I.P. Guide: United States Patent Information at NYPL
For some patent research projects, however, available online tools may not be the best or easiest resources to employ. So, for those contingencies, as well as in recognition of our very important and valuable collections of patent resources here at NYPL, we're posting this revised guide to our collections of historical U.S. Patent text, indexes and finding aids in print, microform and electronic formats, as well as other patent resources.
If you are not in the New York City area, you may want to visit the USPTO's Patent and Trademark Resource Centers Program pages for more information on Patent Resource Centers in your area. The PTRCP gives information on the libraries around the United States that collect patents and trademarks. To locate the PTRC nearest you, use the Linked List by State to Libraries.
Patent Indexes and Finding Aids in Print and Microform
Other topics in this guide:
The Official Gazette of the US Patent and Trademark Office: Patents
This weekly publication lists all the patents registered in a given week, arranged by patent number, providing bibliographic information — title, inventor name(s), assignee — a representative drawing, and an exemplary claim describing what the invention does. It lists the week's notices concerning regulations, reexaminations, and expirations, and it provides an alphabetical index of that week's inventors and assignees and a list of patent numbers by class/subclass.
SIBL has print and microfilm of the Official Gazette from 1872 to its final distribution in paper format on February 22, 2005.
| Volumes/Years | Format | Call Number/Location |
|---|---|---|
| v. 1-930; 1872-Jan. 1975. (Incomplete) | *VAB (United States. Patent Office. Official gazette) | |
| 1872-1975 | Microfilm | *XFR-6 [Microfilm cartridge set] |
| 1975-2005 | Official gazette | |
| Current Issues | Online | www.uspto.gov/news/og/patent_og/index.jsp |
The Official Gazette is also available digitally from the Hathi Trust website:
- 1872 - 1971
- Patents | 1971 - January 1975
- Patents | 1975 - 2002
- Trademarks | 1971 - 1974
- Trademarks | 1975 - 2008
- Trademarks | Archived on USPTO website from 2001 -
Index of Patents
SIBL has this annual from 1872 to the final print issue in 2002 (available electronically through 1973 from the Hathi Trust - keyword searchable, but only within the individual volumes). This title has been published under various names such as Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents (1838 - 1925 available electronically from the Hathi Trust) and General Index of the Official Gazette. The Index to Patents lists patents by inventor and assignee name and by general subject. It provides the patent number, registration date, and the volume and page number where it can be found in the Official Gazette.
Early Unnumbered United States Patents, 1790 to 1836
This one volume index is the specially prepared companion to the microfilm copies of the U.S.'s early, unnumbered patents (i.e., those that were issued from 1790 to 1836). It lists these earliest patents by patent class, then alphabetically by invention title and by issue date. These lists give the specific microfilm reel number where the full text, specifications, and drawings are located.
Name and Date Patents, July 31, 1790 - July 2, 1836 | *R-SIBL T223.V3 .N36
A listing of the earliest patents issued by the U.S. Patent Office prior to 1836. Sometimes referred to as the "X" patents from the numbering system applied to them on a retrospective basis. This resource lists the patents in date order, with name and type of invention. Copies available to download here:
Patents x0001 - x1000 | Patents x1001 - x2000 | Patents x2001 - x3000 | Patents x3001 - x4000 | Patents x4001 - x5000 | Patents x5001 - x6000 | Patents x6001 - x7000 | Patents x7001 - x8000 | Patents x8001 - x9000 | Patents x9001 - x9902
Subject-Matter Index of Patents ... 1790 to 1873
This three volume set lists all patents granted from 1790 to 1873 alphabetically by the subject of the patent. It gives inventor's names, their residences, the registration date, and the patent number for those granted after 1836. There is no listing by inventor name or registration date in this set. Available electronically from the Hathi Trust.
More information for each year can be found in the annual reports from the Commissioner of Patents, which are available in the three volumes listed below or, electronically, from 1838 - 1925 (incomplete) in the Hathi Trust.
Digest of Patents: 1790 to 1839 (also from Hathi Trust)
Digest of Patents: 1839 to 1841 (also from Hathi Trust)
List of Patents: 1790 to 1847 (also from Hathi Trust)
These volumes include reprinted copies of the annual reports prepared by the Commissioner of Patents from 1790 to 1847. The information in them varies, but generally includes lists of the patents arranged alphabetically by subject of the patent or chronologically by issue date. The Early Unnumbered United States Patents,1790 to 1836 and Subject-Matter ndex of Patents ... 1790 to 1873 (described above) present all the bibliographic information included in these separate volumes, but in a different format.
Plant Patent Directory
Produced by the National Association of Plant Patent Owners, this source indexes all plant patents granted from the beginning of the series in 1931 to 1993. It indexes plant patents by plant patent number, plant species, plant denomination, originator (inventor), and assignee.
U.S. Patents - Text and Images
Other topics in this guide:
United States Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov)
Copies of patents, patent applications, and many other patent-related filings are available on the USPTO web site. Patent searching can be done directly on the USPTO's web site. Full text and images are available for patents from 1976 to the most recent Tuesday. Images, current classification numbers and patent numbers only are available for patents from 1790 to 1975. The USPTO's web page offers excellent information on all aspects of patents, including fee schedules, online versions of their most popular brochures, forms, and background information on patents.
In addition, U.S. patents are available from the European Patent Office's Espacenet website, and from Google Patents as well as various other free and fee-based online resources.
The full text and images of US patents from 1790 through 2011 in different formats are available from SIBL as follows:
| Desciption | Title//Years | Format/Location |
| Utitlity Patents | U. S. patents / 1790-1999 | Microfilm *XFR-1 [Offsite] |
| Design Patents | U. S. design patents / 1842-1999 | Microfilm *XFR-10 [Offsite] |
| Plant Patents | Plant pat. / United States Patent Office / 1931-1975 | *VAC (United States. Patent Office. [Specifications and drawings of patents] Plant pat.) |
| Plant Patents [Microfiche: color illustrations] | 1931-1995 [Patents No. 1 - 9,284] | Microfiche [Not in CATNYP - Speak to a librarian for location of fiche]. |
| Plant Patents | United States patent. Plant. 1976-1993 | *VAC (United States. Patent Office. [Specifications and drawings of patents] Plant pat.) |
| Plant Patents | United States patent. Plant. 1994-current | JSM 99-245 |
| Reissue Patents | CDR File (Corrections, Disclaimers, Reissues). 1838-1995 | *XFR-2 |
| Defensive Publications | Defensive Publications. 1975-1985 | *XFR-20 |
| Statutory Invention Registrations | United States Statutory Invention Registration | *XFR-23 |
| Reexamination Certificates | CDR File (Corrections, Disclaimers, Reissues). 1981-1995 | *XFR-2 |
| U.S. patent documents on CD-ROM | USAPAT / 1994-1999 | CD-ROM *WSC-421 |
| U.S. patent documents on DVD-ROM | USAPAT / 1790 to 2011 | DVD-ROM *WSD-421 |
Search our Catalog for More Books about Patents!
Other Patent Resources
Other topics in this guide:
Manual of Patent Examining Procedure
This manual is produced by the US Patent and Trademark Office and details all of the procedures used by patent examiners when dealing with a patent application. It is a good source for precise requirements of a patent application. Now online, earlier versions are available at SIBL - speak to a librarian or search our catalog to find them.
General Information Concerning Patents
Provides information in non-technical language concerning patent laws and applying for a patent.
Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice Before the US Patent and Trademark Office
A list by state, name, and address of practitioners authorized to practice before the USPTO.
IDO Products and Services Catalog
Includes information and ordering instructions for products and services available from the USPTO's Information Dissemination Organizations.
The United States Patents Quarterly
This quarterly law reporter covers cases relating to patents, trademarks, and copyrights. It arrives in weekly advance sheets and cumulates quarterly. Additionally, it has annual and cumulative digests.
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