Improvement: Intellectual Property developed while utilizing existing Intellectual Property or Intellectual Property developed that relies on existing patented Intellectual Property.
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Importation Patent Infringement: The act of bringing a patented invention into the United States without permission from the patent owner.
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Image File Wrapper (IFW): An electronic system for storage and maintenance of records associated with patent applications. All applications are electronically scanned and loaded into the image file wrapper system upon filing. The image file wrapper contains a complete record of proceedings in the USPTO.
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IFW: Image file wrapper is an electronic version of a patent application, including image and/or text versions of the bibliographic information, all papers as filed, and all office actions and correspondence related to that application.
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IDE: Integrated Development Environment.
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IDC: Initial Data Capture is the first phase of the publication process for a patent where the patent file is electronically captured. It takes approximately six weeks from the date that the allowed file is received for the completion of the Initial Data Capture of the application.
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id.: Short for "ibid", meaning same as previously cited
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Holding Company: A company created to control other companies and hold their assets such as intellectual property (IP), usually for tax or strategic purposes.
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High-Tech Patent Litigation: Lawsuits involving high-tech industries, often with complex technical issues and large amounts of damages at stake.
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Having: A transitional phrase used when defining the scope of a claim. Transitional phrases such as "having" must be interpreted in light of the specification to determine whether open or closed claim language is intended.
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Hatch-Waxman Act: US legislation establishing procedures for obtaining approval for generic versions of patented drugs.
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Hague Agreement Regulations: Refers to the Common Regulations Under the 1999 Act and the 1960 Act of the Hague Agreement.
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Hague Agreement: Refers to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs adopted at Geneva, Switzerland, on July 2, 1999. The United States became a Contracting Party to the Hague Agreement on May 13, 2015.
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Haar Doctrine: A principle established by the European Patent Office to prevent an applicant from filing multiple requests for examination and appeal.
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GSA: General Services Administration, an agency of the U. S. government.
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Group Art Unit: A unit of examiners at the USPTO that specializes in examining a particular type of patent application.
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Group: A unit of several Group Art Units in the manufacturing, electrical, chemical, or design area managed by a Group Director. Groups are now referred to as a Technology Center, or TC.
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Grounds for Rejection (Trademarks): Reasons why a trademark application may be rejected, such as likelihood of confusion, genericness, or descriptiveness.
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Grantable Petition: A request filed with the patent office to convert a provisional patent application to a non-provisional patent.
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Grant Date: The date a patent is issued by the USPTO. The date that patent rights can be exercised. U.S. patents are always issued on Tuesdays.
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