Law Dictionary Definitions

fiscal officer.See OFFICER(1).[Blacks Law 8th]

fiscal agent.See AGENT(2).[Blacks Law 8th]

fiscal (fis-k<<schwa>>l), adj.1. Of or relating to financial matters <fiscal year>.2. Of or relating to public finances or taxation <the city’s sound fiscal policy>.[Blacks Law 8th]

FISA.abbr.FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE ACT.[Blacks Law 8th]

first user.See SENIOR USER.[Blacks Law 8th]

first-to-invent system.Patents. The practice of awarding a patent to the first person to create an invention, rather than the first to file a patent application. • Because the first inventor is not necessarily the first person to file for a patent, an interference hearing is held to decide who is entitled to the patent. This…

first-to-file system.Patents. The practice of granting priority to the first person to file a patent application. • Most of the world uses a first-to-file patent system; the only major exception is the United States, which grants priority to the first inventor. Cf. FIRST-TO-INVENT SYSTEM. [Cases: Patents 90(1). C.J.S. Patents §§ 120–122.][Blacks Law 8th]

first-to-file rule.Civil procedure. 1. The principle that, when two suits are brought by the same parties, regarding the same issues, in two courts of proper jurisdiction, the court that first acquires jurisdiction usu. retains the suit, to the exclusion of the other court. • The court with the second-filed suit ordinarily stays proceedings or abstains.…

first taker.See TAKER.[Blacks Law 8th]

first-sale doctrine. 1.Copyright. The rule that the purchaser of a physical copy of a copyrighted work, such as a book or CD, may give or sell that copy to someone else without infringing the copyright owner’s exclusive distribution rights. • With regard to that physical copy, the copyright owner’s distribution right is said to be…