United States Patent and Trademark Office

Pages132-133
132 U.S. GOVERNMENT MANUAL
the Service provides Web services for
Federal Government agencies, and it
works closely with them to assist in
implementing and maintaining their
training, systems, and applications.
Sources of Information
Products and Services For general
inquiries or to place a telephone
order, contact the National Technical
Information Service’s Customer Contact
Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., eastern
standard time. Phone, 800–553–6847;
TDD, 703–487–4639; Fax, 703–605–
6900; E-mail, info@ntis.gov.
To inquire about the Service’s
information services for other Federal
agencies, call its Off‌ice of Federal
Services at 703–605–6800, or send an
email to obdinfo@ntis.gov. In addition,
the National Technical Information
Service can be followed on Twitter,
Facebook, and YouTube.
For further information, contact the National Technical Information Service Administration, 5301 Shawnee
Road, Arlington, VA 22312. Phone, 703–605–6000, or 800–553–6847. Internet, http://www.ntis.gov.
United States Patent and Trademark Off‌ice
600 Dulany Street, Arlington, VA 22313
Phone, 571–272–8400. Internet, http://www.uspto.gov.
Under Secretary for Intellectual Property and
Director
DAVID KAPPOS
Deputy Under Secretary for Intellectual
Property and Deputy Director
TERESA STANEK REA
Commissioner for Patents ROBERT STOLL
Commissioner for Trademarks LYNNE G. BERESFORD
[For the Patent and TrademarkOff‌ice statement of organization, see the Federal Register of Apr. 14, 1975, 40
FR 16707]
The United States Patent and Trademark
Off‌ice (USPTO) was established by the
act of July 19, 1952 (35 U.S.C. 1) to
promote the progress of science and the
useful arts by securing for limited times
to inventors the exclusive right to their
respective discoveries for a certain period
of time (Article I, Section 8 of the United
States Constitution). The registration of
trademarks is based on the commerce
clause of the U.S. Constitution.
USPTO examines and issues patents.
There are three major patent categories:
utility patents, design patents, and plant
patents. USPTO also issues statutory
invention registrations and processes
international patent applications.
Through the registration of trademarks,
USPTO assists businesses in protecting
their investments, promoting goods and
services, and safeguarding consumers
against confusion and deception in the
marketplace. A trademark includes any
distinctive word, name, symbol, device,
or any combination thereof adopted
and used or intended to be used by a
manufacturer or merchant to identify
his goods or services and distinguish
them from those manufactured or sold
by others. Trademarks are examined by
the Off‌ice for compliance with various
statutory requirements to prevent unfair
competition and consumer deception.
In addition to the examination of
patent and trademark applications,
issuance of patents, and registration of
trademarks, USPTO advises and assists
government agencies and off‌icials in
matters involving all domestic and global
aspects of intellectual property. USPTO
also promotes an understanding of
intellectual property protection.
USPTO provides public access to
patent, trademark, and related scientif‌ic
and technical information. Patents and
trademarks may be freely reviewed and
searched online at www.uspto.gov or
at designated Patent and Trademark
Depository Libraries. There are 80 Patent
and Trademark Depository Libraries

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