Patents & Trademarks

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

• patent application
• patent search
• trademark application
• trademark search
• inventor/entrepreneur assistance

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 considered what kind of IP protection your business may need? You can conduct a preliminary IP assessment using the Intellectual Property (IP) Identifier tool to find out.

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:

• A utility patent protects any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. Generally speaking, a utility patent has a 20 year term from the date of filing.
• A design patent protects a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. Currently, a design patent has a 15 year term from the date of grant.
• A plant patent protects asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant. The term for a plant patent is 20 years from the date of filing.

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. 

Disclaimer: 

The library staff can direct patrons to authoritative patent and trademark information and resources. 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.