Patent Terms Glossary

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.

IPEA

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

Certificate Of Registration

Definition:
Official document from the USPTO evidencing that a mark has been registered.

Divisional Application

Definition:
A later application for an independent or distinct invention disclosing and claiming (only a portion of and) only subject matter disclosed in the earlier or parent application.

NPL

Definition:
Non Patent Literature -- documents and publications that are not patents or published patent applications but are cited as references for being relevant in a patent prosecution.

Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)

Definition:
A list of all patents, publications, U.S. applications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office in a non-provisional patent application filed under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a) to comply with applicant's duty.

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