USPTO

For over 200 years, the basic role of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has remained the same: to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries (Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution). 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 is a federal agency in the Department of Commerce. The USPTO occupies several interconnected buildings in Alexandria, Virginia. The office employs more than 13,000 people -- including engineers, scientists, attorneys, analysts, computer specialists -- all dedicated to protecting U.S. intellectual property rights. At the USPTO, the talents of all our colleagues enrich our vibrant workplace, and we celebrate and value each one.

Official account of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Leading the nation and the world in intellectual property protection and policy.

The USPTO is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. 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 stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. 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.
Through such protection IP, 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.

Shaping the future by telling the story of American innovation.