Finding Patents and Trademarks

OGI librarians are available to assist persons beginning a patent or trademark search. Only assistance using the USPTO website and tools is offered. Anyone seriously considering filing a patent should seek the services of a patent attorney.

The Library of the Law School of Lewis & Clark College is the only depository library for Patents and Trademarks in the State of Oregon.

You can also download the full text of patents from 1790 on from the USPTO web site.

OGI students, faculty, and staff may use OGI Library's Interlibrary Loan system to order the full text of patents not available on the Patent Office's web site. Non-OGI People, may use OGI Library's Document Delivery Service for the standard fees.

Free Places to Search for Patents

U. S. Patent and Trademark Office: Search the full text of patents from January 1, 1976 to present. Offers the most variety in search options of the sources listed here. You can also search for patents from 1790 on by classification and/or patent number. If you have trouble printing the patent PDFs, try going through the conversion website www.pat2pdf.org
U. S. Patent and Trademark Office Web Trademark Database: Provides free access to bibliographic text and images of active federal trademark applications and registrations. It does not replace the fee-based commercial trademark databases, but provides quick and basic information.
European Patent Office Database: Provides searching of worldwide patents and could be used as a keyword searching for US patents prior to 1976.
Patents in Chemical Abstracts: Chemical Abstracts has very good patent coverage. Use Scifinder Scholar to search.

Information About Patents and Patent Process

General Patent Information: From the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Yahoo Section on Patents: Entry point for patent related information
KuesterLaw: Good links to patent sites

How to Conduct a Patent Search

Step 1: Describe the Invention. Write a short description of the invention, noting keywords and technical terms.
Step 2: Determine initial classifications. Look up keywords and terms in the Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System.
Step 3: Locate initial classification in the Manual of Classification. Scan the class schedule for relevant classifications.
Step 4: Read Classification Definitions . Determine scope of relevant classifications.
Step 5: For each relevant classification, search and scan patent documents.
Step 6: Review closely related patent documents identified in Step 5.
Step 7: Check related U.S. Patent references cited in closely related patent documents.
Step 8: Check published applications cited in closely related patents (filed on or after Nov. 29, 2000).
Step 9: Document search results.

Return to the Search Tips Page or Reference Services/Sources Page

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