First Action Interview Program: A USPTO initiative allowing applicants to discuss their application with an examiner before the first official action.
Read More
Final Office Action (final rejection): An office action on the second or any subsequent examination or consideration by an examiner that is intended to close the prosecution of a non-provisional patent application.
Read More
Final Office Action: Office action that restates outstanding issues that an applicant couldn't overcome in their response to a previous office action. When an applicant receives a final office action, they can attempt to resolve the remaining issues, file an appeal with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, or both. Otherwise, the application will be abandoned.
Read More
Filing Refusal: Also known as a final Office action, which makes "final" any outstanding refusals or requirements. A proper response to a final Office action is a) compliance with the requirements or b) appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Read More
Filing Receipt (patent): A correspondence mailed to the attorney or agent, if any, otherwise to the applicant, at the correspondence address of record for each application filed which meets the minimum requirements to receive a filing date. The filing receipt includes the application number, filing date, a confirmation number, a suggested class in the U.S. Patent Classification System, and the number of an art unit where the application is likely to be examined.
Read More
File Wrapper: Image file wrapper.
Read More
Field of Use: The area of technology or business where the licensed technology will be used, marketed or sold. Specified in a License Agreement.
Read More
FICC: Federal Identity Credentialing Committee.
Read More
FFMIA: Federal Financial Management Improvement Act.
Read More
Fee: An amount of money charged for a particular service or product supplied by the USPTO.
Read More
Federal Registration: A trademark that has been registered with a federal register.
Read More
Federal Circuit: A specialized appellate court with nationwide jurisdiction in various areas, including patent law.
Read More
FEA: Federal Enterprise Architecture.
Read More
FDC: Final Data Capture is when the issue fee is paid and all other requirements have been met (e.g., drawings) for issuance as a patent, the application is then electronically exported to the Final Data Capture (FDC) stage.
Read More
FAST: First Action System for Trademarks.
Read More
FASAB: Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board.
Read More
Fair Use of Copyright: A doctrine allowing limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, or education.
Read More
Express Mail Mailing Label: Patent correspondence delivered to the USPTO via the "Express Mail Post Office to Addressee" service of the United States Postal Service (USPS), which is considered filed in the Office on the date of deposit with the USPS, shown by the "date-in" on the "Express Mail" mailing label.
Read More
Express Mail (patent): Effective July 28, 2013, the United States Postal Service (USPS) changed the name of "Express Mail" to "Priority Mail Express®."
Read More
Expired Registration: Trademark registration that is no longer active, depriving the owner of the benefits from a federal registration.
Read More