The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The USPTO registers trademarks based on the commerce clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished. New products have been invented, new uses for old ones discovered, and employment opportunities created for millions of Americans. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The USPTO is at the cutting edge of the nation's technological progress and achievement.

The USPTO advises the president of the United States, the secretary of commerce, and U.S. government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement; and promotes the stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. The USPTO furthers effective IP protection for U.S. innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide by working with other agencies to secure strong IP provisions in free trade and other international agreements. It also provides training, education, and capacity building programs designed to foster respect for IP and encourage the development of strong IP enforcement regimes by U.S. trading partners.

Upcoming events

Mar 19 - 21, 2024

Do you have an invention you want to patent? Are you unfamiliar with the patent filing process? Are you a first-time patent application filer or new to the Patent Center? Are you unsure where to start? Get a head StART with this free, virtual three-day workshop that focuses on helping participants...

Mar 19, 2024

Share your insight and experience to improve patent prosecution in biotechnology areas at the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) next Biotechnology, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical (BCP) Customer Partnership Meeting on Tuesday, March 19, from noon to 5 p.m. ET. The meeting will be held...

Mar 19, 2024

Are you a librarian looking for a better understanding of patent concepts? Do you want to be able to share reliable resources with inventors looking to protect their intellectual property? The United States Patent and Trademark Office's Patent and Trademark Resource Center Program is offering a new...

Mar 26, 2024

Are you interested in learning how to use the Patent Public Search tool (PPUBS) to search like an examiner? If so, Stakeholder Offerings and Resources (SOaR) has the training for you. On Tuesday, March 26, at 1 p.m. ET, SOaR will provide virtual training on how to use PPUBS, with live search...

Apr 2, 2024

Are you a small business owner or entrepreneur interested in learning about trademarks and how to apply for a federal registration? If so, this event is a must-attend. In this first module of our eight-part virtual Trademark Basics Boot Camp, we’ll focus on trademark protection in the United States...

Apr 4, 2024

Join the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a one-day patents boot camp on April 4, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT at WKU Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, KY. This in-person, single-day workshop is for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and inventors in communities with limited or...

Apr 4, 2024

Are you interested in learning about intellectual property (IP) basics? In part one of this eight-part recurring series, our experts will: Provide a brief overview of the different types of IP (patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights) Review the patenting process from invention, to...

Apr 5, 2024

Join the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a one-day trademarks boot camp on April 5, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT at WKU Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, KY. This is an in-person, single-day workshop for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and start-ups in communities with...

Apr 9, 2024

Are you a small business owner or entrepreneur interested in learning about trademarks and how to apply for a federal registration? If so, this event is a must-attend. In this second module of our eight-part virtual Trademark Basics Boot Camp, we’ll focus on the overall trademark registration...

Apr 16, 2024

Are you interested in learning about the impact of recent Federal Circuit decisions on design application examination? If so, join the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Tuesday, April 16, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET for a free virtual webinar on these impacts. This session will...

News & Updates

USPTO’s new Diversity Information Platform: Advancing innovation through data-driven action

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently launched a Diversity Information Platform (DI Platform) to advance diversity and inclusion efforts throughout the innovation ecosystem by providing a no-cost tool for data-driven analyses and a one-stop shop for discussing and sharing best...

Championing diversity: A key message this International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is recognized every year on March 8. Though efforts are ongoing year-round, this month intellectual property (IP) offices worldwide come together to celebrate women’s contributions to the IP system and highlight efforts in place to further inclusion. This year’s...

New USPTO study finds women’s participation in patenting associated with substantial economic value

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) shared a new article published in the journal  Nature Biotechnolog y. The article, titled "Discovering value: Women’s participation in university and commercial artificial intelligence (AI) invention," uses the AI...

USPTO to expand Law School Clinic Certification Program

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is expanding its Law School Clinic Certification Program and extending the submission deadline for additional schools to join the program. Founded in 2008, the program currently includes 60 law school clinics and offers patent and trademark applicants...

Notice something different? Updated website design brings modern, mobile-friendly improvements

Have you noticed something different about the look and feel of www.uspto.gov? We’ve updated our website design to improve your experience. What do the changes mean? The design refresh brings: Increased readability A simpler, more consistent look A more open, less cluttered feel A more responsive...

USPTO announces Semiconductor Technology Pilot Program in support of CHIPS for America Program

WASHINGTON—To encourage research, development, and innovation in semiconductor manufacturing, the Commerce Department’s U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is announcing a new Semiconductor Technology Pilot Program developed to support the CHIPS for America program. “The CHIPS and Science Act...

Coming soon: USPTO’s new modernized assignment system is replacing ETAS and EPAS

As part of our updates to online services, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is reforming the Electronic Trademark Assignment System (ETAS) and the Electronic Patent Assignment System (EPAS) into one cohesive and modernized system: Assignment Center. The new system will be available to...

Diagnosing COVID-19: A perspective from U.S. patenting activity

The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Office of the Chief Economist released a report revealing that small companies and universities led the way in developing inventions to diagnose COVID-19, as evidenced by patent applications filed at the USPTO through April 2023. The U.S...

USPTO issues milestone 1 millionth design patent

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today officially issued U.S. design patent 1 million, an important milestone in American innovation and creativity. Granted to Agustina Huckaby of Fort Worth, Texas, design patent 1 million is for the ornamental design for a dispensing comb...

Introducing the USPTO’s new cloud-based trademark search system with basic and advanced search options

As we recently noted, we are improving our search tools frequently used by patent and trademark filers and web visitors to provide a more multi-faceted, reliable search experience. To that end, we are excited to announce the launch of the beta version of our new trademark search system.   This new...