General Information Concerning Patents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The role of the USPTO is to grant patents for the protection of inventions and to register trademarks. It serves the interests of inventors and businesses with respect to their inventions and corporate products, and service identifications. It also advises and assists the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, the bureaus and offices of the Department of Commerce, and other agencies of the government in matters involving all domestic and global aspects of “intellectual property.” Through the preservation, classification, and dissemination of patent information, the Office promotes the industrial and technological progress of the nation and strengthens the economy.

Spotlight

Lane County Government

Lane County is geographically situated on the west side of Oregon, midway down the state’s coastline. Its 4,620 square miles encompass great natural beauty, ranging from the spectacular Oregon coast to the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains.

OTHER WHITEPAPERS
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Augmented government Transforming government services through augmented reality

whitePaper | January 27, 2020

On September 27, 1998, football fans who tuned in to watch the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals witnessed much more than a 31-24 Bengal win. That Sunday, ESPN introduced a technological inno-vation that would forever change the way fans watch sports: a thin yellow line overlaid onto live video representing the distance required for a first down.

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WHY MACHINE LEARNING IS THE FUTURE OF PREDICTIVE & INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE

whitePaper | June 30, 2020

There’s no arguing that preventing failures and accidents is critical for industry. Unexpected incidents can grind operations to a halt for extended periods of time and necessitate expensive repairs. For example, just 12 hours of downtime for an oil production platform could cost six to eight million dollars in lost production opportunity alone. A single day of grounding for a plane costs roughly four to five million dollars. Because of these disruptions, industrial sectors are always on the lookout for newer, better maintenance methods, and the approach on everyone’s lips right now is predictive maintenance.

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Reforming US Trade Policy for Shared Prosperity and the Planet

whitePaper | November 15, 2019

Trade was not such a controversial topic not so long ago. For most of the post-war era trade worked well for the US and for many other countries. A bipartisan consensus supported continuing trade liberalization as long as it was accompanied by full employment. However trade always had winners and losers as economies adjust to different costs of production among trading partners and over the last few decades the number of US workers losing from trade mounted and the losses spread across hard hit communities. For these and other reasons, trade has become so controversial that it is now a key pivot point in politics and elections in the US.

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A digital workplace enables next-generation public service experiences

whitePaper | May 15, 2022

Long before the pandemic created a worldwide retreat from physical workplaces, governments around the world recognised the need to undertake a digital transformation of some kind. Many governments had started to build transformation strategies that would support the gradual adoption of digital technologies to improve efficiency, increase productivity and enable better resource management. The main goal behind these strategies was to create the next generation digital infrastructure that would improve the delivery of services to citizens, from personalised administrative services to tailored health services, safer care for all and customised education. Some governments had started the transformation process. Then the pandemic changed everything. Almost overnight, governments were forced into a new reality that didn’t fit with mid- and long-term digital transformation objectives. Shutdowns changed the world from a largely in-person experience to a virtual experience for government workers and citizens. Government workforces had to quickly move entirely to remote working and governments had to adapt to find new ways to deliver services to citizens. Luckily, the availability of digital tools made the shift possible. So, while the pandemic continued to impact society, governments at all levels were able to shift operations and service delivery online.

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UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY CONGRESSIONAL REPORT

whitePaper | July 18, 2022

The world is more peaceful, safe, and prosperous when the human rights of women are respected and they can fully participate in economic, social, and political life. But we know the enduring challenges of fulfilling that promise. A defining competition between democracies and autocracies. The COVID-19 pandemic. The climate crisis. Mass migration and displacement. The denial of education and sexual violence against women and girls across the world. No matter what global crisis unfolds—women and girls are disproportionately impacted, and that makes the world less stable.

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Funding the Global Benefits to Biopharmaceutical Innovation

whitePaper | February 12, 2020

Both the U.S. Government and biopharmaceutical industry have been central engines for developing new medical treatments and cures, thereby lowering the effective price of better health for patients worldwide. The sector has done so by being both the world leader in these biopharmaceutical cures and treatments as well as the source of the returns that are required to fund new medical R&D investments.

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Spotlight

Lane County Government

Lane County is geographically situated on the west side of Oregon, midway down the state’s coastline. Its 4,620 square miles encompass great natural beauty, ranging from the spectacular Oregon coast to the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains.

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