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   drgingerbear Teacher
   Graduate School

   eNotes Editor

   The Commerce Department created a deaprtment called the The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). The PTO is a federal agency that grants patents and registers trademarks to individuals or companies.

   Patents:

   According to West's Encyclopedia of American Law, patents are "issued upon a showing that a particular applicant has discovered or developed a new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, chemical composition, or other invention."

   Trademarks:

   Names, brands, or marks that are granted to an inidividual for use to establish a particular brand for a company or organization.

   Both require official paper work and drawings or illustrations of the name/item requesting to be patented or trademarked. If granted, both are considered intellectual property and are protected from theft or misuse by another person or company.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/wests-law-encyclopedia/patent-trade...

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   Posted by drgingerbear on Saturday June 13, 2009 at 1:55 PM