Searching Patent and Trademarks

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE PUBLIC SEARCH FACILITY (PSF)

SEARCHING PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS

VOL. X No. 2, August 2009

Public User Meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m. Meeting notices and minutes are available by linking to Products and Services from the USPTO home page at www.uspto.gov. Send topic suggestions for future newsletters to psf@uspto.gov.

• Search Facilities
• Operations
• News
• Personnel

LINDA DEEMIE RETIRES

Linda Deemie, Librarian in the Public Search Facility, retired from USPTO in July after 25+ years of government service. From 1999 to 2009 Linda provided search services to public users in the Trademark Search Library and the USPTO Public Search Facility. Best Wishes Linda! 

HISTORICAL EXHIBIT – “SEARCHING THROUGH TIME” 

Public Search Facility staff recently designed an exhibit tracing the history of public searching at the USPTO. It is located on the first floor behind the grand staircase and combines artifacts, photographs, documents and artwork preserved by USPTO employees. Two glass display cabinets contain among other items, patent models, an X-Patent dated January 1802, and a trademark application signed by Walt Disney. Historical photos depicting USPTO buildings and public search rooms may also be viewed. 

USPTO BETA WEBSITE

Did you know that the USPTO has a beta test release of its new Web site design available for public preview? The test website is designed to improve access to USPTO information, as well as to enhance the users’ experience with improved navigation and information views. To view the test website version, please go to http://beta.uspto.gov/ . To submit feedback, please use this email address - betafeedback@uspto.gov. 

Note: test website information is not current. Search Collections

• Digital
• Print
• Microfilm

MICROFILM COLLECTION REORGANIZATION

The Trademark microfilm collection is being reorganized so public searchers can easily locate reels of interest among the hundreds of microfilm reels that comprise the collection. Trademark collection improvements implemented to date are: (1) placement of all Trademark Application Collections in order beginning with the Applications as Filed from the oldest to the most recent collection date; and (2) the Abandoned Application collections are now located next to the remaining collection of Trademark application reels. After completion of the application microfilm reels, the Trademark registrations and assignment reels will be placed in order. The reorganization of this collection is being done in phases. The scheduled project completion date is the end of August 2009.

NEW TECHNICAL REFERENCES

The Public Search Facility’s technical reference collection has expanded to include three new titles to assist the public users in their research. The titles are (1) Encyclopedia of Associations, (2) Ward’s Business Directory and (3) Acronyms, Initialisms and Abbreviations. These titles are a welcome addition to our collection and are located in the reference area at the front of the first floor of the PSF.

• Search Interfaces
• Structure
• Capabilities
• Modules

NEW VERSION OF PUBWEST

A new version of PubWEST is to be available for public use on the Public Search Facility Universal Public Workstations (UPWS) August 2009. The new version of PubWEST will include a new grid to display result sets. The grid display is limited to 200 records per page. 

A handout of the new features is available at the What’s New rack at the On-Line Desks. NEW VERSION OF PUBEAST

A new version of PubEAST is scheduled to be available for public use on the Public Search Facility Universal Public Workstations (UPWS) Fall 2009. 
The new version of PubEAST will include the following changes:

Application data for both published applications and granted patents will be included in the Details Grid. This information will include the application number and filing date for both published applications and granted patents.

The number of tagged fields will increase from 5 to 25.

Searching application numbers will now be searchable in the Image Search & Retrieval field.

A handout of the new features is available at the What’s New rack at the On-Line Desks.

• Search Topics
• Hints
• Results
• Reminders

PRINTING PATENT NUMBERS USING PubEAST

Users can print a single patent number or a list of patent numbers related to a query from the DETAILS GRID. Go to the FILE menu, then, Click on PRINT PATENT NUMBERS

By default the first patent will be highlighted in the grid for printing and you will only get that one document printed. If you want the entire column of patents to be printed select from the Document ID column in the details grid then select Print Patent Numbers.

The following will be printed:
Country of origin Patent Numbers Kind Code Database
US 7559104 B1 USPAT
DE 19614323 A1 EPO

CHANGING SCREEN COLORS

When you use the EAST Patent Search Application, you have the option to change the color of the screen windows in both the workspace view and the browser view. Click on Tools, then Options, and finally Display and adjust the areas you wish to change to another color. Select the area of Color to be changed and click on either the Foreground or Background area. Then select the color desired. Finally click on OK to display the changes. To retain the changes for further use, save the color selections as a saved workspace when exiting the search. For a more detailed explanation please ask PSF staff at the on-line assistance desks.

Public Information Services
United States Patent and Trademark Office
P. O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450