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Recent Patent News
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Utility Patents in the News: GreatPlateIn which a plate that floats and becomes a flying disc is patented: US9265370B2
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Design Patents in the News: Skechers ShoesSkechers and Eliya Fight Over Shoe Design Patents Again
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Plant Patents in the News: University of FloridaU.S. blueberry farmers allege that taxpayer-funded University of Florida is helping the competition in Mexico.
Frequently Asked Questions
Top 5 Library FAQ's:
Library Session Materials
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USPTOThe United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
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PatFT - USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image DatabaseThis is the USPTO's free, online searchable database of granted U. S. patents. Coverage is from 1790 to the present.
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6.5-Step U.S. Patent Search Strategy GuideA strategy for searching U.S. patents to locate and evaluate relevant prior art.
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Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) SearchSearch the CPC system for classifications that can be used for an advanced patent search.
Other Useful Guides & Databases
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Types of Patent Applications and ProceedingsThe page on the USPTO's site provides links to pages dedicated to filing utility, design, and plant patents as well as useful information about each patent type. Also links to information related to filing provisional patents and filing a new international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
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Google PatentsContains PDFs of patents and applications. Google Patents claims to contain all US patents, but 3rd party searches show that patent coverage is not exhaustive.
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PatentScopePatent search engine of the World Intellectual Property Organization. Countries and data ranges included can be found at http://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/help/data_coverage.jsf