Patents & Trademarks
About the Collection
The Newark Public Library has been a Patent and Trademark Resource Center since 1906.
Patent and trademark collections and services are located in the Reference department on the second floor. Resources are available in print and web-based databases.
Librarians are expert searchers who will provide information, assistance, and instruction in the use of resources. They cannot, however, provide legal interpretation or advice, which should be sought from a patent attorney.
Although it is possible to conduct a patent search using Internet resources, doing so will not yield comprehensive results and so should be considered a preliminary investigation only. A complete patent search should be conducted in person at a Patent and Trademark Resource Center.
Patents – Search for patents at:
USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database (PatFT)
– Full text of all U.S. patents issued since January 1, 1976 and images and PDFs of every patent issued since 1790.
https://www.uspto.gov/patents-application-process/search-patents
– Full-text and Image versions of patent applications.
Available at the Newark Public Library – Access via the PTRC Workstation:
PubEAST – The “public” version of the Examiner’s Automated Search Tool provides seamless access to multiple text data sources including the Pre-Grant Publications (US-PGPUB), U.S. Patents (USPAT), U.S. Optical Character Recognition (USOCR), European Patent Office (EPO) Abstracts, Japanese Patent Office (JPO) Abstracts, and Foreign Patent Retrieval system (FPRS) databases, as well as image data sources for full and clipped images. PubEAST provides a form-based search capability for novice users, and enables expert users to submit searches in Bibliographic Retrieval System (BRS) syntax and IS&R syntax.
PubWEST – The “public” version of the Web-based Examiner’s Search Tool offers a server-based application tool for searching patent full-text and abstract databases. It also uses the search language entitled Bibliographic Retrieval Services (BRS). WEST provides identical text and image data sources as PubEAST .
Additional patent resources:
Available at https://uspto.gov
• General Information Concerning Patents – Provides information in nontechnical language concerning the application for and granting of patents. Answers some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the patent application process.
• Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) – USPTO Patent Examiners’ guide to examination practice.
• 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
• Patents: The Collection for All Reasons – Describes the way in which this unique resource can be used.
• Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) System (CPC Website)
• International Patent Classification (IPC) System (WIPO Website)
• Patent Document Kind Codes
Federal Trademarks – Search for trademarks at:
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. https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-application-process/search-trademark-database
Additional trademark resources:
Available at https://uspto.gov
• Basic Facts About Trademarks – Includes forms and instructions for filing applications to register trademarks and service marks.
• Seven Step Federal Trademark Search Strategy – Outlines a suggested procedure for trademark searching (PDF version)
• Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP) – USPTO Trademark Examiners’ guide to examination practice.
• Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) Manual of Procedure (TBMP) – USPTO guide to examination practice
• Trademark Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual – An alphabetical index of goods and services identified by International class
• International Schedule of Classes of Goods and Services – International trademark classification and the headings of the international trademark classes
General
• 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 USPTO
The collection also includes plant patents, reissue patents, defensive publications, and other patent materials. Please note that some older paper resources cannot be photocopied.