Final answer:
The two principal types of patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are utility patents and design patents. Utility patents cover new processes, machines, and improvements, while design patents protect original designs of manufactured products. Plant patents are also available for new varieties of asexually reproduced plants.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two principal types of patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are utility patents and design patents. Utility patents are granted for the invention or discovery of a new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. An example of a utility patent might be a new kind of machinery or a pharmaceutical drug. Design patents, on the other hand, are granted for a new, original, and ornamental design that is applied to an article of manufacture. This could be something like a unique chair design or a distinctive shoe pattern.
A third but less common type is a plant patent, which is awarded to those who invent or discover and asexually reproduce a distinct and new variety of plants, such as farmers creating new hybrid crops or companies like Monsanto patenting genetically engineered seeds. It is important to note that other forms of intellectual property include trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, but they are not considered patents. Trademarks protect symbols, names, and slogans used to identify goods and services. Copyrights provide protection for literary, artistic, and other creative works. The formula for Coca-Cola is an example of a well-known trade secret which is protected by keeping the information confidential rather than by patent law.