United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

The United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, is responsible for managing the registration and maintenance processes related to patents and trademarks. The goal of having a system of registered patents and trademarks is to promote benefits of achievement to the creator and thereby fuel the economy of the United States.

The Patent and Trademark Office is an office within the United States Department of Commerce. The first version of an office dedicated to patents and trademarks was founded in 1802. The Patent and Trademark Office derives the power to maintain patents and trademarks from Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, which defines the powers of Congress. The specific power related to patents and trademarks is derived from the following goal: to 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.

Responsibilities of the Patent and Trademark Office include overseeing the laws related to patents and trademarks, promoting scientific and technological progress with the United States to further the economy, and providing guidance to the Department of Commerce and the President of the United States on the protection of registered patents and trademarks.