Law terms starting with W

51 terms

Waiver Under the conflict of interest statute, 18 U.S.C. § 208, a waiver permits an employee to participate in specified Government matters which would…
Waiver of immunity A means authorized by statute by which a witness, before testifying or producing evidence, may relinquish the right to refuse to testify against himself…
warrant A certificate giving the holder the right to purchase a security (such as a stock) at a set price within a specified period of time.
Warranty A promise that a proposition of fact is true.
Warranty Deed A document protecting a homebuyer against any and all claims to the property.
Water rights The right to use water.
WAV File extension name for Windows sound files. .WAV files can reach 5 Megabytes for one minute of audio.
WCT WIPO Copyright Treaty
Web site A collection of Uniform Resource Indicators (URIs, including URLs (Uniform Resource Locators)) in the control of one administrative entity.
whips Assistants to the floor leaders who are also elected by their party conferences.
Will A will is a legal document you use to transfer assets you have accumulated during your lifetime to the people and institutions you want to have them after…
willful infringement Conduct that constitutes an illegal use of another's patented invention where the infringer has no reasonable basis for believing that its actions are…
window close time period after which a utility patent (that issues from an application filed on or after 12 December 1980) expires if a maintenance fee has not been…
window open time period when a maintenance fee can be paid with or without a surcharge. -- see MPEP 2506
Windows Mail Microsoft e-mail program included in Windows Vista as a successor to Outlook Express.
Windows Swap (Page) File Microsoft Windows-based computer operating systems utilize a special file as a "scratch pad" to write data when additional random access memory is needed…
WINS Windows Internet Naming Service
Wipe Slang term for deliberately overwriting a piece of media and removing any trace of files or files fragments.
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization an intergovernmental organization of the United Nations system.
With prejudice A declaration which dismisses all rights. A judgment barring the right to bring or maintain an action on the same claim or cause.
Withdrawal A withdrawal is money you take out of your banking, brokerage firm, or other accounts.
withdrawn claim a non-elected claim "Withdrawn" is the status identifier that should be used for claims that were not elected (chosen by the applicant to remain under…
withdrawn patent an allowed application for patent in which the applicant files correspondence to withdraw the patent from issue; ;thus preventing it from issuing on the…
Withholding Withholding is the amount that employers subtract from their employees' gross pay for a variety of taxes and benefits, including Social Security and…
Without prejudice A declaration that no rights or privileges of the party concerned are waived or lost.
witness One who personally sees or perceives a thing; one who testifies as to what he has seen, heard, or otherwise observed.
word mark a type of trademark comprised of text
Words and Phrases Legally Defined A set of books in dictionary form which lists judicial determinations of a word or phrase.
work-for-hire When one is specifically hired to complete a task, such as write a discrete computer program, the resulting product is said to be a Work-for-Hire and thus…
Worked or Working The condition of having met a country's requirement that an invention be put to use in some way.
Worker's Compensation An insurance plan that employers are required to have to cover employees who get sick or injured on the job.
workflow the "flow of work" Workflow diagrams are a formal way to identify procedural steps and the logic employed in a process used to complete a task or job.
workflow incoming amendment IFW from Public PAIR/IFW - designates the point in time when an amendment is received in the Office and the paper scanning process may be started at the…
Workflow, Ad Hoc A simple manual process by which documents can be moved around a multi-user review system on an as-needed basis.
Workflow, Rule-Based A programmed series of automated steps that route documents to various users on a multi-user review system.
Workgroup A group of computer users connected to share individual talents and resources as well as computer hardware and software often to accomplish a team goal.
workout Arrangement between debtor and creditor to satisfy a debt.
World Wide Web The WWW is made up of all of the computers on the Internet which use HTML-capable software (Netscape, Explorer, etc.) to exchange data.
WORM (Write Once Read Many) Data storage devices (e.g. CD-ROMs) where the space on the discs can only be written once. The data is permanently stored.
WORM Discs Write Once Read Many Discs. A popular archival storage media during the 1980s. Acknowledged as the first optical discs, they are primarily used to store…
WPPT WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
writ Authority to carry out or to act.
writ of certiorari An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.
Writ of execution An order of the court evidencing debt of one party to another and commanding the court officer to take property in satisfaction of the debt.
Writ of garnishment An order of the court whereby property, money, or credits in the possession of another person may be seized and applied to pay a debtor's debt.
Writ of Recovery of Premises and Order to Vacate This is the order, issued by the Court Administrator when ordered by the Court, directed to the Hennepin County Sheriff to compel someone to vacate…
Writ of Restitution Now called Writ of Recovery. See entry for Writ of Recovery of Premises and Order to Vacate.
Written Description A description (disclosure) of an invention that is written in a patent application.
WTO World Trade Organization -- see MORE INFO about International Intellectual Property protection
WWW World Wide Web. The WWW is made up of all of the computers on the Internet which use HTML-capable software (Netscape, Explorer, etc.) to exchange data.
WYSIWYG What You See Is What You Get Display and software technology which shows on the computer screen exactly what will print.