A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem. To get a patent, technical information about the invention must be disclosed to the public in a patent application.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency of the Department of Commerce with a mandate to grant patents for the protection of inventions, register trademarks—and oppose counterfeiting in all its forms.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its role is to grant patents for the protection of inventions, as well as register trademarks—or symbols used by a company that distinguish it from competitors