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 Overview | PATENT Information and Searching | TRADEMARK Information | Patent and Trademark Print Resources

Subject Guide: Patent & Trademark Print Resources

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office documents are publications from the USPTO used to manually search for patents and trademarks, and which provide other information on patents and trademarks - they are located in the Libraries Government Documents Department (MSL 1st Floor). Reference books are published by commercial publishers and will help you learn more about patents and trademarks, and how to search for them - they are located in the MSL Reference section (see listing below). Manual searching techniques are provided below, including information on the print Indexes available.

UF Library Resources

  • Reference Books
    • Inventing and Patenting Sourcebook (MSL Ref / T339.I5)
    • Introduction to U.S. Patent Searching (MSL Ref / T210.A73)
    • Patent Fundamentals for Scientists and Engineers (MSL Ref / T339.G67)
    • Other titles are also available in these call number areas.

Manual Searching for U.S. Patents.

  • Manual searching using USPTO print documents can be done at the Marston Science Library using the following strategies. Keyword searching cannot be done manually and full text copies are not available at MSL (they are available from the Patent Depository Libraries of which there are only four in Florida).
    • If you know the patent number - use the Official Gazette (C21.5) to find an abstract of the patent. This publication is arranged by patent numbers.
    • If you know the patentee/assignee - use the Index of Patents, Part I (C21.5/2). This publication lists the patentees/assignees (which may or may not be the same as the inventor) by year and will provide their patent number(s), then you can go to the Official Gazette to find an abstract of the patent.
    • If you know the class/subclass - use the Index of Patents, Part II (C21.5/2). This publication lists the patent numbers issued by class/subclass (category/subcategory) by year. Then you can go to the Official Gazette to find an abstract of the patent.
    • If you are looking for a particular kind of invention - (a subject or keyword type of search) use the class/subclass listing in the Index to the U.S. Patent Classification (C21.12/3) to find one or more appropriate categories. Then use the Index of Patents, Part II to search for patent numbers in those classes/subclasses.
    • For trademarks - use the Official Gazette - Trademarks (C21.5/4) and the Index of Trademarks. The Gazette will provide an illustration and is arranged by trademark numbers. The Index is arranged by the trademark owner only.

Searching for Older U.S. Patents / INDEXES

  • General. Manual searching can be done for all patents going back to the first one issued in 1790. Internet and other electronic databases usually only go back to the 1970s; however, inventions (or certain aspects of inventions) can often be traced back to very old patents and if you intent to obtain a patent, these older patents need to be searched.
  • Patent Listings and Indexes For Specific Time Periods
    • 1790-1836 / No known print source; however, the US Patent Office database (see above) is searchable for 1790 - 1975 by patent number and current US classifications.
    • 1837-1871 / Patent Office Annual Reports to Congress (C21.1)
    • 1872-1889 / Official Gazette (in microfilm) (C21.5)
    • 1890-1951 / Official Gazette (in paper-arranged by patent number only) (C21.5)
    • 1952-Present / Official Gazette (in paper-arranged by patent number as well as by class/subclass) (C21.5)
    • INDEXES for 1790-1873 Patents / Subject index located at the MSL Documents Office.
    • INDEXES for 1874-1919 Patents / Annual Report of the Commissioner (C21.1)
    • INDEXES for 1920-Present Patents / Index of Patents (C21.5/2)

 
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