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Patents

Searches for patents and trademarks are useful since they can save an applicant time and money. Searches may be conducted at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Alexandria, Virginia, by visiting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Web site at http://www.uspto.gov, or at Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDLs) nationwide. Click here to locate a PTDL near you.

The Main Library, Business, Law & Government Documents (BLG) Section (5th floor) houses the PTDL for Broward County and several surrounding counties that do not have a PTDL. There are specialized materials that are only available in the BLG Section or at other PTDLs. Furthermore, the staff in the BLG Section receives specialized training and is knowledgeable in how to find answers to a variety of intellectual property questions.

Performing a good patent search can be useful. One reason for doing a patent search is that one of the criteria for obtaining a patent is that it must be new. An item that is the same or similar to your invention could have been patented 50, 100, or even 200 years ago. If your invention is the same as an invention patented even 210 years ago, it is not considered to be new, even though the patent has long expired. Another reason for doing a patent search is that you need to cite similar inventions as part of the patent application.

Although patent searching is possible on the Internet, primarily at the USPTO website, searching for patents or trademarks should be initiated at a PTDL. Patent searching on the Internet may be complicated for novice searchers. Also, keyword searching is not recommended as many relevant patents may be missed using this method. Searchers who visit a Patent and Trademark Depository Library will find information regarding the USPTO's recommended search steps provided in their web page The 7-Step U. S. Patent Search Strategy. Please click on this link to view it.

Staff is available to assist in the use of these materials, but will not perform a patent search nor offer advice, interpretation, or opinion regarding the patentability of an invention.

For more information about patents please see General Information Concerning Patents at the USPTO's website.

Links to Patent Websites

Official Sites

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Inventors and Innovation - This site has links to other informative sites that are hosted by the Smithsonian Institution. When you click on a picture, you get information from the Smithsonian Archives about that particular item.

esp@cenet - Databases for foreign patent searching hosted by the European Patent Office.

European Patent Office - The official site of the European Patent Office. Includes searching capabilities, attorney information, and much more.

Intellectual Property Digital Library - Intellectual property databases hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Inventor Resources Website (USPTO) - Basic information for inventors with links to other related sites.

Japan Patent Office - The official site of the Japanese Patent Office. Includes information about the JPO as well as searching capabilities and related links.

Kids Page (USPTO) - Fun and interesting patent and invention information for kids. Also provides links to other U.S. government websites for kids.

National Archives and Records Administration - Provides information on Patent and Trademark Office records housed in the National Archives and Records Administration.

Statistical reports from the USPTO - Provides statistical information from annual reports and the Office of Technology Assessment and Forecast including statistics on numbers of patents granted - by country of origin, by state, metropolitan area, etc.

U.S. Court of Appeals - This court has jurisdiction to entertain appeals for decisions issued by the U.S. PTO's Board of Patent Appeals and Inferences.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Web Patent Database - U.S. PTO's website for searching full patent records or bibliographic patent information.

World Intellectual Property Organization - This United Nations organization is "responsible for the promotion of the protection of intellectual property throughout the world through cooperation among" member countries" and for the administration of various multilateral treaties dealing with the legal and administrative aspects of intellectual property."

Other Patent Sites of Interest

American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law - This site has undergone more changes in the last few years than at any time in its history. The Section is committed to keeping its members fully informed of the latest developments in this ever-expanding field.

Collegiate Inventors Competition - A national competition administrated by the National Inventors Hall of Fame for college students designed to encourage activity in science, engineering, mathematics, technology, and creative invention and stimulate problem-solving abilities.

Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program - A nationwide competition for students in grades 2-5 and 6-8 to deign or modify a tool. This program is sponsored by Craftsman and the National Science Teachers Association. The last competition was in 2005, and the website provides lists of winners from recent years.

The Faces of Science - Profiled here are African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science and engineering.

The Invention Dimension (The Lemelson-MIT Awards Program) - Several awards programs all designed "to inspire a new generation of American scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs by celebrating, through awards and educational activities, living role models in these fields."

Inventors Digest - The site for the Inventors Digest magazine. Site includes some articles from the magazine as well as links to other sites, scam and legislation updates, and much more.

Inventors’ Society of South Florida - The site for South Florida's local non-profit inventor organization.

Inventure Place, National Inventors Hall of Fame - National Inventors Hall of Fame: programs and activities, searching for information on the inventors in the hall of fame, and information on Camp Invention.

National Congress of Inventor Organizations - This site has valuable information and links for inventors and those interested in patents.

Patently Absurd! Weird & Wacky Patents - Provides an assortment of weird inventions, including international patents.

Thomas A. Edison Papers - Information about the life of Thomas Edison, his patents, papers, companies, etc.

See also the Related Web Sites page at the USPTO website for further U.S. Government or other countries' websites.

 

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Please send your questions and comments about these sites and suggestions for other sites to refdesk5@browardlibrary.org.