Patent infringement is considered the theft of an invention, idea, or enhancement that has been filed with the U.S. Patent Office, with a given time frame of acceptable overlap of one year.

The U.S. Patent Office is responsible for determining whether or not a patent can be granted based on the information given by the applicant. Trademark infringement is the use of a company's or individual's registered trademark, a trademark being a sign, symbol, or emblem used to distinguish one company's or individual's trademark from another, such as RCA uses a specific dog in a specific position as their trademark.