Which U.S. agency grants patents and registers trademarks?

Which U.S. agency grants patents and registers trademarks? The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) performs both functions.

The USPTO is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its patent side examines applications for inventions, including utility, design, and plant patents, while its trademark side reviews applications for brand names, logos, symbols, and other source-identifying marks.

A common mix-up is confusing patents, trademarks, and copyrights. A patent protects an invention for a limited period; a trademark helps identify the source of goods or services; and copyright protects original creative works. The U.S. Copyright Office, located in the Library of Congress, handles copyright registration—not the USPTO.

The USPTO does not itself act as a general police force for infringement. Patent and trademark owners generally enforce their rights through legal procedures, although the agency examines applications, maintains public records, and administers the federal registration systems. Its roots reach back to the early U.S. patent system, but the modern agency received its present name in 2001.