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United States Patent and Trademark Office

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is the part of the U.S. Department of Commerce that examines and grants patents and registers trademarks. Patents protect inventions, and trademarks protect names, logos, and symbols that identify goods and services. Examiners review each application to decide whether it meets legal requirements.

People usually bring questions about how to apply for a patent or trademark, how the process works, and what it takes in time and money. Others ask how to search existing patents, what prior art means, and how the symbols for registered and unregistered trademarks differ.

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September 26last updated

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