PTRC Basic Materials and Services
Materials and Services Available at PTRCs
- General Description
- Printed and Electronic Resources
- Electronic Databases
- Core Collection List [PDF]
General Description
To be designated as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), a library must meet specific requirements and agree to fulfill certain obligations as outlined in the brochure Notes on Becoming a Patent and Trademark Resource Center . Each PTRC is required to acquire and make freely available to the public a minimum 20-year backfile of U.S. patents. It must protect the integrity of the collection, maintain classification system documents and related publications, and assist the public in efficient use of the collection, and retain all depository items until disposal is arranged through the Patent and Trademark Resource Centers Program (PTRCP).
The intellectual property collections of some libraries significantly exceed the core requirements. All libraries have access to U.S. patents since 1790. To visit your nearest PTRC, consult the List of Patent and Trademark Resource Centers .
Printed and Electronic Resources
All PTRCs maintain a core collection, which includes at least a 20-year backfile of U.S. patents. Other materials available include:
- Currently issuing U.S. patents (Available on optical disc and on the web)
- General Information Concerning Patents - Provides information in non-technical language concerning the application for and granting of patents and answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the patent application process (Available in print and on the web)
- Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) - USPTO Patent Examiners' guide to examination practice (Available on optical disc and on the web)
- Basic Facts About Trademarks - Includes forms and instructions for filing applications to register trademarks and service marks (Available in print and on the web)
- Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP) - USPTO Trademark Examiners' guide to examination practice (Available on the web)
- Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Manual of Procedure (TBMP) - USPTO guide to Trademark Trial and Appeal Board practice (Available on the web)
- Trademark Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual - An alphabetical index of goods and services identified by International Class (Available on the web)
- Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice Before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - A list by state, name, and address of practitioners authorized to practice before the PTO (Available on the web)
- Products and Services Catalog - Includes information and ordering instructions for products and services available from PTO (Available in print and on the web)
- Notes on Becoming a Patent and Trademark Resource Center - Lists requirements for designation and obligations of PTRCs
- Core Collection List [PDF] Lists the basic resources held within every PTRC's collection.
- Optical Disc Products at PTRCs - Provides information about optical disc products available at all PTRCs
- Patents: The Collection for All Reasons - Describes the ways in which this unique resource can be used.
- How to Conduct a Preliminary U.S. Patent Search: A Step by Step Strategy - Web Based Tutorial (36 minutes)
- The Seven-Step Strategy - Outlines a suggested procedure for patent searching
- Conducting a Trademark Search at a PTRC - Outlines a suggested procedure for trademark searching
- International Patent Classification (IPC) System
- Patent Document Kind Codes
- International Schedule of Classes of Goods and Services
Electronic Databases
Patent and trademark electronic search products are provided to all PTRCs by the USPTO. PTRCs also provide access to the Web-based Search Tool (PubWEST) as provided in the Public Search Facility (PSF) in Alexandria, Virginia.
- Optical Disc Products at PTRCs - Describes PTO electronic search products regularly provided to PTRCs
- USPTO Web-based Search Systems - Search the US Patent Database and Trademark Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual.
- Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) - TESS provides access to the same text and image database of trademarks as currently provided to examining attorneys at the USPTO via the X-Search system.
- USPTO Web Patent Database - Full text of all US patents issued since January 1, 1976, and full-page images of each page of every US patent issued since 1790.
Disclaimer: PTRCs are neither required nor encouraged to conduct patent and trademark searches for their patrons as that activity may be interpreted as rendering a judgment or opinion. PTRCs are required to instruct patrons in the use of the search tools available at the PTRCs for patrons conducting their own patent and trademark searches.
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