContinuationApplication（alsocalledafilewrappercontinuationapplication）–anapplicationfiledafterthefinalofficeactiononanearlierfiledapplicationthatconsistsofthesamedisclosure;theclaimsmaybethesameortheremaybeanewsetofclaimsdirectedtothesameinventionclaimedinthepriorapplication;continuationapplicationsmustbefiledbeforetheearlierapplicationisabandonedandmustcontainnonewmatter;acontinuationapplicationhasthesamefilingdateastheearlier（parent）filedapplication.

ContinuationinPartApplication（CIP）–anapplicationfiledbeforetheearlierfiledapplicationisabandonedthataddsnewmaterialtoordeletesmaterialfromtheearlierfiledapplication;materialincommonwiththeearlierapplicationhastheoriginalapplication’sfilingdate,newmaterialhasthefilingdateoftheCIP.

Copyright–atypeofintellectualpropertyprotectionthatprotectsthemannerinwhichanideaisexpressed.

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D

DesignPatent–patentusedtoprotecttheaestheticaspectsofanarticleandnotthefunctionalaspects.

Disclosure–descriptionofaninventioninanapplicationorpatent;consistsofaspecification（writtendescription）,drawings,andclaims.

DivisionalApplication–anapplicationduringthependencyofapriorapplicationcontinuingthesamedisclosurebutwithclaimsdirectedtoaninventionthatdiffersfromtheoriginalapplication;usuallyfiledinresponsetoaRestrictionRequirementfromthePTO.

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E

Embodiment–oneformofaninvention;anexampleoftheinvention.

Enablement–therequirementofthePatentCodethatthepatentapplicationdisclosuremustgiveasufficientlycleardescriptionoftheinventionsoastoenableapersonhavingordinaryskillintheart（technology）tomakeandusetheinventionwithoutundueexperimentation.

Examination–processbywhichthePTOdecidestograntapatent.

ExclusiveLicenseAgreement–alegaldocumentlicensinganintellectualpropertytoanotherpartyfortheirexclusiveuse.Thisintellectualpropertycannotbelicensedtoanyotherpartyforanyuse.

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F

FileWrapper（alsocalledfilehistory）–folderkeptbythePTOthatcontainsallthecorrespondence/documentsinvolvedinapatentapplication;contentsofthefile.

FilingDate–dateonwhichalltherequiredpartsofanapplicationarereceivedatthePTO.

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G

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H

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I

ImprovementPatent–apatenthavingclaimsthatareanimprovementormodificationoftheinventionofapriorpatent.

Infringement–anunauthorizedattempttomake,use,sellorhavemadeapropertyrightownedbyanother;canbedirectorcontributoryorcanbeactivelyinduced（theencouragementofotherstoinfringe）.

IntellectualProperty–propertyintheformofpatents,trademarks,servicemarks,tradenames,tradesecrets,andcopyrights.

Interference–priorityproceedingsinthePTOtodeterminewhichofthetwoormorepartieswasfirsttoinventthesubjectmatterinconflict.

Invention–conceptionofanovel,useful,unobviouscontributionwhichisthenreducedtopractice.

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J

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K

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L

License–anagreementbetweentheownerofapatentandanotherpartythatpermitstheotherpartytopracticetheinventionorbenefitfromrights;usuallyinvolvessomecompensationfromthelicenseetothelicensor;doesnotincludelegaltitle（remainswithlicensor）.

Licensee–partyobtainingrightsunderalicenseagreement.

Licensor–partygrantingrightsunderalicenseagreement.

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M

Maintenancefees–feesthatmustbepaid4,8,and12yearsafterautilitypatentisgranted.

MaterialsTransferAgreement–alegaldocumentbywhichexchangesoftangiblematerialsmaybetransferredamongpublicandnon-profitorganizations.

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N

Non-exclusiveLicenseAgreement–alegaldocumentlicensinganintellectualpropertytoanotherpartyforuseinadefinedfield.Thisintellectualpropertymaybelicensedtoadditionalpartiesforuseinfieldsotherthantheonesspecifiedinpreviouslyexecutedlicenseagreements.

Non-obvious–acriterioninSection103ofthePatentCodewhichrequiresthataninventioncannotreceiveavalidpatentiftheinventioncouldbereadilydeducedfrompubliclyavailableinformationbyoneofordinaryskillintheart.

Novel–requirementforpatentability:

originalinconceptionorstyle.

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O

Obvious–termusedbyexaminerwhenrejectingclaimsthattheexaminerfeelswouldhavebeenapparenttoone"skilledintheart"atthetimetheinventionwasmade.

OfficialGazette–publishedeachTuesday;officiallyannouncestheissuanceofpatents.

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P

Patent（utility,letters,design,plant）–agrantbyagovernmenttoaninventorgivingthelattertherighttoexcludeothersforalimitedperiodoftimeformaking,using,orsellingtheinvention.

PatentApplication–formaldocumentsubmittedtothePTOwitharequestforagrant;includesanAbstractofDisclosure,patentdrawings,specification,claims,oathordeclaration,andafilingfeepayment.

PatentCooperationTreaty（PCT）–amultilateraltreatywhichbecameeffectivein1978thateliminatessomeoftheduplicationinvolvedwhenobtainingpatentprotectionforthesameinventioninseveralcountries;morethan40nationsaresignatoriesofthePCT;withthePCTitispossibletofileandprosecuteasingleinternationalapplication,whichhasthesameeffectasfilingaseparateapplicationineachPCTnationthattheinventordesignatesatthetimeoffilingtheapplication;thePCTneithercreatesaninternationalpatentnorchangesthesubstantiverequirementsofpatentabilityinanyindividualPCTnation（includingtheUS）,itmerelyreducestheduplicationofeffortrequiredtofileandprocessesparallelapplicationsinseveralnationsatthesametime.

PatentandTrademarkOffice（PTO）–organizationwithintheDepartmentofCommercethatdealswiththeissuanceofpatents.

PlantPatent–twodistinctformsofplantpatentorpatent-likeprotectionareavailablefornewplantvarieties;（a）1930PlantPatentAct（PPA）,PTOmaygrantpatentsforasexuallyreproducedvarietiesand（b）underthe1970PlantVarietyProtectionAct（PVPA）protectionofnewsexuallyreproducedvarietiesareprotectedbytheDepartmentofAgriculture.

PriorArt–existingtechnicalinformationagainstwhichthepatentabilityofaninventionisevaluated;ispertinentinnoveltyandobviousnessrequirementsforapatent.

ProvisionalPatentApplication–acceptedin1995,theprovisionalpatentapplicationprovidesanearlyprioritydatewithoutcountingagainstthetwenty-yearlifeofthepatent.Requirementsforfilingaprovisionalarespecifications,drawingsifnecessary,filingfee,andassignee.Noclaimsaresubmittedwiththeprovisional.

PublicDisclosure–anunrestricteddisclosuretoanyotherpersonnotboundbyconfidentialityobligations,expressorimplied.

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Q

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R

ReductiontoPractice–therearetwotypes:

（a）actual-occurswhentheinventionisphysicallyimplemented,thearticleismanufactured,machineisbuiltandtested,themethodisperformedandconfirmed,orthecompositionofmatterhasbeensynthesizedorproducedand（b）constructive–filingofapatentapplication;toshowoneofaverageskillinthearthowtomakeandusetheinvention.

Royalty–ashareofincome,inaccordancewiththetermsofalicenseagreement,paidbyalicensorfortherighttomake,useorsellaninvention.

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S

Search（locationofinformation）-sometimesperformedtodetermineifpriorartexiststhatwouldaffectthepatentabilityofaninvention.

StatutoryBar（requirements）–specificactsrelatedtoaninventionwhichifperformedmorethanoneyearpriortothefilingofapatentapplicationwillprecludepatentability;i.e.,publication,saleofinvention,abandoningtheinvention,orpublicuse.

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T

Trademark–aword,name,symbol,ordeviceoranycombinationoftheseusedbyamanufacturerorvendorinconnectionwithaproduct.

TradeSecret–apropertyprotectedbykeepingitconfidentialorsecret.

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U

UtilityPatent–oneofthreetypesofUSpatents;thistypeismostwidelyregardedas"apatent";protectspatentableinventionssuchasprocesses,machines,compositionsofmatterandimprovements（othertypesofpatentsaredesignandplant）.

Categories

TheU.S.PatentandTrademarkOfficegrantspatentsinthreecategories:

UtilityPatents:

Mostcommonpatent--formachines,articlesofmanufacture,compositionofmatter,andmethodsofmakinganddoingthings.Animalpatentsfallwithinthiscategory.

DesignPatents:

Thispat