Combination Patent: A patent that claims a combination of elements or features that work together to perform a function.
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Collective Work: For copyrights, a collective work that consists of a number of contributions, each constituting separate and independent works in themselves, assembled into a collective whole.
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Collective Mark: A trademark or service mark used by members of a cooperative, an association, or other collective group or organization.
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Coinventor: An inventor who is named with at least one other inventor in a patent application, wherein each inventor contributes to the conception (creation) of the invention set forth in at least one claim in a patent application. In general, co-inventors of a patent application are considered co-owners even if the contributions made were not equal.
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Code of Federal Regulations: Also referred to as the “CFR”, the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
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Cloud Computing Technology: Cloud computing technology involves use of computers, computer networks, databases, and related technology. For more information, see our Cloud Computing Technology page.
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Classification: A code that provides a method for categorizing the invention.
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Classification of Goods and Services: A system used by trademark offices to categorize and register trademarks according to specific categories of goods or services.
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Claims: For patents, the claim defines the invention. For litigation, a claim is a cause of action asserted by one party against another.
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Claim Chart: A tool used to analyze and apply the elements of a patent claim to an accused device or process to establish patent infringement. Often used in patent litigation. Can also be used to show that a patent claim is invalid in light of prior art disclosures.
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CIP: Continuation-In-Part, a type of patent application that adds new matter to an existing application while retaining the original filing date for what was previously disclosed and is assigned a new filing date for the new materials added to the application.
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CFR: Code of Federal Regulations, a codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the U.S. government.
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Certification Mark: A mark that identifies goods and services at a certain standard.
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Certificate of registration: A document issued by a government authority that officially records the registration of something, such as a trademark, copyright, or patent. Certificates of registration are often used in litigation to meet a plaintiff’s burden to prove it owns the claimed from of IP asserted in the lawsuit.
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Certificate of mailing: A document proving that a particular piece of mail has been sent.
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Cease and Desist: A letter sent by an intellectual property rights owner (such as a trademark, copyright, or patent) to a party it believes to be infringing the owner’s rights. “Cease” means stop; “desist” means do not do in the future.
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Cancellation Proceeding: A legal challenge to the validity of a registered trademark filed with the TTAB.
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Canceled: A status indicating that a legal claim, such as a trademark registration or patent claim, has been nullified and is no longer valid.
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Canceled Claim: For a patent application, a claim that has been removed from consideration or altered during the patent examination process.
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Business Transactions: Business transactions include financing, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, sales, raising capital or debt, and commercial agreements. For more information, see our Business Transactions page.
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