Patents, Trademarks, Copyright

Patent & Trademark Depository Library Wichita State University 1st Floor, Ablah Library, Wichita, Kansas 67260 316-978-3622 or 800-572-8368

        The Patent and Trademark Depository Library at Wichita State University has been a designated
        PTDL since 1991 and is the only PTDL in the state of Kansas.

        The Library receives copies of patents and trademarks issued by the U.S. Patent & Trademark
        Office, and maintains a collection of resources necessary for preliminary patent and trademark
        research.  In addition, the Library provides a state of the art computer workstation for searching
        patents issued from 1790 to to the current week of issue.  Users may access the USPTO web site
       or use the patent examiner systems Web-based Examiner Search Tool (WEST).     

Services we provide:

• We offer assistance with PRELIMINARY patent searches (U.S.) and trademark searches (federal) by appointment.
• To set an appointment, please call 316-978-5130 or e-mail Nan Myers, Librarian for Patents and Trademarks.
• Consult a patent attorney for complete patent searching and for legal advice.

Patent websites:

• U.S. Patent & Trademark Office offers the full-text and now full-image patent search databases , online publications, downloadable forms in Adobe Acrobat format, patent fee information and other information regarding patents and trademarks.
• General Information Concerning Patents (USPTO brochure)
• European Patent Office From this site you can get to the trilateral website of the European Patent Office, Japanese Patent Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well. Offers the free patent databases (esp@cenet, Japio, and US Patents) of the three patent offices.
• Patent Citation Database from Community of Science a fully searchable bibliographic file containing all of the approximately 1.7 million U.S. Patents issued since 1975; updated weekly.
• Index of U.S. Patent Classification System (a starting point in classifying an invention)
• Manual of U.S. Patent Classification (the Manual breaks down the further terms found in the Index)
• Classification Definitions the definitions are important in your understanding of each class, plus they provide good hints and notes for searching.
• Sunnyvale Center for Innovation, Invention, and Ideas
• The Seven Step Strategy for Searching Patents
• IBM's Patent Site IBM offers access to 26 years of patent descriptions and the last 23 years of patent images
• The Patent Portal The Patent Portal is an entry point for patent resources.

Patent & Trademark Search Tutorials and Search Aids

• Patent Search Tutorial from the Richard W. McKinney Library, University of Texas at Austin
• Patent Search Tutorial from the Science and Engineering Library, University of California, San Diego
• The Seven Step Strategy for Searching Patents
• Trademark Search Tutorial from the Richard W. McKinney Library, University of Texas at Austin

Trademark websites:

• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Access the Trademark Search database as well as information, forms, and trademark processing fee information.
• Basic Facts about registering a Trademark (USPTO brochure)
• Nolo Press Nolo Press is a leading publisher of self-help law books and software and their website has lots of information.
• Thomson & Thomson has been in the Trademark business for 75 years and they provide the database used by Dialog (Knight-Ridder) and other search companies.
• Identity Research Corp. A well-organized site that seeks to "education businesses on the importance of trademark issues and steps to take to secure trademark rights".
• Sunnyvale Center for Innovation, Invention, and Ideas A partnership Patent & Trademark Depository Library that offers expanded services, including trademark searches.
• International Trademark Association See their "Trademark Basics" and "Media Guide".
• American Trademark Company The ATC has a good "Trademark Reference Guide".
• American Trademark & Data Research

Copyright Information

• U.S. Copyright Office
• Copyright Basics
• Copyright and Blackboard/TEACH Act Checklist (pdf documents)
• Copyright Essentials for Educators (requires PowerPoint 2003 or higher)
• Crash Course in Copyright (from the University of Texas)
• A Guide to Copyright for Music Librarians (from MLA, Music Library Association)
• Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center (from Stanford University Libraries)
• TEACH Act Toolkit (Copyright and Distance Education, from NCSU Libraries)
• WSU's Copyright Policy (effective April 5, 2001)
• WSU's Intellectual Property Policy (rev. December 1, 2007)

      Copyright Legislation

• U.S. Copyright Law
• Pending Legislation
• History of Copyright Law

Inventor's groups and related links:

• Inventor's Association of South Central Kansas (IASCK)  The monthly meeting of IASCK is held the last Monday evening of each month at the Wichita Public Library, 223 S. Main in Wichita in the Patio Room. IASCK is affiliated with UIA/USA.  Contact Richard Friedenberger at 316-721-1866 or Evelyn Rust at 316-775-6064 for additional information.
• Wichita State University's Small Business Development Center the place to go to ask your business and marketing-related questions!
• Attorneys and Agents registered to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (Kansas region)
• Inventor's Digest
• The Inventors World Magazine
• National Patent Association
• National Inventor Fraud Center, Inc. "helping inventors through education".
• "Can you really get a patent without a Lawyer?"
• Don't miss this interesting site from MIT about inventors!

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Updated: March 14, 2008    Contact: Nan Myers