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Abandonment

An application for trade-mark or copyright registration may be considered abandoned if the applicant does not take steps to complete the process. An application for Industrial design will be considered abandoned if the applicant fails to reply within the specified time to any report that sets out objections to registration.

Abstract

A brief summary of an invention.

Advertisement

Publication of a trade-mark application in the US Trademark Office Official Gazette. Details are published to allow opportunity for challenges to the application (opposition).

Allowance

Acknowledgement by the US Trademark Office that an application is eligible for registration. The applicant receives a "Notice of Allowance" (not the same as "Certificate of Registration").

Application

The formal request for registration of intellectual property.

Artistic work

Any visual representation such as a painting, drawing, map, photograph, sculpture, engraving or architectural plan.

Assignment

Transfer of intellectual property rights from the owner to another party.

Author

The creator of an artistic, literary, musical or dramatic work.