US Patent and Trademarks

Patents - the right granted to an inventor by the federal government, issued by the United
States Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO), that permits the inventor to exclude others from making, selling, or using the invention for a period of time. The patent system is designed to encourage unique inventions that are useful to society.

Trademarks - refers to a recognizable insignia, phrase, word, or symbol that denotes a specific product and legally differentiates it from all other products of its kind. A Trademark exclusively identifies a product as belonging to a specific company and recognizes the company's ownership of the brand. Trademarks are generally considered to be a form of intellectual property and may or may not be registered.

Intellectual Property (IP) Law - Intellectual Property is a broad categorical description for a set of intangible assets owned and legally protected by a company. Intellectual Property Laws protects and enforces the rights of the creators and owners of inventions, writing, music, designs, and other works. There are several areas of intellectual property including copyright, trademarks, patents, franchises, and trade secrets.

Patents and Trademarks that are issued in the United States of America can only be accepted in the United States of America. Patents and Trademarks cannot be transferred to foreign countries. However, there are two instances where you will need to Apostille your Patent or Trademark Documents:

• You are selling products in a foreign country.
• Either purchase a Patent in the foreign country
• Apply for Foreign Patent Protection
• You are selling your Patent or Trademark to a foreign company

Patents and Trademarks are United States Federal Government Documents issued by the United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) and can only be Apostilled through the United States Department of State (USDOS) in Washington D.C. These documents cannot be notarized, copy certified, and no State Office can process this document. All United States Federal Documents are processed through the United States Secretary of State or the United States Department of State.

In order for us to process your Patent and Trademark Documents, you must mail in the original signed with the gold seal attached to our office. Once we receive your document(s), in order to minimize errors and processing time, we will verify that all documents received before submitting them to be Apostilled. We will contact you as soon as possible if any errors are encountered and we will instruct you on how they need to be corrected.

Obtaining an Apostille can be a complicated process and should not be left to someone who does not understand all of the steps involved. Untrained persons that do not understand all of the requirements for legalization in each country are more likely to make errors, which will severely delay the Apostille process and cost you more money.

Once the original English Patent and Trademarks are received you can mail them to us to be Apostilled. We can also provide Certified Translation Services into the language required by the Country of Designation.

Here at Ezra Notary and Apostille,

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