🇺🇸 United States - Federal - Intellectual Property - 1 plans
Intellectual property law in the United States is primarily federal, grounded in Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The Patent Act (35 U.S.C.) governs patents for new, useful, and non-obvious inventions, providing a 20-year term for utility patents from the filing date. The Copyright Act (17 U.S.C.) protects original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium, with copyright attaching automatically upon creation. The Lanham Act (15 U.S.C. sections 1051-1141) is the principal federal trademark statute governing registration, protection, and enforcement of trademarks and service marks.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) administers the patent and trademark registration systems, while the U.S. Copyright Office manages copyright registration. Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over patent and copyright disputes, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all patent cases. Our IP plans cover patent prosecution, trademark prosecution and opposition, copyright registration, IP licensing, and infringement litigation in federal court.
Governs patent applications, examination, grant, and enforcement. Utility patents provide 20 years of protection from the filing date for inventions that are new, useful, and non-obvious.
The primary federal trademark statute governing the registration, protection, and enforcement of trademarks and service marks, as well as unfair competition, false advertising, and trademark dilution.
Protects original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression, including literary, musical, dramatic, artistic, and architectural works. Copyright attaches automatically upon creation.
Creates a federal civil cause of action for trade secret misappropriation, allowing trade secret owners to bring claims in federal court without requiring diversity jurisdiction.
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Have exclusive original jurisdiction over patent and copyright infringement cases, and concurrent jurisdiction over trademark claims under the Lanham Act.
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Has exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all patent cases, appeals from the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and appeals from the U.S. International Trade Commission in IP matters.
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Federal agency responsible for examining and granting patents and registering trademarks. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) conducts inter partes review and post-grant review proceedings.
Every intellectual property matter plan on this page has been created and refined by verified legal practitioners. Our community-driven approach means plans reflect real-world practice, not theoretical frameworks.
Suggest improvements, flag outdated procedures, or contribute entirely new plans. All suggestions are peer-reviewed and voted on by the community before being incorporated.
The Open Matter Plans Network provides free, community-curated intellectual property workflow templates specifically designed for Federal practitioners. Our Federal intellectual property library currently includes 1 matter plan. Each plan provides a structured checklist covering every stage of a legal matter, from initial instructions through to completion, with estimated time units, key dates, and role assignments.
All plans are maintained by verified legal practitioners and aligned to the SALI Alliance Legal Matter Standard Specification for taxonomy and interoperability. Plans can be exported to CSV for integration with your practice management system, or accessed programmatically via our JSON API.