Patent & Trademark Resource Center
The Engineering & Physical Sciences Library is the College Park Patent & Trademark Resource Center
EPSL became a Patent & Trademark Depository Library January 1984; renamed PTRC October 2011
Getting Started
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.
- How to Conduct a Preliminary U.S. Patent SearchWatch this helpful 36 minute video offering a step by step strategy to searching for patents.
- WIPO "Patent Basics" TutorialThis World Intellectual Property Organization tutorial has 3 sections: Patent Basics, Patent Search and Retrieval, and Patent Analysis. "Each section contains interactive tutorials followed by story-based exercises to help you put the theory into practice."
- World Intellectual Property Organization's Guide to Using Patent InformationA helpful guide that includes a brief overview of what patents are, how they are used, and the basics of searching.
- Intellectual Property Awareness Assessment ToolTo promote knowledge and provide personalized training resources for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and inventors.
- General Information Concerning Patents
- Freepatentsonline.com*Same field codes as USPTO web databases
*Search granted patents and pre-grant publications together
*Includes European and WIPO patents, Japanese Patent Abstracts, and Non-Patent Literature cited in patents.
*Advanced Search includes proximity search [full text search is limited to 1976-present]
*Fast downloading, printing, and exporting to spreadsheets. - Google PatentsGoogle Patents has OCR search for most U.S. patents since 1836. One of the quickest sources for displaying, printing and downloading full-text. For more advanced searching of later patents, try freepatentsonline.com (full text search 1975-present) or Espacenet (title/inventor 1920-1975; full text 1976-present)
Patent News in Lay Person's Terms
Inventive Step is a blog dedicated to a discussion of patent law issues and strategies and focusing on new developments in patent law. The blog focuses primarily on court decisions, legislation, and new Patent Office regulations, but may also cover other news and commentary on issues of relevance to patent professionals, inventors, technology companies, and others having an interest in patent law.
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Patent Search Aids
Trademark Search Aids
- Design Code Manual for Trademarks (online version)
- Design Code Manual for Trademarks (print version)EPSL Reference T223 .V15 1990
- Index of trademarks issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office 1928-1973EPSL Reference T223.V1U5
(Brief list of older trademarks) - Index of trademarks issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office 1974-1997EPSL Reference T223.V1 U52
(subject title list only)
Patent Expiration Date Calculator
This calculator provides a best estimate of the expiration date of a utility, plant, or design patent, based on a comprehensive list of factors than can be found in USPTO records. Download Calculator
Before relying on an expiration date, individuals should always carefully inspect all relevant documents available through the USPTO, court records and elsewhere, and consult with an attorney.
Librarian |
 Jim Miller Contact Info Engineering & Physical Sciences Library University of Maryland College Park MD 20742-7011 301-405-9152 Send Email Subjects: Patents/Trademarks |
Helpful Sources
Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association "Handout Central"
Patents Guide by Mike White. Queens University, Ontario.
End-User Patent Searching Using Open Access Sources by Pat LaCourse. Engineering and Science Librarian. New York State College of Ceramics.
Patents Guide: "Help for Researchers". British Library
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