Resources for Patent and Trademark Searches
Pardon Our Noise
We wish to apologize for construction noise on the north side of the building. Our Large Group Study Rooms and study tables near the first floor Loan collection may be affected. This construction will start Monday, 10/14/24, and be ongoing through November. Please see our staff at the Access Desk for assistance reserving an appropriate study room.
While West Texas A&M University is not a Patent and Trademark Depository Library, we do have a few resources available and provide access to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) databases online.
United States Patent and Trademark Office
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- For tips searching patents and trademarks online in the USPTO, start with the How to Search page that also has links to free TIFF image viewers used to view patent illustrations. Patents issued from 1790 through 1975 are searchable only by patent number, issue date, and current US Patent Classification system. Try the brief Patent Research Guide PDF document from the University of Notre Dame Law School for more tips.
- Patent Full-Text Database (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office)
- Can search by full-text for patents from 1976 to the present.
- Trademark Electronic Search System
- The Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) has U.S. registered, pending, or dead trademarks from 1984 to the present online. TESS provides access to the same text and image database of trademarks as currently provided to examining attorneys at the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Sources available at West Texas A&M Cornette Library
Patents
- Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office: Patents
- 1987-2002 - U.S. Documents - Microfiche - Call number: C 21.5:
- 2002 to present - U.S. Documents Staff Workroom - CD-ROM - Call number: C 21.5/6:
- Most recent issues online
- Index of Patents Issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- 1927, 1929-2002 - U.S. Documents Shelves - Call Number: C 21.5/2: year
- 2001-2005 - U.S. Documents Staff Workroom - CD-ROM - Call number C 21.5/7: year
- 2006-2009 - U.S. Documents Staff Workroom - DVD - Call number C 21.5/7: year
- Index to the U.S. Patent Classification
- U.S. Document Shelves - C 21.12/2:year
- Latest edition online
- Nexis Uni (replaces LexisNexis Academic)
- Search U.S. patents from 1971 to present in Lexis-Nexis Academic by selecting the "US Legal" tab and then "Patents." Easy search options for patent number, inventor, or patent title. Also has additional search help.
Trademarks
- Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office: Trademarks
- 1991 to present - U.S. Documents - Microfiche - Call number: C 21.5/4:
- Most recent issues also available online
- Index of Trademarks Issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- 1927 - 1997 (with gaps) - U.S. Documents Shelves - Call Number: C 21.5/3:year
- Texas Trademark FAQ's
- The Texas Secretary of State site explains how to get a trademark in Texas (valid in Texas only, not the entire United States). Online forms are also available.
Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries
If you need more help you can visit a Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL) which has been officially designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and maintains a collection of U.S. patent and trademark documents for public use. Most PTDLs also maintain a section for copyright materials as well.
Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries in Texas
| City | Library |
|---|---|
| Austin | McKinney Engineering Library, University of Texas at Austin |
| College Station | West Campus Library, Texas A&M University |
| Dallas | Dallas Public Library |
| Houston | Fondren Library, Rice University |
| Lubbock | Texas Tech University Library |
What Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries Can Do for You
As set forth by Federal Government regulations, the USPTO provides to its depository libraries:
- Copies of Utility patents
- Copies of Design patents
- Copies of Plant patents
- Copies of Patent Status File reports--Includes Reissues, Reexaminations, and Certificates of Correction
- Patent and Trademark Official Gazettes
- Reference resources for patent and trademark searching
- Assistance offered at PTDLs
- Staff committed to providing assistance in all areas of intellectual property (cannot do searches for patrons)
- Ability for persons to conduct their own preliminary patent and trademark searches
- Guidance and help through PTDL contacts
- Access to legal information
- Inventor organization network information