United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Located in Arlington, Virginia, USPTO examines patent and trademark applications, issues patents, and registers trademarks.
United States Copyright Office The Copyright Office is an office of record, a place where claims to copyright are registered and where documents relating to copyright may be recorded when the requirements of the copyright law are met.
European Patent Office (EPO) Headquartered in Munich, Germany, EPO is a centralized patent grant system for Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Cyprus, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Hellenic Republic, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden.
State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (SIPO)
Japan Patent Office (JPO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, WIPO is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations system of organizations. It administers 23 international treaties dealing with different aspects of intellectual property protection. The Organization counts 183 nations as member states.
Be wary of commercial invention promotion companies. Some people try to sell their idea or invention to a manufacturer that would market it and pay them royalties. But finding a company to do that can be overwhelming. As an alternative, other people use the services of an invention or patent promotion firm. Indeed, many inventors pay thousands of dollars to firms that promise to evaluate, develop, patent, and market inventions. Unfortunately, many of these firms do little or nothing for their fee. Information regarding inventor service scams can be found at the following web sites:
United States Patent and Trademark Office