UVM Libraries Research Guides: Patents and Trademarks: Patents

A patent is a legal right to exclude others from the commercial exploitation of a novel, useful, and non-obvious invention.

Patents are granted by a government agency (in the United States, the US Patent and Trademark Office) for a limited term, in exchange for the public disclosure of the invention and its workings.

Patent databases

Most patent information is openly available online. Patent databases and search engines vary by breadth of contents, national or international coverage, basic interfaces and advanced search tools.

USPTO Patent Public Search
Patent Public Search is the USPTO's primary patents database, containing (a) US patent grants from 1790 to the most recent weekly issue date, and (b) published applications since 2001. Searching applications is important because of the "first to file" principle.
Google Patents
Includes patents and applications from USPTO and more than 100 other jurisdictions. See Google Patents or USPTO? below for more details.

Google Patents or USPTO?

Google Patents and the USPTO's Public Patent Search have different advantages. Use both to ensure a comprehensive search strategy.

Google Patents	USPTO
All patent documents, except recent months	All patent documents, updated weekly
USPTO and 100+ other jurisdictions	USPTO patents only
Also contains non-patent literature (technical documents and books indexed in Google Scholar and Google Books)	Only patents
Simple interface designed for quick review of matches	Complex interface designed for precise searching
Searches full documents 1790-present	Searches full documents 1970-present; searches patent numbers, dates, and classifications 1790-present; searches inventor names 1920-present
Searches images with Optical Character Recognition	Searches text 1970-present (more reliable); searches with OCR 1790-1970
Default order of results is relevancy	Default order of results is reverse-chronological
Supports citation analysis across worldwide patents and other prior art	Supports citation analysis across US patents

IMPORTANT!: How to search

1. Search by classification.
The most effective way to search for patents for a specific area of technology is to identify the most relevant classes and subclasses in the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) scheme.

Recommended: search by keyword in a patents database, find a relevant patent, then review its CPC classes and subclasses. In Google Patents, look for "Classifications".

Classifications for a patent on wind turbine apparatus

Another strategy: browse the CPC Scheme or run keyword searches for matching classes with the USPTO's Classification Text Search.

2. Search by field.
Patent fields include inventor, assignee (owner), and patent number. Field searching is most useful for finding a known patent or patents held by a known person or corporation.

3. Search by keyword.
An increasing proportion of patents are available online with full text, making keyword searching more effective. But keyword searches may retrieve an overwhelming number of results or may fail to reflect the technical language used in patent writing. Use keyword searching (1) as a step to identify classes and subclasses; and (2) to supplement classification searching.

Useful links

USPTO: Patents
Resources include online training, webinars, and virtual events.
USPTO Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
Look up a subclass's definition; search subclasses and definitions by keyword; browse the full scheme hierarchy.
USPTO Inventor and Entrepreneur Resources
USPTO Inventors Assistance Center
"The Inventors Assistance Center (IAC) provides patent assistance and information to the public. The IAC is staffed by former supervisory patent examiners and primary examiners who are available to answer questions and to help you make filing a patent application simple and efficient."
NASA Patent Portfolio
A searchable database of all NASA patents. Most require licensing, though NASA's startup license requires no fees for the first three years.
Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
CIPO provides resources including a bilingual database of Canadian patents, information about filing a patent application in Canada, and listings of Canadian patent attorneys and patent agents.
Espacenet
The European Patent Office (EPO) patent database. Searchable in English, French, and German; plus multilingual translation options for patent documents.
Lens.org
A user-friendly site for patent searching and for creating visualizations of relationships between patents. Includes USPTO, EPO and WIPO patents.
World Intellectual Property Organization
WIPO provides the Patentscope database of WIPO-recognized patent documents, IP statistics, country IP profiles, international IP treaties and standards, and other international patent information.
Directory of American Tool and Machinery Patents (DATAMP)
"A clearinghouse for information on antique tool and woodworking machine patents."

Helpful books and manuals

Patent, Copyright and Trademark: An Intellectual Property Desk Reference by Richard Stim
Call Number: KF2980 .E44 (Howe Library 1st Floor Reference & Third Floor)
Publication Date: 2022, 2018
Patent It Yourself by David Pressman; David E. Blau
Call Number: KF3114.6 .P36 (Howe Library 1st Floor Reference & 3rd Floor)
Publication Date: 2020
How to Make Patent Drawings by Jack Lo; David Pressman
Call Number: T223.U3 L6 2019 (Howe Libary 1st Floor Reference & Third Floor)
Publication Date: 2019, 2011
"This step-by-step guide shows you how to complete a crucial step in the patenting process--creating formal patent drawings that comply with the strict rules of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office."
Patent Pending in 24 Hours by Richard Stim; David Presman
Call Number: KF3120.Z9 S75 2021 (Howe Library 1st Floor Reference)
Publication Date: 2021
"Everything you need" to prepare and file a provisional patent application (PPA).
Profit from Your Idea: How to Make Smart Licensing Deals by Richard Stim
Call Number: KF3145 .S75 2020 (Howe Library 1st Floor Reference)
Publication Date: 2020
"Profit From Your Idea will help you negotiate and draft a licensing agreement that protects your interests and maximizes your chances of earning a profit. With this all-in-one guide you'll understand how to: navigate the licensing landscape protect your intellectual property rights sort out ownership rights work with licensing agents protect confidential information find and solicit potential licensees license overseas reveal your invention safely, and negotiate and update an agreement."

Inventor Handbook by MIT's Lemelson Center

One Simple Idea: Turn Your Dreams into a Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do the Work by Stephen Key
Call Number: Ebook
Publication Date: 2015
Secrets from an Inventor's Notebook by Maurice Kanbar
Call Number: T339 .K23 2001 (Howe Library 3rd Floor)
Publication Date: 2001

Legal services

USPTO Practitioner Finder
Find a local patent attorney or patent agent.
Vermont Bar Association
The VBA provides a Lawyer Referral Service to help members of the public find an attorney with specific expertise. It also maintains links to pro bono services.
Vermont Small Business Development Center
The VtSBDC can provide recommendations for patent attorneys, as well as other business advice.
Patent Pro Bono Program of New England
Pro bono legal assistance to eligible inventors located in Vermont, supported by the USPTO, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and the Boston Patent Law Association.
American Bar Association Pro Bono IPL Resources
The American Bar Association's list of pro bono IP resources.
USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program
This program allows law students enrolled in a clinic program to practice IP law before the USPTO under the guidance of a law school faculty clinic supervisor.
USPTO Pro Se Assistance Program
The USPTO's Pro Se Assistance Program provides education and training for independent inventors and businesses applying without legal assistance.

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