locus(LOH-kuss) Specific place where something is located or occurs. It may refer to a specific place on the body (such as an acupuncture point) or the place…
LogfileThe Microsoft Windows NT Logfile, officially designated as $Logfile, is a special system file used by Microsoft Windows NT to keep track of what it is…
Logical File SpaceThe actual amount of space occupied by a file on a hard drive. The amount of logical file space differs from the physical file space because when a file…
Logical VolumeAn area on the hard drive that has been formatted for files storage. A hard drive may contain a single or multiple volumes.
long-felt needThis means a problem facing a particular technical area that has gone unsolved for a prolonged period.
Loose-leaf servicesLoose-leaf replacement pages provided by a publisher in areas of the law where changes occur at a rapid rate.
lossless compressionExact construction of image, bit-by-bit, with no loss of information.
lossy compressionReduces storage size of image by reducing the resolution and color fidelity while maintaining minimum acceptable standard for general use.
lost profitsThis is a measure of damages and is generally keyed to the profits that could have been the patentee's, but were lost to the infringer.
Lower CourtThe court where a case starts, also known as the “trial court.”
LTO (Linear Tape-Open)A type of backup tape which can hold as much as 400 GB of data, or 600 CDs depending on the data file format.
LZW (Lempel-Ziv & Welch)A common, lossless compression standard for computer graphics, used for most TIFF files. Typical compression ratios are 4/1.
MAC AddressIn computer networking a Media Access Control address (MAC address) is a unique identifier attached to most network adapters (NICs).
MachineA device, a product, a physical thing. Under U.S. law, one of the statutory classes of inventions.MPEP 2105, MPEP 2106, MPEP 2114.
Madrid ProtocolThe "Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks" (Madrid Protocol) is an international treaty that…
MagentaUsed in four color printing. Reflects blue & red and absorbs green.
magistrate judgeA judicial officer of a district court who conducts initial proceedings in criminal cases, decides criminal misdemeanor cases, conducts many pretrial…
magistrate judgesJudicial officers who assist U.S. district court judges in getting cases ready for trial.
Magnetic/Optical Storage MediaIncludes, but is not limited to, hard drives, backup tapes, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, Jaz and Zip drives.
Magneto-Optical DriveA drive that combines laser and magnetic technology to create high-capacity erasable storage.
MailboxAn area on a storage device where email is placed. In email systems, each user has a private mailbox.
Mailing and PostingWhen neither personal nor substitute service can be accomplished, this third method of service is available. It is very technical.
maintenanceThe patent fees due at 4, 8 and 12 years needed to keep a U. S. utility or plant patent in force for its full life.
Make-Available ProductionA process whereby what is usually a large universe of all potentially responsive documents are made available to the requestor; from this universe, the…
Making Officer Redeployment Effective (MORE)(MORE)The COPS MORE grant program provides law enforcement agencies with funding to purchase technology and equipment and to procure support resources…
Malicious prosecutionAn action instituted with intention of injuring the defendant and without probable cause and which terminates in favor of the person prosecuted.
Malicious turning out of doorsMalicious turning out of doors is a sub-set of willful abandonment and is proved by the same basic facts.
MandamusWrit issued by a superior court to an inferior tribunal to enforce the performance of a public duty.
Mandatory minimum sentenceA statutorily defined minimum term of imprisonment that the court is required to impose on a defendant at sentencing.
mandatory spendingSpending (budget authority and outlays) controlled by laws other than annual appropriations acts.
Manner of deathdeath occurs in one of four manners: natural, if caused solely by disease; accidental, if it occurs without apparent intent; suicide, if caused by the…
ManufactureOne of the classes of patentable subject matter under U.S. law. MPEP 2105.
MAPI (Mail Application Program Interface)A Windows software standard that has become a popular email interface used by MS Exchange, GroupWise, and other email packages.
MAPI Mail Near-LineDocuments stored on optical discs or compact discs that are housed in the jukebox or CD changer and can be retrieved without human intervention.
MarginaliaHandwritten notes in the margin of the page in documents.
Marital propertyMarital property is all property that was acquired during the course of a marriage, even if it is not titled in both names, with some exceptions.
Markush doctrineWhen materials recited in a claim are so related as to constitute claiming the members of the claimed group in the alternative, such as "selected from the…
Markush GroupIn a claim, a finite group from which an element is selected. See Claim, Markush.
MarshalIn federal court, the individual that serves process on behalf of an indigent party to an action.
Martindale-HubbellLaw DirectoryA publication consisting of several volumes which contains names, addresses, specialties and rating of United States lawyers; also includes digests of…
mask workimages that are used to create the layers of a semiconductor chip product -- see MPEP Appendix R §150.1 (d) for more
Mass spectrometersan instrument used to both measure and analyze molecules under study. The process involves introducing enough energy into a target molecule to cause its…
Mass spectrometrythis technique can be used to both measure and analyze molecules under study. It involves introducing enough energy into a target molecule to cause its…
Master File Table (MFT)A unique system file that essentially acts as a database, containing information on all the files and subdirectories located within the NTFS logical…
MasteringMaking many copies of a disc from a single master disc.
Matching FundsUnder the COPS MORE program, the COPS Office provides funding for up to 75 percent of the cost of equipment, technology, or salaries and fringe benefits…
materials transfer agreementAn agreement that provides the understanding that the materials are made available only for scientific work.
matrixList of creditors names and addresses, filed with the petition.
MD5message-digest algorithm meant for digital signature applications where a large message has to be compressed in a secure manner before being signed with…
MDE (Magnetic Disc Emulation)Software that makes a jukebox look and operate like a hard-drive such that it will respond to all the I/O commands ordinarily sent to a hard drive.
Means for ClaimA patent claim that recites an element as a means for accomplishing a particular function. MPEP 2181.
means testSection 707(b)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code applies a "means test" to determine whether an individual debtor's chapter 7 filing is presumed to be an abuse of…
MeasureA question or proposal submitted in an election for an expression of the voters’ will.
MediaAny organization in the business of informing the public with news or commentary.
Media ConversionMoving data from one type of media to another such as tape to CD.
MediationMediation is an informal, voluntary method of resolving disputes, in which the parties in conflict meet with a trained, independent third party to come up…
MediatorA person who conducts mediation. A mediator is usually a lawyer or retired judge but can be a non-attorney specialist in the subject matter who tries to…
Medical Examinergovernment official, always a physician and often a forensic pathologist, charged with investigating sudden and unexpected deaths or deaths from injuries.
Megabyte (Meg)One megabyte of data is equal to one million bytes.
Memorandum of lawA legal brief in support of the position taken by a party in an action.
memoryData storage in the form of chips, or the actual chips used to hold data; storage is used to describe memory that exists on tapes or discs.
Mens reaThe "guilty mind" necessary to establish criminal responsibility.
menuA list of options, each of which performs a desired action such as choosing a command or applying a particular format to a part of a document.
mere descriptivenessstatutory basis (Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. Section 1052(e)(1), TMEP 1209 et seq) for refusing registration of trademarks and service marks…
MergeThe process of merging various email files into one file for de-duplication purposes.
MergerWhen two or more companies consolidate by exchanging common stock, and the resulting single company replaces the old companies, the consolidation is…
Message HeaderMessage headers generally contain the identities of the author and recipients, the subject of the message, and the date the message was sent.
Meta dataData about data; resides in the shadows of a document and usually includes information such as, author, recipient, creation date, modified date, etc.
metadataMetadata is information about a particular data set which may describe, for example, how, when, and by whom it was received, created, accessed, and/or…
Metadata ComparisonA method of de-duplication that compares file metadata and ignores content. See De-Duplication.
metes and boundsThe legal description of the exact property which is covered by a patent (the Claims).
methodthe course of action or technique followed in conducting a specific analysis or comparison leading to an analytical result.
MFT (Master File Table)Index to files on a computer. If corrupt, a drive may be unusable, yet data may be retrievable using forensic methods.
microficheSheet microfilm (4 by 6) containing reduced images of 270 pages or more in a grid pattern.
Migrated DataData that has been transferred from one database or format to another that is generally done when migrating from one form of hardware or software…