Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program: An Overview

1. Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program: An Overview Tom Turner United States Patent and Trademark Office ALA Washington June 2007

2. PTDLP • PISD • CISG • OCIO • USPTO • DOC

3. PTDLP—Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program • PISD—Public Information Services Division • CISG—Customer Information Services Group • OCIO—Office of the Chief Information Officer • USPTO—United States Patent and Trademark Office • DOC—Department of Commerce

4. USPTO Business • Examine patent applications and grant patents; • Examine federal trademark applications and register federal trademarks; • Disseminate information about patents and trademarks.

5. At one time… Old Patent Office, Washington, D.C. Public Search Room, Old Patent Office

6. USPTO Headquarters Alexandria New USPTO campus,Alexandria, Virginia

7. What is a PTDL? 35 USC 12: “The Director may supply copies of specifications and drawings of patents and published applications for patents in printed or electronic form to public libraries in the United States which shall maintain such copies for the use of the public…” • PTDL is the acronym for a “Patent and Trademark Depository Library” • Authorized under 35 United States Code 12 • A library officially designated by the USPTO

8. Selected Milestones of PTDLP 1871 - Printed patents offered to libraries on a depository basis. 1977 - 1st Patent Depository Conference with the original 22 PTDLs. 1982 - CASSIS on-line database is started. 1989 - Full CASSIS CD-ROM implementation. 1990 - PDLP becomes PTDLP. 2000 - Complete patents DVD back file provided. 2003 - PubWEST databases offered to all PTDLS. 2006 – Program includes 85 member libraries.

9. Types of PTDL Libraries Public Libraries 31 Academic Libraries 45 State Libraries 8 Special Libraries 1 Total 85

10. Service Points May Vary by PTDL • Patents • Science/Technology • Law • Government Documents • Engineering/Physical Sciences • Business • General Reference

11. www.uspto.gov

12. www.uspto.gov/go/ptdl/

13. PTDL Research Assistance

14. Commonly asked patent questions... Where can I find a list of patent attorneys? How do I do a patent search? Do you have info on invention promotion firms? How do I apply for a patent? How much does it cost to get a patent?

15. “Why should I go to a library; this is all on the Internet, right?” • Patent searching is complex and not intuitive. • An inventor is searching through over 7 million U.S. patents if their invention is novel and non-obvious. • Also, the prior art that should be also be searched includes foreign patents and non-patent literature such as journal articles, conference proceedings and dissertations—all places that public disclosures of new inventions can be documented. • Learning how to do a search can save money.

16. Common Misconceptions in Searching Patents and Trademarks • Novice patent searchers incorrectly assume that they can do a through patent search by searching with keywords. • Novice trademark searchers incorrectly assume that they can do a good trademark search by searching only the exact mark they plan to use.

17. Services of a PTDL • Information on not only how to obtain a patent, but how to have commercial success with one’s invention with library’s business resources • Assistance with preliminary patent and trademark searching (showing How to Search using generic examples) • Assistance to small businesses on how to establish a business and how IP protection can help their business • Liaison for inventor groups

18. PTDL Database Workstations

19. Cassis2 Patent & TM Database (Classification and Search Support Information System)

20. Searching Patents: PatFT & AppFT (Patents Full Text and Applications Full Text)

21. Searching Trademarks: TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System)

22. PubWEST: Patent Databases (Public Web-based Examiner Search Tool)

23. Users of PTDLs • Inventors • Attorneys • Patent Professionals • Entrepreneurs • Musicians • Students/Faculty • Researchers/Engineers • Information Brokers • Historians • Genealogists

24. PTDL Program Services • Train PTDL staff • Market PTDL services and standards • Annual Training Seminars for PTDLs • Liaison between PTDLs and USPTO

25. PTDL Program Services • Support PTDL public seminars and programs • E-Mail and toll-free telephone access to USPTO for PTDLs • Fellowship program • Develop educational materials via PTDLP Commons • Provide technical and research assistance

26. PTDL Training & Seminars

27. PTDLS’ Obligations to USPTO • Provide free access to the collection. • Assist the public in efficient use of patent and trademark information. • Attend the Annual PTDL Training Seminar. • Maintain and protect the integrity of the collection. • Acquire a minimum 20-year backfile of U.S. patents. • Retain all depository items until disposal is arranged through PTDLP. • $50 annual fee.

28. PTDL—D also stands for • Delivering programming and expert one-on-one reference services geared to the needs of independent inventors and small businesses • Driving the local economies with increased intellectual property activity • Delineating a focal point for customers looking for information on intellectual property protection • Designating that library as an official cooperative partner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

29. Visit us at ALA Booth 3967 Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program United States Patent and Trademark Office Madison West, 4A20 P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 E-Mail: ptdloffice@uspto.gov