Patent and Trademark Resources at DPL

These resources are available at the Patent and Trademark Resource Center, located in the Reference Services Department, Floor 3 of the Central Library.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Documents and Historical Indexes

  • Plant Patents Full-text in print from P1, 1831-present.
  • Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents and General Index of the Official Gazette A list of patents registered in a particular year, arranged by subject of invention and name of patentee. They provide the patent number, registration date and the volume and page number where it can be located in the Official Gazette. Library has 1848-present.
  • Official Gazette of the Patent and Trademark Office The official journal of the USPTO, published weekly on Tuesday that includes bibliographic information and a representative drawing for each patent granted or trademark published on that issue date. There is a separate Official Gazette for Patents and Official Gazette for Trademarks, and the most recent 52 issues for each are available online. Library has 1872-present.
  • Subject-Matter Index of Patents for Inventions Issued by the United States Patent Office From 1790 to 1873 Helpful subject index which provides patent number, date of registration, inventor, and inventor residence. Library has Vols. 1-3.

Patent and Trademark Search Tools

  • Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System Alphabetical list of subject headings which refer to specific classes/subclasses of the U.S. Patent Classification System – (i.e., technology categories). There are approximately 67,000 terms contained in this index.
  • Manual of Classification Lists the numbers and descriptive titles of the patent classes and subclasses for approximately 450 classes and 150,000 subclasses of the U.S. Patent Classification (USPC) System, as well as the design classes.
  • U.S. Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual Lists goods and services by their appropriate classification under the classification system of the Nice (International) Agreement of which the United States is a signatory. The goods and services are listed alphabetically as well as in class order. It can also be searched by class to view all goods or services included in a particular class.
  • Design Search Code Manual of Trademarks The USPTO assigns all marks containing design figurative elements a 6-digit numerical code for searching purposes. This manual indexes the categories, divisions, and sections that make up these codes.

USPTO Manuals, Handbooks, Guides and Directories

  • General Information Concerning Patents Provides information in non-technical language concerning the application for and granting of patents and answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the patent application process.
  • Basic Facts about Trademarks Provides brief non-technical information about the trademark registration process and filing requirements. It contains sample written applications, drawings, and specimens; a list of Patent and Trademark Resource Centers; blank application forms; information about trademark processing and service fees; and a one-page summary of the International Schedule of Classes of Goods and Services.
  • Manual of Patent Examining Procedure Provides patent examiners, patent applicants, and attorneys/representatives of patent applicants with a reference work on the practices and procedures relative to prosecution of patent applications in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  • Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure Provides trademark examining attorneys in the USPTO, trademark applicants, and attorneys and representatives for trademark applicants with a reference work on the current law, practices, and procedures relative to prosecution of applications to register marks in the USPTO. 
  • A Guide to Filing a Non-Provisional (Utility) Patent Application Contains information about filing a non-provisional utility patent application. It discusses the required parts of the utility patent application and identifies some of the forms that may be used.
  • A Guide to Filing a Design Patent Application Covers the application process and provides a basic overview of design patents for potential applicants to determine whether their invention would benefit from design patent protection.
  • Guide for the Preparation of Patent Drawings Contains selected rules of practice relating to patent drawings and interpretations of those rules, including examples of patent drawings.
  • Provisional Application for Patent Brochure Describes the features of the Provisional Application for Patent which is a U. S. national application for patent filed in the USPTO under 35 U.S.C. §111(b). The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has offered inventors the option of filing a Provisional Application for Patent since June 8, 1995.
  • Directory of Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Contains the names and addresses of patent attorneys and agents authorized to represent inventors before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Reference Books on Patents

Electronic Resources

  • Electronic Official Gazette - Patents The eOG:P provides the information previously contained in the paper version of the Official Gazette in electronic format on CD-ROM. It includes bibliographic information, a representative claim, and a drawing (if applicable) of each patent issued that week. Patents are accessible by type of patent (utility, plant, etc.), classification (class or class/subclass), patentee name, and geographical location. The Electronic Official Gazette for Trademarks (OG) contains bibliographic information and a representative drawing for each mark published, along with a list of canceled and renewed registrations.
  • Legal Information Reference Center Search or browse the "Patents Copyright and Trademarks" section to find full-text from books from Nolo Press. Library Card Required
  • Patent Public Search System USPTO's Patent Public Search system provides access to full text patent applications and granted patents from 1790 to current.