companion bill or measureSimilar or identical legislation which is introduced in the Senate and House. House and Senate lawmakers who share similar views on legislation may…
Comparative negligenceThe rule under which negligence is measured by percentage, (and damages are diminished) in proportion to the amount of negligence attributable to the…
Competency testthe evaluation of a person’s ability to perform work in any functional area prior to the performance of independent casework.
ComplainantThe party who complains or sues; one who applies to the court for legal redress. See plaintiff.
Complainant/PlaintiffThe party (a person, a partnership, or a corporation) that started the lawsuit by filing and serving the Complaint, Petition, or Affidavit.
ComplaintA written communication primarily expressing a grievance against an insurance company or agent.
Completion of InventionConception and reduction to practice of an invention. Also called "making an invention".
Compliance SearchThe identification of relevant terms and/or parties in response to a discovery request.
Component VideoSeparates video into luminosity and color signals that provide the highest possible signal quality.
composed of(used when defining the scope of a claim) A transitional phrase that is interpreted in the same manner as either "consisting of" or "consisting…
Composite VideoCombines red, green, blue and synchronization signals into one video signal so that only one connector is required; used by most TVs and VCRs.
Composition of MatterAn invention in which the substance and not the form or shape is the inventive subject matter. Under U.S. law, one of the statutory classes of inventions.
CompressionCompression algorithms such as Zip and RLE reduce the size of files saving both storage space and reducing bandwidth required for access and transmission.
Compression RatioThe ratio of the size of an uncompressed file to a compressed file, e.g., with a 10:1 compression ratio, a 1 MB file can be compressed to 100 KB.
comprising(used when defining the scope of a claim) A transitional phrase that is synonymous with (means the same thing as) "including," "containing" or…
ComputerIncludes but is not limited to network servers, desktops, laptops, notebook computers, mainframes and PDAs (personal digital assistants).
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)(CAD)Systems A Computer Aided Dispatch System (CAD) is a computer database that can track calls for service, maintain status of units available, provide…
Computer EvidenceComputer evidence is rather unique when compared to other forms of more traditional documentary evidence.
Computer ForensicsComputer Forensics (in the context of this document, forensic analysis) is the use of specialized techniques for recovery, authentication and analysis of…
Computer InvestigationsComputer crimes are specifically defined by federal and/or state statutes and any computer documentary evidence utilized during a computer investigation…
Comunicaciones e informaciones secretasComunicaciones e informaciones intercambiadas entre dos personas que tienen una relación particular que no están sujetas a ser reveladas sin el permiso…
Concept SearchSearching electronic documents to determine relevance by analyzing the words and putting search requests in conceptual groupings so the true meaning of…
conception(kun-SEP-shun) In biology, the beginning of pregnancy, marked by fertilization of an egg by a sperm.
ConciliationA form of alternative dispute resolution in which the parties bring their dispute to a neutral third party, who helps lower tensions, improve…
Conciliation Court/Small Claims CourtConciliation Court is often called "Small Claims Court." Conciliation Court was created to allow parties to bring their legal claims before the court…
Concordance SoftwareA LAN-based document management software program, with features including document storage, search, case organization, transcript management and…
concurrent resolutionA legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both…
Concurrent sentencesSentences for more than one crime that are to be served at the same time, rather than one after the other.
CondemnationThe legal process by which the government takes private land for public use, paying the owners a fair price. See eminent domain.
CondenaUn fallo de culpable, ya sea por declaración de propia culpabilidad o por juicio.
Condena por un tiempo indefinidoUna condena por un tiempo indefinido o indeterminado. Por ejemplo, una sentencia de “x a y años” o una sentencia de “no mayor de x pero no menor de…
conditional adjournmentWhen Congress adjourns for more than three days, authority is often provided the Speaker and President Pro Tempore (or the Senate Majority Leader) to…
CondonationCondonation is the act of forgiving one's spouse who has committed an act of wrongdoing that would constitute a ground for divorce.
confereesSenators appointed to serve on conference committees. They are also called "managers.
conference committeeA temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed…
conference reportThe compromise product negotiated by the conference committee. The "conference report," which is printed and available to Senators, is submitted to each…
conference, partyThe organization of all party members in the chamber. The conferences elect the party and committee leaders as well as rank-and-file committee members…
confirmationThis written notice provided by a brokerage acknowledges completion of a securities transaction.
confirmation numbera four-digit number that is assigned to each newly filed patent application. The confirmation number, in combination with the application number, is used…
Conformed copyAn exact copy of a document that could not be or was not copied. For example, a written signature may be replaced on a conformed copy with a notation that…
CONFUConference on Fair Use -- see National Information Infrastructure Report on Intellectual Property Rights for more
Congenital anomalyan abnormality, such as a spinal column defect, present at birth.
Congressional RecordThe substantially verbatim account of daily proceedings on the Senate floor. It is printed for each day the Senate is in session.
Consecutive sentencesSuccessive sentences, one beginning at the expiration of another, imposed against a person convicted of two or more crimes.
ConsentAgree to voluntarily accept the wish of another.
ConservatorshipConservatorship is a legal procedure for the management of financial institutions for an interim period during which the institution’s conservator…
ConsiderationAn item of value given in exchange for a promise or act.
consisting essentially ofA transitional phrase that limits the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel…
Consisting ofa transitional phrase that is closed (only includes exactly what is stated) and excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim.
ConstitutionThe fundamental law of a nation or state which establishes the character and basic principles of the government.
Constitutional lawLaw set forth in the Constitution of the United States and the state constitutions.
constructive reduction to practiceA reduction to practice involves physical verification of the operability of the invention or its suitability for its intended purpose. When one files a U.
Consumer bankruptcyA proceeding under the Bankruptcy Code filed by an individual (or husband and wife) who is not in business.
consumer debtDebt incurred by an individual primarily for a personal, family or household purpose.
consumer debtorA debtor whose debts are primarily consumer debts.
consumer debtsDebts incurred for personal, as opposed to business, needs.
Contact wounda skin injury produced by a weapon in contact with or a fraction of an inch from the skin when discharged.
Contemporaneously witnessedObserved or read and understood by a witness who is not one of the inventors at the time the event occurred.
ContemptContempt is failure to follow a court order.
Contempt of courtWillful disobedience of a judge's command or of an official court order.
Content ComparisonA method of de-duplication that compares file content or output (to image or paper) and ignores metadata. See De-Duplication.
Contestación de demandaPresentación de la defensa hecha por un demandado o acusado como respuesta a los alegatos del demandante o apelante.
contested matterThose matters, other than objections to claims, that are disputed but are not within the definition of adversary proceeding contained in Rule 7001.
Contextual SearchThe process of returning electronic evidence to its true context when created, by whom, for what purpose, etc.
contingent claimA claim that may be owed by the debtor under certain circumstances,
ContinuancePostponement of a legal proceeding to a later date. Also, adjournment.
continuationa second application for the same invention claimed in a prior nonprovisional application and filed before the first application becomes abandoned or…
Continued or ContinuanceA postponement of a date of a trial, hearing or other court appearance to a later fixed date by order of the court, or upon a written agreement of all…
continued use-- see Section 8 Declaration of Continued Use
continuing applicationa continuation, divisional, or continuation-in-part patent application
Continuing Education Coursesshort, defined periods of formal job-related instruction (including but not limited to professional meetings) provided to members of a Forensic Laboratory…
continuing resolution/continuing appropriationsLegislation in the form of a joint resolution enacted by Congress, when the new fiscal year is about to begin or has begun, to provide budget authority…
Continuous ToneAn image (e.g. a photograph) which has all the values of gray from white to black.
ContractIn most cases, the term "contract" refers to an insurance policy. A policy is considered to be a contract between the insurance company and the…
contracting partyA country or intergovernmental organization that is a member of the Madrid Protocol.
Contracting Statea national Office or an intergovernmental organization which is party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
ContrademandaDemanda presentada por un demandado o acusado en calidad de oposición a los reclamos del demandante.
ContrainterrogatorioUn interrogatorio hecho por una de las partes o por su abogado a otra parte o a un testigo citado por otra parte en un juicio.
contributory infringementSelling a part of a patented product or a material for use in practicing a patented process that is especially adapted for the patented product or…
Contributory negligenceThe rule of law under which an act or omission of plaintiff is a contributing cause of injury and a possible bar to a complete recovery.
Controla test with predictable results performed with an experimental procedure to confirm the reliability of the experimental results.
Control No.unique number assigned to a patent reexamination request when it is filed, having a 2-digit series code (90 for ex parte reexamination requests; 95 for…
Controlled SubstanceA narcotic or non-narcotic drug listed in one of the five schedules of controlled substances in Title 21 of the U.S. Code.
controlled timeWhen a unanimous consent agreement limits the time for debate on a bill or other measure and places it under the control of bill floor managers, the time…
Convalidar un testamentoProcedimiento mediante el que se determina la validez de un testamento y se le da efecto.
ConventionAn official meeting of the delegates of a political party at which the delegates decide upon their party platform and take other party-related actions.