Silicon Valley U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

The Silicon Valley USPTO is a West Coast regional office of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) located in the Wing Building of San Jose City Hall. This landmark building, built in 2005, reflects the city's stature in the valley and stands as a symbol of the area's cultural roots and technological savvy. The West Coast regional office serves California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii. Our goal is to promote innovation and stimulate the economy by connecting entrepreneurs to government resources, supporting students and teachers through our STEM education programs, gathering feedback from regional stakeholders, and recruiting diverse talent from the region. Browse the content below to learn more about what the Silicon Valley USPTO can do for you.

Our services

To access any of the services below, click the respective link or send an email to SiliconValley@USPTO.GOV.

Attend an upcoming event including free workshops, seminars, and training tailored to the needs of the community at all levels.
Attend Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings at the Silicon Valley Office.
Pick up free publication guides on patents and trademarks.
Request a speaker for your event.
Conduct an interview with your patent examiner (select "Public Interview room," then "Silicon Valley").
Participate in programs designed to support and foster STEM education with an emphasis on innovative learning.
Participate in public tours of the San Jose facility, offered periodically through our events page on this site.

NOTE: The Silicon Valley USPTO is unable to accept patent or trademark applications, correspondence related to prosecution, or fees. Please consider using our online filing options: EFS-Web for patents or TEAS for trademarks. More information is available on our website: filing patent applications or filing trademark applications.

Schedule a patent or trademark one-on-one meeting (virtual)

Patent one-on-one assistance (available by appointment)

Patent one-on-one assistance is available from the Pro Se Assistance Program via video conference (WebEx) or telephone. Pro Se personnel can answer your questions and help you file your application. Contact the Office of Patents Stakeholder Experience (OPSE) to make an appointment, or self-schedule online:

Toll-free: 866-767-3848 or email proseassistancecenter@uspto.gov.
Schedule a patent one-on-one appointment
Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET (except federal holidays).

Trademark one-on-one assistance (available by appointment)

The Trademark Assistance Center (TAC) is the main support center for trademark customers, from first-time filers to legal professionals and experienced trademark applicants. Contact TAC to make an appointment for one-on-one assistance:

Toll-free: 800-786-9199 or email TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov.
Trademark one-on-one meeting request
Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET (except federal holidays).

Our upcoming events

Upcoming Events

We offer customers access to a range of events, including the Path to a Patent series and Trademark Basics Boot Camp series. Check the West Coast regional event calendar to learn more about our virtual programming.

You can also see a full list of USPTO events happening throughout the United States on the main USPTO event calendar.

For any questions about upcoming events, please email SiliconValley@uspto.gov or call 408-918-9900.

The Silicon Valley, known as one of the most prodigious and innovative entrepreneurial communities in the country, was selected as our West Coast presence to assist the USPTO in fostering and protecting innovation. Looking for information focused on startups? Visit our Startup Resources page.

View PTAB proceedings

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) - Silicon Valley

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) conducts trials, including inter partes, post-grant, and covered business method patent reviews and derivation proceedings, hears appeals from adverse examiner decisions in patent applications and reexamination proceedings, and renders decisions in interferences.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) plans to re-establish in-person hearings starting July 11, 2022, at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) headquarters in Alexandria, VA, and at all USPTO regional offices.

Parties will still have the option to appear virtually for appeals and trials.
Most in-person hearings will still likely have one or more judges attending virtually.
At least initially, PTAB will only conduct an in-person hearing when requested by all parties.
Specific details of each hearing may vary, and will be subject to hearing room availability, agency operating status, and guidelines. Parties should refer to their Scheduling Orders and Hearing Orders for details.
Information about accessing USPTO facilities can be found at https://www.uspto.gov/coronavirus.
For public access to a PTAB hearing, either virtual or in-person, submit a request to PTABHearings@uspto.gov at least 3 days before the hearing.
For more information about PTAB oral hearings, please contact PTABHearings@uspto.gov or call 571-272-9797.

PTAB homepage

Search patents or trademarks

Our public search room has six Universal Public Workstations (UPWS) with the same search tools that patent and trademark employees use when examining applications. Access requirements and print capabilities for the workstations are the same as those in the Public Search Facility at USPTO headquarters. The search room is open from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

Please be aware that you will not be able to connect a removable media device - such as a thumb drive or your personal phone - to our USPTO computers for the purpose of downloading your search results. Please see the USPTO removable media policy for more information.

Are you new to patent or trademark searching? We encourage you to visit a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC). PTRC librarians are trained by the USPTO to provide an introduction to the patent and trademark application process. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library is a PTRC and is located a block away from the Silicon Valley USPTO at 150 E. San Fernando Street, San Jose, CA 95112.

The USPTO collections can also be searched online using Patent Public Search for patents and TESS for trademarks.

Use our space

We have a number of collaboration spaces that are intended for public use. These rooms may be configured to suit events of all sizes and are equipped with whiteboards, easels, telephones, and A/V equipment. Typical uses include inventor organization meetings, business councils, and networking events. Please contact us at SiliconValley@USPTO.GOV or 408-918-9900 for more information and to reserve a space.

Meet the leadership team

As the Acting Director of the Silicon Valley United States Patent and Trademark Office, Stephen Koziol carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, and is responsible for leading the USPTO's West Coast regional office in Silicon Valley.

Acting Assistant Regional Director: Jerrah Edwards

Regional Outreach Officers: Ken Takeda, Julie Mason

Supervisory Patent Examiners: Jerrah Edwards, Michael Stout

Visit us

The office is now open to employees and we are resuming most in-person services for the public. Visitors should review this health questionnaire and may not enter facilities if they answer "yes" to any of the questions.

We continue to monitor local conditions for all locations as determined by the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) COVID-19 community levels. Levels can be low, medium, or high. In communities with low or medium transmission levels, wearing a mask in our buildings is optional. In communities with high transmission levels, wearing a mask in our buildings is mandatory.

Check COVID-19 community levels

Note: PTAB hearings and TTAB hearings will continue to be conducted over video or telephone. Hearing rooms at all locations remain closed until further notice.

Address & contact info

Silicon Valley USPTO
26 S. Fourth Street
San Jose, CA 95112
See map for location.

Phone: 408-918-9900
Email: SiliconValley@USPTO.GOV

Hours

Regular business hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT. Closed on federal holidays.

Building Access Instructions

The Silicon Valley USPTO is a federal facility. Visitors must have a valid form of government-issued identification (driver license or passport) to gain access and may be subject to security screening.

Parking

There is metered street parking on S. Fourth Street and surrounding streets, as well as public parking garages, including the Fourth Street Garage (which is not available to motorcycles). The USPTO does not provide parking validation.

USPTO Removable Media Policy

Please be aware that you will not be able to connect unauthorized or personal removable media storage to any USPTO computer, docking station, or monitor at the Silicon Valley Regional Office. For more information, please see our USPTO removable media policy.