Patent Terms Glossary

CIP

Definition:
Continuation-in-Part - an application filed during the lifetime of an earlier nonprovisional application, repeating some substantial portion or all of the earlier nonprovisional application.

IPEA

Definition:
International Preliminary Examining Authority - either a national Office or an intergovernmental organization whose tasks include the establishment of examination reports on inventions.

Term of patent

Definition:
The maximum number of years that the monopoly rights conferred by the grant of a patent may last.

Group Art Unit

Definition:
A working unit responsible for a cluster of related patent art. Staffed by one supervisory patent examiner (SPE) and a number of patent examiners who determine patentability on applications for a patent.

First to invent

Definition:
In some countries, the applicant who is the first to invent will be awarded the patent over all others.

CD

Definition:
A type of form designation such as Form CD435, meaning a Commerce Department form.

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