The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency the U.S. Department of Commerce that is responsible for the registration of trademarks and issues Patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions.
The mission of the USPTO is to nurture innovation, competitiveness and economic growth, locally and abroad, by providing high quality and timely examination of patent and trademark applications, guiding domestic and international intellectual property (IP) policy, and delivering IP information and education worldwide.
Documents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are marked with the agency’s gold seal. The seal is a symbol of authenticity. However, some counties may yet request that the documents be apostilled or legalized.