Last revised: October 2007
Patents and Trademarks
Scope
The U.S. Government grants a patent to an inventor "to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States."
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, which identifies the source of goods or services of one party from those of another.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL) at the University of Maryland is a designated U.S. Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL). This is a selective guide to available library resources on patents and trademarks.
Table of Contents
Contact Persons
Jim Miller Bob Kackleyjmiller2@umd.edu rkackley@umd.edu
(301) 405-9152 (301) 405-9155
EPSL Information
- Hours
For patent and trademark assistance, visit or contact the library during Information Desk Hours. For an in depth consultation, contact Jim Miller or Bob Kackley (contact information above) to set up an appointment.
- Location
- Printing and Photocopying
- Interlibrary loan (ILL)
Patent copies and delivery times may be cheaper and faster from the U.S. Patent office. Compare ILL policies and prices with prices and delivery options at the USPTO.
Getting Started
Recommended Resources
Many resources are available for searching patents and trademarks. The following databases are recommended for their coverage and search capabilities. For additional places to search, try Internet Resources.
USPTO Web Patent Databases http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html- Full text of U.S. Patents 1976-Present
- Search by patent number and current US classifications 1790-Present
- Full text images from 1790-Present are available using a free TIFF plug-in
- The Advanced search page explains index fields (title, current class, inventor, cited references, etc.) at the bottom of the page
- Many records cite earlier technology: US patent numbers, foreign patent numbers, articles, books, technical reports, and even company catalogs
- Please note: the rapidly growing Patent Applications database (2001-present) is a separate file
http://ep.espacenet.com
- Search titles and some abstracts of over 50 million patents from 71 countries
- Display and print full text of US utility patents 1836-Present
- Use the Advanced Search to search US titles, inventors and assignees (applicants) from 1920-Present
- Search by patent number and European Classification (ECLA) or International Patent Classification (IPC) for older patents
- Use the Classification Search for detailed help with ECLA searching
- If you have a patent number, use the Number Search and type the patent number in the Publication Number box in the format us25151 with no leading zeros
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=login&p_lang=english&p_d=trmk
- Provides access to more than 4 million pending, registered and dead federal trademarks
- This is the same file the trademark examiners use and it allows very complex searches
- You can display logos (images) and search for them using design search codes
University of Maryland Collections
UM onsite collections consist of mainly backup archives. Except for PubWEST, most have corresponding sources available free on the web (See internet resources)
EPSL Onsite Resources
- PubWEST
- Please call ahead: Librarian login required
- Faster than the USPTO free web database
- Offers more features and search capabilities than the USPTO free web database
- Includes international patents
- USAPat
- DVD-ROM (not a searchable database)
- All US Patents (scanned images) 1790-Present
- USAMark
- DVD-ROM (not a searchable database)
- All Registered U.S. Trademarks (scanned images) 1870-Present
- Includes over 600,000 "Dead" (abandoned) marks NOT available in TESS (These images are also available online in Trademark Document Retrieval (TDR))
- Official Gazette
-
Microfilm: vol.1(1872) - vol.845(1967)
EPSL Periodical Stacks: 1943-1998
EPSL Reference: Patents 1998-2002 (after 2002 on CD-ROM See Information Desk for assistance); Trademarks 1999-2005
Call Number: T223.A3
Online: Patents (most recent 52 issues); Trademarks (most recent five issues)
DVD/CD-ROM Databases
These are mostly backup archives, but they are sometimes faster, or better for downloading huge sets of data, spreadsheets, etc.
- Cassis Patent & Trademark Assignments
- Comparable web sites: Patent Assignments and Trademark Assignments
- Cassis Patents BIB
- Search abstracts 1988-present
- Search titles 1969-present
- Cassis Trademarks BIB
- Less information than USPTO Trademark Search, but faster printing/exporting
- Cassis Patents Assist
- Includes Art Unit/Supervisory Examiner index, Attorneys & Agents list, and classification search options not available on the web
- Patent Abstracts of Japan
- 1976-2000
- Largely replaced by Espacenet and PAJ online
- GlobalPat
- 1971-1998
- Replaced by Espacenet
- DEPAROM
- 1999-2005
- Backup archive for Depatisnet
McKeldin Government Documents
- U.S. Utility Patents, 1790 to present
- Design Patents, 1842 to present
- Reissue Patents, 1983 (R31,119) to present
- Defensive Publications, 1975 (T9300,001) to 1986
- Statutory Invention Registrations (SIRS), 1985 to present
- Reexamination Certificates, 1983 to present
- CDR (Corrections, Disclaimers, Reissues), 1983 to 1987
- Patent Status File, 1987 to present
Internet Resources
United States Patent and Trademark Internet Resources
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)www.uspto.gov
- Links to information about patents and trademarks
- For information on international intellectual property sites try Related Web Sites
Patents
USPTO Patent Informationhttp://www.uspto.gov/main/patents.htm
- Links to the Manual of Classification, Index to the Manual, classification definitions, and much more.
www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html
- Full text of U.S. Patents 1976-Present
- Search by patent number and current US classifications 1790-Present
- Full text images from 1790-Present are available using a free TIFF plug-in
- The Advanced search page explains index fields (title, current class, inventor, cited references, etc.) at the bottom of the page
- Many records cite earlier technology: US patent numbers, foreign patent numbers, articles, books, technical reports, and even company catalogs
- Please note: the rapidly growing Patent Applications database (2001-present) is a separate file
http://depatisnet.dpma.de
- The German Patent Office's international patent database
- U.S. patents from 1790 (X1)
- Includes plant and design patents
http://google.com/patents
- An important source of historical and genealogical patent information
- Search U.S. patents full text from 1790
- Note: OCR text has significant errors and omissions
- Google is NOT yet ready for Patent Classification (subject) searching, as of Spring 2007
http://edison.rutgers.edu/patents.htm
- Rutgers University's Edison Papers web site provides full text of Thomas Edison's 1,093 patents
Trademarks
Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS)http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=login&p_lang=english&p_d=trmk
- Provides access to more than 4 million pending, registered and dead federal trademarks
- This is the same file the trademark examiners use and it allows very complex searches
- You can display logos (images) and search for them using design search codes
http://www.sos.state.md.us/Registrations/Trademarks/Trademarks.htm
- Provides access to the Maryland state trademarks database
- Contains links to other state trademark offices
http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/trademark/trademark-registration/
state-trademark-info-links.html
- Provides links to most state's trademark and company name databases
International Patent and Trademark Internet Resources
The British Library: Patentshttp://www.bl.uk/collections/patents.html
- A comprehensive source of patent and other intellectual property information
http://www.ipnewsflash.com
- Rolf Claessen's free intellectual property news and law site
- Includes links to international patent and trademark legal news and case law
Patents
European Patent Officehttp://ep.espacenet.com
- Search titles and some abstracts of over 50 million patents from 71 countries
- Display and print full text of US utility patents 1836-Present
- Use the Advanced Search to search US titles, inventors and assignees (applicants) from 1920-Present
- Search by patent number and European Classification (ECLA) or International Patent Classification (IPC) for older patents
- Use the Classification Search for detailed help with ECLA searching
- If you have a patent number, use the Number Search and type the patent number in the Publication Number box in the format us25151 with no leading zeros
http://Patents1.ic.gc.ca/intro-e.html
- Provides access to over 75 years of patent descriptions and images
- Includes links to trademark databases and other Canadian company information
http://www.delphion.com
- Requires registration
- Free-of-charge option includes some features not available on the free sites, such as cited year searching
http://depatisnet.dpma.de
- The German Patent Office's international patent database
- U.S. patents from 1790 (X1)
- Includes plant and design patents
Trademarks
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)http://www.wipo.int/portal/index.html.en
Historical Patents Internet Resources
Historical Patents and Trademarkshttp://ptdla.org/history
This collection of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets compiled by Jim Shaw includes indexes of all US patents from 1790-1874, including the 7500 "X-Patents" lost in the 1836 fire.
Cincinatti Inventors Databasehttp://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/resources/invent/
Indexes Cincinatti area inventors' patents from 1814-1873. This databases allows browsing by inventor or invention and searching by inventor.
Historical Idaho Patents Databasehttp://db.lib.uidaho.edu/patents/
Search by inventor, assignee, city, title, patent number, or date for Idaho patents from 1866-1928.
Iowa Inventions Databasehttp://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/cgi-bin/patents/
Browse by location or search by keyword Iowa inventions from 1843-2006.
Index to Early Louisiana Patents 1810-1890http://adler.lib.muohio.edu/%7Eshocker/LAPAT/index.html
This database can be searched by place or year, browsed by assignee, inventor, parish, or subject, and supports keyword searching for inventor and title.
Nevada Inventors Databasehttp://www.library.unr.edu/depts/bgic/nvinventors.html
The goal of this work-in-progress is to include all Nevada patents from the 1860s to 1975. The current database includes up to the 1920s, and is browseable by the inventor's last name or issuing year, and searchable by patent number, inventor, city, or patent title.
South Carolina Inventorshttp://sys.lib.clemson.edu/scinventors/search.asp
Searchable by inventor, invention, residence, date, and patent number. Includes patents from 1796 to 1896.
Women Inventors Index 1790-1895http://staff.lib.muohio.edu/~shocker/FemInv/
This database can be searched by place or year, browsed by assignee, inventor, state, or subject, and supports keyword searching for inventor and title. Also included here are lists of the women with the most patents, patents by subject, patents by state, and African American female inventors.
Wyoming Inventors Databasehttp://cowgirl.state.wy.us/inventors/
Browse or search by inventor name, or try the advanced search for further search options such as city, patent number, and date searching. Includes patents from 1867-present.
Search Aids
The following are indexes and other tools used for searching and browsing patents and trademarks. To search for patents and trademarks on the internet, try the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the European Patent Office.
Patents
Index to the U.S. Patent Classification SystemLocation: EPSL Reference
Call Number: T223.A25
Manual of Classification
Location: EPSL Reference
Call Number: T223.F4U58
Patent Classification Definitions
http://www.uspto.gov/go/classification/
Subject-matter Index of Patents for Inventions Issued by the U.S. Patent Office from 1790 to 1873, inclusive
Location: EPSL Reference
Call Number: T223.D7A45
Early Unnumbered United States Patents 1790-1836
Location: EPSL Reference
Call Number: T223.D7R46
Annual patent indexes 1847-1997, with some gaps (title varies)
Annual report of the Commissioner of Patents
Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks annual report
Commissioner of Patents annual report
Location: EPSL Reference
Call Number: T223.H2
Trademarks
Design Code Manual for TrademarksLocation: EPSL Reference
Call Number: T223.V15
Index of trademarks issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office 1928-1972; 1974-1997
Location: EPSL Reference
Call Number: T223.V1U5
