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_________ Community Information Database
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The library has been a Patent Depository since 1977. Our collection
is backdated to the first patents issued in 1790 and includes complete
drawings and specifications for design, utility, reissue, plant patents, as
well as defensive publications. It also contains patent cooperation, treaty
publications, and European Patent Office Applications. The Government
Information Center has all the materials needed to conduct a preliminary
manual and online patent search.The Library hosts Free Inventor Workshops and provides books on all aspects of intellectual property including patents, trademark and copyright.
Our resources include:
- Utility Patents: 1790 – present
- Design Patents: No. 1 – present
- Plant Patents (color photos): No. 1 – present
- Reissue Patents: No. 1 - present
- Defensive Publications and Statutory Inventions
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Applications: 1979-1990
- European Patent Office (EPO) Applications: 1982-1990
Patent files are searched for many different reasons. You might wish to find out if your idea has already been patented or want a copy of the complete drawings and specifications of a particular patent. Or, you may want to find out what types of research are being done by certain companies or individual inventors.
We cannot give you legal advice. So if you need this kind of help, please consult an attorney who specializes in this area (at our Reference Desk, we have a listing that is published by the Patent and Trademark Office).
Patent copies can be made by using the copy facilities located in the library. Companies ( with an account) may call in patent requests (214-670-1468) and then pick up the copies or have them mailed with an invoice.
Patent application items are available at the Government Information Center Reference Desk for you to photocopy.
Trademarks
Trademarks can be searched alphabetically by trademark name or by owner name through a mix of book and computer resources. You will also have access to pending federal trademark applications. Trademark information includes date of first use, a description of goods or services being offered, the owner's name and address, etc.
Our resources include:
- U.S. Trademarks: All active and pending Federal registrations
- CASSIS (a free CD-ROM service provided by the Patent and Trademark Office). CASSIS contains information on federally registered and pending trademarks
- Multiple workstations with high-speed access to government websites, including the online Trademark Electronic Search System database.
Forms and current fee schedules are available for photocopying at our Reference Desk. Again, we cannot help you with legal advice. If you need that kind of assistance, we suggest you consult an attorney who specializes in trademark law (at our Reference Desk, we have a listing that is published by the Patent and Trademark Office). This collection is available to the general public any time the library is open.
Copyrights
The Copyright collection includes the
Catalog
of Copyright Entries
as well as general books about copyright protection and use of copyrighted
materials. Copyright application forms (TX, PA, SR, VA, RE, and SE) are
available. Application forms can be mailed out to individuals who send us a
stamped, self-addressed envelope with a request for a specific form. Please call
214-670-1468 for more information.
The U.S. Copyright Office also has an online database of copyright records.
We can supply you with one copy only of the various copyright forms, or you can find them online.
