As part of our ongoing efforts to modernize and streamline our systems, we are working closely with patent and trademark filers and website visitors to gather feedback and implement upgrades to several of our search tools to make it easier for our customers to find what they’re looking for in a faster, more reliable way. Below are just a few examples of recent and upcoming product improvements.
Web search
This past May, we announced the beta release of the new www.USPTO.gov search tool, improving how visitors find information on our website using the search bar that appears at the top of most webpages. In addition to new filtering options for search results, it also clearly directs customers to our IP databases, which are separate search tools customers use to look up patent and trademark information.
Patent search
Last year, Patent Public Search (PPUBS) replaced four previous legacy tools. PPUBS provides a streamlined and robust way to do full-text searching of all U.S. patents and U.S. pre-grant publications. Approximately 5,000 users conduct patent searches with PPUBS each day in the U.S. and internationally, and since it launched in February 2022, over 1.5 million have used PPUBS. Visit the PPUBS page to find more information, FAQs, and training materials.
Trademark search
Soon, we will be announcing more details on the beta launch of our new trademark search tool that will be replacing the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) later this year. We will be providing demos and trainings on this new system, and look forward to hearing customer feedback.
“Thousands of customers use the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website and online search tools each day to apply for intellectual protection, register for events, and search for patent and trademark information,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Kathi Vidal. “Through these and other improvements, we are committed to enhancing our services to America’s innovators to provide a better user experience.”
With all our improved systems, your feedback is important to help us identify any issues and to determine features we may want to add or improve. In addition, we hold a number of regular training sessions – including webinars for novice searchers and advanced searchers, where we cover system capabilities and answer questions. Visit our USPTO events page to see all upcoming trainings and our web improvements page to stay up to date on all the latest updates.