Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRC) help the public access information about patents and trademarks, assist in using search tools, United States Patent and Trademark Center (USPTO) resources, and, at some locations, hold workshops. The one-on-one assistance librarians provide is invaluable for customers who lack experience with sophisticated databases or want to progress to the next level.
Providing patent and trademark information helps meet the diversified needs of engineers, historians, lawyers, social scientists, business and industry, educators, students of all ages, government agencies, inventors, entrepreneurs, and the general public.
Benefits of becoming a Patent and Trademark Resource Center
Many states value PTRCs because they are rich local resources for small businesses, research and development firms, university and governmental laboratories, and independent inventors and entrepreneurs. The availability of assistance with patent and trademark searching helps libraries connect with their communities.
Learn more about how a library can become a PTRC.
Products and services offered to PTRCs
The PTRC Program Office offers the following to member libraries:
- Ongoing, regularly scheduled training on patent searching, trademark searching, and related resources.
- Opportunities for individualized training and participation for PTRC librarians during USPTO’s annual in-depth training seminar held virtually and on-site at the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia.
- Assistance using USPTO manuals, handbooks, search tools, and forms to patent and trademark clientele.
- Assistance using search tools and resources provided by the European Patent Office, Japan Patent Office, and World Intellectual Property Organization, and other commercial and nonprofit publishers of intellectual property information.
Contact the PTRCP Office for more information.