This guide provides a starting point for resources on patents and trademarks. Use the tabs on the side for guidance on resources for patents and trademarks research, including
Need a clarification on patents, trademarks, and copyright? Watch this USPTO video: Basic Facts: Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights
To learn more about intellectual property (IP) in general, read this open text book by IP experts: Introduction to Intellectual Property
For business owners: Have you thought about what kind of IP protection you may need for your business? You can conduct a preliminary IP assessment to find it out. Complete a survey by following this USPTO's IP Awareness Assessment tool.
A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by a government agency, such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), for a limited period of time, usually 20 years. U.S. patent grants are effective only within the United States and U.S. territories.
Read: General information concerning patents
There are three types of U.S. patents:
Read more about patent basics.
Not sure about what type of IP protection you need? Use this IP Identifier tool to assess your creative works.
The Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) is a national network of academic, public and special libraries that provide intellectual property services to the public. The PTRC's mission includes: Disseminating patent and trademark information, and supporting diverse intellectual property needs of the public. The Georgia Tech Library joined PTRC program in 1946 as one of the initial 22 libraries. We have all available patents issued in the U.S. since 1790 on file together with additional search tools. Currently, we provide the following resources and services:
Disclaimer:
The Librarian and library staff can provide education and training on IP topics, such as patents and trademarks, direct patrons to authoritative patent and trademark information and resources, or offered specialized instruction for patent and trademark searching processes. We cannot perform a patent or trademark search on behalf of a patron, or provide legal advice.
For current GT students, researchers and staff - follow this link to additional GT specific resources: Patent Information for Georgia Tech community.