The purpose of this Patent Professional's Handbook is to be a handy, ready reference guide for administrative staff, paralegals, support professionals in patent law firms and IP departments. As a reference guide, it is hoped that this will reduce the amount of instruction time a Registered Patent Practitioner or Patent Agent must spend with his/her staff. The arrangement of the topics facilitates thorough initial patent filings through issuance and maintenance. Many useful features include tables, diagrams, charts, glossary, key terms, and examples to illustrate the points made in this Handbook.

This work first provides a general overview of the U.S. patent system, covering such issues as the patent document and patent infringement. The requirements of the invention and the conditions for patentability are discussed, with a focus on the patent application and the approval process. Major patent offices and international patent treaties are next examined, providing a full description of both the U.S. and international patent and classification systems. Methods for searching patent documents, the requirements of a reference, and general patent rights are discussed.

Handy official guide describes a patent, defines such terms as "patent pending" and "patent applied for," explains process of registering patents, filing fees, and much else — all in simple, easy-to-understand language.