The USPTO is located in Arlington, Virginia. They take care of all Patent and Trademark Applications. They are home to over 6,200 Patent Examiners, around 300 Trademark Attorneys, and another 3,000 support staff. All patent examiners hold science degrees, many of which are Master's or PhD's. Not all of them are attorneys, although Trademark Examiners are all attorneys. Some Examiners work from home and enjoy flex-time hours. The campus of the USPTO is huge: it has over 3,500 parking spaces alone.

Patents are used for protecting inventions. Most patents cover the way devices work, what they are made of, and how they operate. You can also patent novel and unique processes such as business methods.