D

Dependent claims A dependant claim is a claim that refers a previous claim.

Design patents A design patent is a patent that relates to and protects the design or ornamental features of a functional useful device.

Direct infringement When someone actually uses, makes, sells, offers for sale or imports into the United States a device that is covered under a patent owned by another.

Disclosure Disclosure is the written specification and drawing figures of a patent application and requires the inventor disclose how to make and use the invention and the best mode. Further, the inventor must disclose all the details of the invention in order to be awarded a patent.

Disclosure documents Disclosure documents are not a part of a patent or application, but are considered as documentation of conception of an invention. They are kept by the USPTO for a two (2) year period. The USPTO has ended the disclosure document program. It was always problematic because inventors thought that they had some measure of patent protection and would make public disclosures or sales, which later barred them from obtaining a patent.

Discovery Discovery refers to the acquiring of new, previously unknown information.

Divisional application A divisional application is an application from an earlier patent application that had two or more inventions in it. Since only one patent is awarded for a single invention, additional inventions in the same application are restricted out and must have a divisional application filed in order to prosecute the separate inventions.

Double patenting Double patenting refers to two or more claims in different patents or patent applications that define substantially the same invention. They are not permitted because an inventor could file a later application for the same invention and receive another patent term of life.

Drawing Drawings are required to be included with a patent application to visually show the components of the invention. More importantly, every element of a claim in a patent must be shown in the drawings.

Duty to disclose The duty to disclose refers to the affirmative obligation of candor and good faith to disclose information to the Patent office that is material to issuing a patent.