Patents & Trademarks
About -- Patent Resources -- Patent Databases -- Foreign Patents --Trademark Resources
About the VCU Patent Collection
Patents are issued by the United States Patent & Trademark Office to protect an inventor's exclusive right to profit from his or her own ideas. For a fixed, non renewable period of time, the inventor can exclude all others from making, using, or selling the invention without authorization. To receive a patent, an invention must be new and useful or significantly different from previous inventions of its type. There are three types of patents currently issued by the government: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents.
In September 1985, James Branch Cabell Library was designated the first official U.S. Patent Depository Library in Virginia. The only such collection in the state, Cabell Library holds copies of every patent issued since 1790, available on DVD. This complete patent collection is also available at http://www.uspto.gov/
In addition to these complete patent listings, VCU's collection includes various searching resources, such as:
- Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (various formats)
- List of Patentees (microfiche)
- Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents (various formats)
- Index of Patents Issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (various formats)
Patent Resources
Patent searches usually fall into one of two categories: Historical searching and comprehensive searching.
Historical searching is not so much "historical," as "specific." This type of search is conducted to look for a specific patent or group of patents, such as a type of sewing machine or everything patented by an individual.
Example: "I am trying to locate a patent that was issued to my grandfather in the 1940s."
Comprehensive searching is done by someone who is interested in applying for a patent. This preliminary "What else is out there?" search is to help ascertain the patentability or novelty of an invention.
Example: "I am interested in patenting my invention, and would like to see what similar inventions have already been patented."
Research Guides:
- VCU Libraries Patent Collection
This introductory brochure highlights patent resources available at James Branch Cabell Library. PDF Format. - Historical Patent Searching Reference Sources & Techniques
This handout explains how to conduct a search for a specific patent. PDF format. - Using the U.S. Patent Classification System
A step-by-step guide to conducting a comprehensive preliminary patent search for prior art, to ascertain the patentability or novelty of your invention. PDF format. - Finding U.S. Patents Screencast Tutorial
This screencast provides a brief introduction (3 minutes 21 seconds, with audio) to some methods for beginning a search for U.S. patents. A separate audio-only podcast is also available. - Basic Facts About Patents
A fantastic starting point, available at the United States Patent and Trademark Office Web page. - The Seven-Step Strategy
Another step-by-step strategy for comprehensive patent searching. - Patents Search Templates
Arranged by class, these guides offer lists of search tools used by patent examiners. VCU Libraries has access to many of the resources listed, which may be used in addition to the U.S. patent literature when conducting a comprehensive search.
Classification Resources :
- Index to the United States Patent Classification (USPC) System
Browse the alphabetical index to find the class and subclass for a particular subject. - Manual of Patent Classification
Search for listings and definitions by class number. After retrieving a class listing, click the red "P" icon to view patents in that class.
Patent Databases
USPTO Web (Search for Patents)
http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html
This site provides full-text images of patents issued since 1790. A TIFF viewer software is required to view images. Full-text searching is available for patents issued since 1976. Full-page images since 1790 can be searched only by patent number or current U.S. classification. Internet access to the Patent and Trademark Office homepage is available at public computer workstations at the Cabell and Tompkins-McCaw Libraries. This resource can also be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection.
PubWest (Web based Examiner Search Tool)
Used by USPTO patent examiners, this tool features more search options than the USPTO Web and allows for multiple-page printing. Full-text search availability is the same as that at the USPTO Web site. Additional limited full-text searching back to 1920 is available, though because of many imperfect scanned images, this should not take the place of a classification search. If you are interested in using PubWEST, please contact Research & Instructional Services for an appointment.
CASSIS Patent Searches
CASSIS is a CD-ROM/DVD-ROM resource available at Cabell Library. Results may be downloaded in a variety of formats and searches may be saved on a diskette to rerun in a future session. Utility patents go back to 1969, and abstracts go back to 1991. Assistance with CASSIS patent searches is available by appointment.
Appointments for PubWest or CASSIS may be arranged by calling Research & Instructional Services at 804-828-1101.
Confused about which database will be best for your search? Check out our Patent Databases Comparison Chart for a quick comparison.
Foreign Patents
esp@cenet
This database is the best place to begin a foreign patent search. Maintained by the European Patent Office, esp@cenet contains more than 50 million patent documents from around the world. Dates of coverage vary from country to country, but the earliest documents date back to 1836.
Trademark Resources
- Basic Facts About Trademarks
A fantastic starting point from the USPTO, similar to the guide for patents. Additional information can also be found at their Where do I Start? page. - TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System)
Connect to TESS from the USPTO Trademarks Web page, from the "Search" link.
TESS contains more than 3 million pending, registered and dead federal trademarks. - Trademarks are registered according to the International Class under which a product would logically fall. The relevant class number(s) must be taken into account both for searching and registration purposes.