Law terms starting with D

230 terms

DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) Converts digital data to analog data.
DAD (Digital Audio Disc) Another term for compact disc.
damages Money awarded to a person injured by the wrongful act of another person.
Damnum absque injuria Legally noncompensable loss.
Dar por terminada la presentación de las pruebas Una de las partes en un juicio da por terminada la producción de sus pruebas cuando no tiene ninguna otras pruebas que ofrecer.
DAT An acronym for Digital Audio Tape, which some backup systems utilize as a storage medium.
DAT (Digital Audio Tape) A magnetic tape generally used to record audio but can hold up to 40 gigabytes (or 60 CDs) of data if used for data storage.
data A representation of facts, concepts, or instructions in a formalized manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by humans or by…
Data and Format Conversion Includes rebuilding PSTs and other e-mail formats as well as voice and video conversion.
Data Collection See Harvesting.
Data Element A combination of characters or bytes referring to one separate piece of information, such as name, address, or age.
Data Extraction The process of retrieving data from documents (hard copy or electronic). The process may be manual or electronic.
Data Field See Field.
Data Filtering The process of identifying for extraction specific data based on specified parameters.
Data Formats The organization of information for display, storage or printing. Data is maintained in certain common formats so that it can be used by various programs…
Data Harvesting See Harvesting.
Data Mapping Going beyond basic search capabilities, data mapping is also called keyless searching.
Data Mining Data mining generally refers to techniques for extracting summaries and reports from an organizations databases and data sets.
data set A named or defined collection of data. See also Production Data Set and Privilege Data Set.
Data Streams Microsoft introduced a data storage concept called data streams in Windows NT version 3.51.
Data Verification Assessment of data to ensure it has not been modified. The most common method of verification is hash coding by some method such as MD5.
database In electronic records a database is a set of data elements consisting of at least one file, or of a group of integrated files, usually stored in one…
database management system (DBMS) A software system used to access and retrieve data stored in a database.
Database sample a sample obtained from an individual who is legally required to provide a DNA sample for databasing purposes and whose identity is established at the time…
date of application The date upon which duly executed application papers are received in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
date of patent The effective date of the patent. It is the date of printing of notice of the patent grant in the Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Datum (Pl. data) An item or thing given; a date.
Daubert (challenge) Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993), addresses the admission of scientific expert testimony to ensure that the testimony is…
De bene esse Conditionally or provisionally; for what it is worth.
De facto In fact; an actuality.
De Jure By law; valid in law.
De minimis non curat lex The law does not care about mere trifles.
De Novo (dih NO-vo) In cancer, the first occurrence of cancer in the body.
De nuevo Término tomado del latín para “de nuevo”; generalmente se emplea para significar un nuevo juicio.
De-duplication De-Duplication ("De-Duping") is the process of comparing electronic records based on their characteristics and removing duplicate records from the data…
De-duplication or deduplication The identification and segregation of exact or nearly-exact files. De-duplication can substantially reduce the cost of working with electronic document…
De-Fragment (de-frag) Use of a computer utility to reorganize files so they are more contiguous on a hard drive or other storage medium, if the files or parts thereof have…
De-shading Removing shaded areas to render images more easily recognizable by OCR. De-shading software typically searches for areas with a regular pattern of tiny…
De-skewing The process of straightening skewed (tilted) images. De-skewing is one of the image enhancements that can improve OCR accuracy.
De-speckling Removing isolated speckles from an image file. Speckles often develop when a document is scanned or faxed.
dead a dead or abandoned status for a trademark application means that specific application is no longer under prosecution within the USPTO, and would not be…
Debido proceso La ley administrada debidamente a través de los tribunales de justicia. El debido proceso significa que ninguna persona puede ser despojada de su vida…
Debt An obligation to repay a sum of principal, plus interest. In corporate terms, debt often refers to bonds or similar securities.
Debtor Someone who owes monies to another party.
debtor education see credit counseling
debtor-in-possession The management of a business in a Chapter 11 reorganization that continues to operate and control the debtor after the petition is filed, unless the court…
deceased inventor a named inventor who has died prior to the filing of a patent application or during the prosecution of a patent application. -- see 37 CFR 1.
Decision The opinion of the court in concluding a case at law.
Declaración jurada Testimonio escrito de un testigo que posiblemente no esté presente en el tribunal.
Declaración jurada, afidávit Una declaración jurada o confirmada, efectuada por escrito y firmada.
declaration a document in which an applicant for patent declares, under penalty of fine or imprisonment, or both (18 USC 1001), that (1) he or she is the original or…
Declaratory judgment A statutory remedy for judicial determination of a controversy where a party is in doubt about his/her legal rights.
Decree An order of the court. A final decree is one that fully and finally disposes of the litigation. See interlocutory.
Decreto o sentencia judicial Decisión u orden judicial.
Decryption Transformation of encrypted (or scrambled) data back to original form.
Dedication An express or implied surrender to the public of an actual or potential patent right. MPEP 1490, MPEP 2138.03.
dedication to the public A document signed by a patent owner filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office giving up all patent rights.
Defamation That which tends to injure a person's reputation. See libel and slander.
Default Default occurs when a debtor is unable to meet the legal obligation of debt repayment, one form of which is the failure to promptly pay interest or…
default judgment A judgment rendered because of the defendants failure to answer or appear.
Defective Service Unless the specific tasks required for service are done properly, there is defective service and the Court does not have jurisdiction or power to hear the…
Defendant An individual (or business) against whom a lawsuit is filed.
Defendant/Respondent The party (a person, a partnership, or a corporation) against whom the case is brought.
Defensa propia La protección de los bienes propios y de sí mismo contra cualquier daño que intente hacerle otra persona.
Defense of property Affirmative defense in criminal law or tort law where force was used to protect one's property.
defense table The table where the defense lawyer sits with the defendant in the courtroom.
Defensive Publication Publication of the abstract of the technical disclosure of a pending patent application if the applicant waived his or her rights to an enforceable patent.
deficiency (dih-FIH-shun-see) In medicine, a shortage of a substance (such as a vitamin or mineral) needed by the body.
Deficient Incomplete; defective; not sufficient in quantity or force.
deficit (surplus) The amount by which outlays exceed receipts in a given fiscal period. (A surplus would be the amount by which receipts exceed outlays.)
Definiteness A characteristic of a patent claim in which claim language makes the scope of the claim clear to a person skilled in the art to which the invention…
Defunct A corporation no longer operative; having ceased to exist.
Deleted Data Deleted Data is data that existed on the computer as live data and which have been deleted by the computer system or end-user activity.
Deleted File A file with disk space that has been designated as available for reuse. The deleted file remains intact until it has been overwritten with a new file.
Deleted files When a file is deleted from an operating system (e.g. Windows), the contents of the file may still remain intact.
Deleted Files and Data recoverable information from deleted files and data may be stored in unallocated or slack space on a computer hard drive.
Deletion Deletion is the process whereby data is removed from active files and other data storage structures on computers and rendered inaccessible except using…
Delincuente juvenil Un menor de 13, 14 o 15 años acusado de actos que constituyen asesinato sin premeditación (second degree murder), o un menor de 14 o 15 años acusado de…
Delito mayor Un delito serio, punible con un período de encarcelamiento mayor de un año.
Delito menor Un nivel menor de delito que es castigado con un período de encarcelamiento de un año o menos.
Delito, crimen Un acto ilícito especificado como delito menor (misdemeanor) o delito mayor (felony) en cualquier ley que rige la conducta.
Delito, infracción, acto ilícito Conducta que conlleva una sentencia de encarcelamiento o de una multa de acuerdo con alguna ley, estatuto o reglamento pertinente que rige la conducta.
Demand Form PCT/IPEA/401, filed with an International Preliminary Examining Authority, demanding that an international application shall be the subject of an…
Demanda La presentación inicial (pleading) en una acción judicial que expone formalmente los alegatos pertinentes.
Demandado (a) La parte defensora en un procedimiento judicial; (b) la parte contra quien se recibe una apelación.
Demandado; acusado 1) En casos civiles - la parte demandada; 2) En casos penales - la parte acusada de cometer el delito.
Demandante El demandante (plaintiff).
Demandante; apelante La parte que inicia un proceso legal o que presenta una apelación ante un tribunal superior.
Demurrer A pleading filed by the defendant which alleges that the complaint as filed is not sufficient to require an answer.
Denial An insurance company decision to withhold a claim payment or preauthorization. A denial may be made because the medical service is not covered, not…
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses.
Departure A judge can sentence a defendant to a term of imprisonment which is greater or lesser than the applicable sentencing range in the U.S.
Dependent A qualifying child or qualifying relative, other than the taxpayer or spouse, who entitles the taxpayer to claim a dependency exemption.
dependent claim a claim that refers back to (depends on) and further limits a preceding dependent or independent claim.
Deposit An amount of money paid to the court. Hennepin County Housing Court can only accept cash and certified checks; personal checks, third-party checks, and…
deposit account an account that is established in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), upon payment of a fee for establishing such an account, for the…
Depositing Correspondence Filing written papers with a patent office. MPEP 502.
Deposition An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths.
Deputy/Bailiff The uniformed Hennepin County Sheriff's Deputy who "keeps the peace" and is available to deal with any threat to the peace, both inside and immediately…
Derecho del Estado a las herencias vacantes El derecho del estado a la propiedad cuando no hay heredero alguno.