Library Guides: Management : Intellectual Property

Patent Searching Basics

Patent Searching Basics
This LibGuide will help you get started with the challenging patent searching process.

Trademark, Patent, or Copyright?

United States Patent and Trademark Office. (2014). Basic Facts: Trademarks, Patent, and Copyright [video]. Available from http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics/trademark-patent-or-copyright

What About Fair Use?

Common Sense Education. (2014). Copyright and Fair Use Animation [video]. Available from https://youtu.be/suMza6Q8J08

United States Resources

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Start here for information on patents or trademarks in the United States.
Copyright.gov
Start here for information on Copyright in the United States.
InterNIC
A service of the U.S. Department of Commerce - find information on domain name registration.
Idaho Secretary of State
File an assumed business name (ABN), corporation, LLC, or partnership in Idaho or register a state specific trademark.
Google Patents
Not as up-to-date as the USPTO search options, but provides an easier to use interface.

Local Resources

University of Idaho - Patent Pro Bono
The University of Idaho College of Law administers the Idaho Patent Pro Bono Program, which facilitates the placement of qualified Idaho inventors seeking advice about the patent process with volunteer attorneys who are qualified to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
USPTO List of Patent Attorneys and Agents
Search for local attorneys and agents recognized by the USPTO to provide patent and trademark services.
Idaho Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC)
PTRC library staff are information experts trained on how to use search tools to access patent and trademark information. However, PTRC representatives are not attorneys and cannot provide legal advice.

International Resources

World Intellectual Property Organization
Assists applicants in seeking patent protection internationally.
Espacenet
Search more than 90 million patent documents from around the world.
IP Australia
The Intellectual Property division of the Australian government maintains a list of links to common individual country patent searches.