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field--label-hidden field__items"><div class="field__item"><a href="https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/index.html">MPEP</a></div><div class="field__item"><a href="https://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/">Classification</a></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Guides and manuals</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="col-sm-6"><div class="field-column-title"><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Trademarks</div></div><div class="field-links"><div class="field field--name-field-ql-item field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"><div class="field__item"><div class="ql-icon"><div class="field field--name-field-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="fontawesome-icons"><div class="fontawesome-icon"> <i class="fas fa-search" data-fa-transform="" data-fa-mask="" style=""></i></div></div></div></div><div class="ql-link" role="menuitem"><div class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"><div class="field__item"><a href="https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/">Trademark search</a></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Search trademark database</div></div></div><div class="field__item"><div class="ql-icon"><div class="field field--name-field-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="fontawesome-icons"><div class="fontawesome-icon"> <i class="fas fa-keyboard" data-fa-transform="" data-fa-mask="" style=""></i></div></div></div></div><div class="ql-link" role="menuitem"><div class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"><div class="field__item"><a href="https://trademarkcenter.uspto.gov">Trademark Center</a></div><div class="field__item"><a 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field--label-hidden field__items"><div class="field__item"><a href="https://tmep.uspto.gov/">TMEP</a></div><div class="field__item"><a href="https://idm-tmng.uspto.gov/id-master-list-public.html">ID Manual</a></div><div class="field__item"><a href="https://eog-tmng.uspto.gov/">TMOG</a></div><div class="field__item"><a href="https://tbmp.uspto.gov/RDMS/TBMP/current">TBMP</a></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Guides and manuals</div></div></div><div class="field__item"><div class="ql-icon"><div class="field field--name-field-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="fontawesome-icons"><div class="fontawesome-icon"> <i class="fas fa-newspaper" data-fa-transform="" data-fa-mask="" style=""></i></div></div></div></div><div class="ql-link" role="menuitem"><div class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"><div class="field__item"><a href="/trademarks/application-timeline">Trademark processing wait times</a></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Current and target wait times</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-ql-item field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden col-sm-12"><div class="field-links"><div class="ql-icon"></div><div class="ql-link" role="menuitem"><div class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"><div class="field__item"><a href="/learning-and-resources/fees-and-payment">Fees and Payment</a></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Fee schedule and payment information</div></div></div><div class="field-links"><div class="ql-icon"></div><div class="ql-link" role="menuitem"><div class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"><div class="field__item"><a href="/system-status">Systems status</a></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Current and planned system outages</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></nav></div></span><div class="region-header-bottom"><div class="container-lg"><div class="row d-none d-sm-flex"><div class="region region-header-breadcrumb col-12 px-3" id="header-breadcrumb"><div id="block-uspto-breadcrumbs" class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block block-uspto-breadcrumbs"> <nav class="mt-3" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"><h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2><ol class="breadcrumb breadcrumb-wrap"><li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="/">Home</a></li><li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="/ip-policy">IP Policy</a></li><li class="breadcrumb-item active"> Patent policy</li></ol> </nav></div></div></div></div></div></header><main role="main" id="main" class="main-content"><div class="container-lg"><div class="row"><div class="col-12" id="content" role="main"><a id="main-content" tabindex="-1"></a><div class="region region-content"><div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div><div id="block-pagetitle" class="block block-core block-page-title-block block-pagetitle clearfix"><h1 class="page-title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Patent policy</span></h1></div><div id="block-uspto-theme-system-main" class="block block-system block-system-main-block block-uspto-theme-system-main"> <article data-history-node-id="195263" class="node node--type-reference node-reference node--view-mode-full view-mode-full"><div class="node__content"><div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="39b8066c-53e4-4123-8293-eae1cb6cb9a1" data-embed-button="media" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:media.original_image" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-original-image"><div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-visually_hidden"><div class="field__label visually-hidden">Image</div><div class="field__item"> <img src="/sites/default/files/patent-policy-964.png" alt="IP Policy and international affairs: Patent Policy"></div></div> </article></div><p>The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides policy leadership, advocacy, and technical and trade expertise in domestic and international patent and patent-related intellectual property (IP) rights. This includes regular representation of the U.S. government in bilateral and multilateral intellectual property and trade negotiations including representation at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the five IP offices (IP5), the Industrial Design Forum (ID5), and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). </p><p>Patent and patent-related policy encompasses a number of areas that are critical to responding to the many patent-related domestic and international issues that face U.S. rights holders. These include:</p><ul><li><strong>Domestic patent and patent-related policy issues</strong> as they relate to international obligations, foreign law and practice, as well as the development of U.S. practice and jurisprudence.</li><li><strong>Treaty negotiation and monitoring the enforcement</strong> of patent-related international treaty provisions.</li><li><strong>U.S. implementation of and adherence with international treaty obligations</strong> relating to patents, industrial designs, plant and plant varieties, and trade secret and regulatory data protection.</li><li><strong>Technical assistance and training</strong> on patent-related matters for both U.S. and foreign officials.</li></ul><p>Some of the key patent and patent-related international agreements the USPTO helped develop, negotiate, and continues to monitor and advance include the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), Patent Law Treaty (PLT), and the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. For further information on these treaties and related issues, please visit the links below.</p><p>For information about patents basics and applying for a patent, visit the USPTO’s <a href="/patents/basics" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="9ecd9ec0-f02e-4ed6-83b6-8c5161af63b1" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Patent Basics">Patent Basics</a> webpage.</p></div><div class="field field--name-field-reference-section field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden callout row field__items"><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--reference-section paragraph--view-mode--default col-md-3"><div class="center-block text-center"><div class="field field--name-field-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-hidden fa-2x text-link-color field__item"><div class="uspto_icon_plugin-icons"><div class="uspto_icon_plugin-icon"> <i class="fas fa-book-reader " data-fa-transform="" data-fa-mask="" style=""></i></div></div></div><h2><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-visually_hidden"><div class="field__label visually-hidden">Title</div><div class="field__item">Patent policy initiatives</div></div></h2></div><div class="field__item"><p>While rooted in constitutional foundations, U.S. patent policy and practices continue to evolve to keep pace with innovation. Some current initiatives are highlighted below:</p></div><div class="item-list"><ul class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden"><li><a href="/ip-policy/industrial-design-policy/digital-designs-and-non-fungible-tokens">Digital designs and non-fungible tokens</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/patents-humanity">Patents for Humanity</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/patent-subject-matter-eligibility">Subject matter eligibility</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/additional-patent-policy-initiatives-0">Additional patent policy initiatives</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--reference-section paragraph--view-mode--default col-md-3"><div class="center-block text-center"><div class="field field--name-field-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-hidden fa-2x text-link-color field__item"><div class="uspto_icon_plugin-icons"><div class="uspto_icon_plugin-icon"> <i class="fas fa-lightbulb " data-fa-transform="" data-fa-mask="" style=""></i></div></div></div><h2><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-visually_hidden"><div class="field__label visually-hidden">Title</div><div class="field__item">Areas of focus</div></div></h2></div><div class="field__item"><p>The USPTO is a key agency in providing IP policy expertise, advice, and guidance to the administration on a variety of subjects, including the key innovation-related topics below.</p></div><div class="item-list"><ul class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden"><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/patents">Patents</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/industrial-design-policy">Industrial design</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/international-convention-protection-new-varieties-plants-upov">Plant and plant variety protection </a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/trade-secret-policy">Trade secrets</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/technology-transfer">Technology transfer</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/trade-policy">Trade</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--reference-section paragraph--view-mode--default col-md-3"><div class="center-block text-center"><div class="field field--name-field-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-hidden fa-2x text-link-color field__item"><div class="uspto_icon_plugin-icons"><div class="uspto_icon_plugin-icon"> <i class="fas fa-hands-helping " data-fa-transform="" data-fa-mask="" style=""></i></div></div></div><h2><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-visually_hidden"><div class="field__label visually-hidden">Title</div><div class="field__item">Collaboration</div></div></h2></div><div class="field__item"><p>The USPTO actively engages with counterpart governments and IP offices through the forums listed below.</p></div><div class="item-list"><ul class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden"><li><a href="/ip-policy/industrial-design-policy/id5">ID5</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/ip5">IP5</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/patent-trilateral-activities">Patent Trilateral activities</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/world-intellectual-property-organization">World Intellectual Property Organization</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/patent-worksharing">Patent worksharing</a></li><li><a href="/patents/basics/international-patent-cooperation">International patent cooperation</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--reference-section paragraph--view-mode--default col-md-3"><div class="center-block text-center"><div class="field field--name-field-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-hidden fa-2x text-link-color field__item"><div class="uspto_icon_plugin-icons"><div class="uspto_icon_plugin-icon"> <i class="fas fa-scroll " data-fa-transform="" data-fa-mask="" style=""></i></div></div></div><h2><div class="field field--name-field-title field--type-string field--label-visually_hidden"><div class="field__label visually-hidden">Title</div><div class="field__item">International treaties</div></div></h2></div><div class="field__item"><p>International agreements on patent and patent-related intellectual property protection provide an important backbone to the global IP system.</p></div><div class="item-list"><ul class="field field--name-field-link field--type-link field--label-hidden"><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/budapest-treaty">Budapest Treaty</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/industrial-design-policy/hague-agreement">Hague Agreement</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/patent-cooperation-treaty">Patent Cooperation Treaty</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/patent-law-treaty">Patent Law Treaty</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/trade-related-aspects-ip-rights">Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)</a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/international-convention-protection-new-varieties-plants">International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants </a></li><li><a href="/ip-policy/patent-policy/wipo/proposed-international-legal-instrument-relating-intellectual-property">Intellectual property, genetic resources, and traditional knowledge</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-bottom-features field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items feature-items-wrapper row"><div class="field__item col-md-4 col-sm-12"><div data-history-node-id="209164" class="blog-item node node--type-feature node-feature node--view-mode-card view-mode-card"><a href="https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/China_IPtoolkit_FINAL.pdf"><div class="blog-image"><div data-src="https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/china_ipr_toolkit_feature.jpg" data-uspto-image-lightbox="1" class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/major_landing_feature/public/china_ipr_toolkit_feature.jpg?itok=HQd1ZeBb" alt="China intellectual property rights toolkit image with map of china, dragon, compass, and cargo ship." class="image-style-major-landing-feature"></div><div class="blog-category featureItemCategory"><p>Updated edition</p></div></div><div class="blog-teaser"><div class="featureItemTitle teaser-title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">A guide to protecting and enforcing IP rights in China</span></div></div></a></div></div><div class="field__item col-md-4 col-sm-12"><div data-history-node-id="216937" class="blog-item node node--type-feature node-feature node--view-mode-card view-mode-card"><a href="/about-us/events/2024-patents-humanity-and-trademarks-humanity-awards-ceremony"><div class="blog-image"><div data-src="https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/2024-uspto-humanity-feature-1500x1000.jpg" data-uspto-image-lightbox="1" class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/major_landing_feature/public/2024-uspto-humanity-feature-1500x1000.jpg?itok=n_Hgzg__" alt="USPTO Patents and Trademarks for Humanity 2024 Awards Ceremony" class="image-style-major-landing-feature"></div><div class="blog-category featureItemCategory"><p>2024 Awards Ceremony</p></div></div><div class="blog-teaser"><div class="featureItemTitle teaser-title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Registration for virtual event is now open</span></div></div></a></div></div><div class="field__item col-md-4 col-sm-12"><div data-history-node-id="212193" class="blog-item node node--type-feature node-feature node--view-mode-card view-mode-card"><a href="https://www.wipo.int/diplomatic-conferences/en/design-law/"><div class="blog-image"><div data-src="https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/design-law-conference-feature.jpg" data-uspto-image-lightbox="1" class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/major_landing_feature/public/design-law-conference-feature.jpg?itok=iIZnkYvc" alt="Diplomatic conference on design law" class="image-style-major-landing-feature"></div><div class="blog-category featureItemCategory"><p>Diplomatic Conference</p></div></div><div class="blog-teaser"><div class="featureItemTitle teaser-title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">November 11–22, 2024 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia</span></div></div></a></div></div></div><div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-bottom-content field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p> </p><div 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