=U.S. Patents.=—The specification and accompanying drawings of all
patents are published on the day they are granted and printed copies are
sold to the public by the Patent and Trademark Office. Over 6,000,000
patents have been issued.
Printed copies of any patent, identified by its patent number, may be
purchased from the Patent and Trademark Office. Current fee schedule is
available by calling the PTO General Information Services at
1–800–786–9199 or 703–308–4357 or by accessing PTO’s Web site at
_http://www.uspto.gov_.
Future patents classified in subclasses containing subject matter of
interest may be obtained, as they issue, by prepayment of a deposit and
a service charge. For the cost of such subscription service, a separate
inquiry should be sent to the Patent and Trademark Office.
=Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.=—The
Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office is the
official journal relating to patents and trademarks. It has been
published weekly since January 1872 (replacing the old “Patent Office
Reports”), and is now issued each Tuesday in two parts, one describing
patents and the other trademarks. It contains a claim and a selected
figure of the drawings of each patent granted on that day; notices of
patent and trademark lawsuits; indexes of patents and patentees; list of
patents available for license or sale; a list of Patent and Trademark
Depository Libraries (PTDLs); and much general information such as
orders, notices, changes in rules, changes in classification, etc. The
Official Gazette is sold on subscription and by single copies by the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402.
The illustrations and claims of the patents are arranged in the Official
Gazette according to the Patent and Trademark Office classification of
subject matter, permitting ready reference to patents in any particular
technology. Copies of the Official Gazette are available in the PTDLs
and public libraries of other cities.
=Index of Patents.=—A two-part publication which summarizes for a given
calendar year the classification and inventor/assignee information at
the time of issue for utility, Design, Reissue, and Plant Patents;
Reexamination Certificates, and Statutory Invention Registrations
published weekly in the Official Gazette. Part I, List of Patentees
comprises an alphabetical listing of every patentee and assignee
recorded at the time the patent document was issued. Part II, Index to
Subjects of Inventions comprises a listing of all patents for the year
according to U.S. Patent Classification class and subclass designation
at the time the patent document was issued—it is not an index of
subjects, per se. Sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
=Index of Trademarks.=—An annual index of registrants of trademarks.
Sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
=Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System.=—An alphabetical list
of approximately 65,000 common, informal headings or terms which refer
to specific classes and subclasses in the Manual of Classification used
to categorize patents. It is intended as a means for initial entry into
the Classification System and should be especially useful for persons
not familiar with the system as well as those who may not be familiar
with any particular technology under study. Sold by the Superintendent
of Documents.
=Manual of Classification.=—A loose-leaf manual containing a list of all
the classes and subclasses of inventions in the Patent and Trademark
Office classification systems, a subject matter index, and other
information relating to U.S. patent classification system. Each subclass
has a short, descriptive title often arranged in a specific hierarchical
order designated by dots for indentation levels. Substitute pages are
issued from time to time. Annual subscription includes the basic manual
and substitute pages. Sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
=Classification Definitions.=—Gives a detailed definition for each class
and official subclass included in the Manual of Classification. The
definitions indicate the subject matter to be found in or excluded from
a class or subclass; they limit or expand in precise manner the meaning
intended for each subclass title; they serve as a guide to users of the
Manual of Classification to refer to the same subclass for patents on a
particular technology by eliminating, as much as possible, subjective
and varying interpretations of the meanings of subclass titles. The
“notes” illustrate the kinds of information that can be found in a
subclass and direct the searcher to other related subclasses which may
contain relevant information. Subscription service consists of a basic
full set of definitions and semiannual sets of updated definitions for
an indeterminate period. Sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
=Title 37 Code of Federal Regulations.=—Includes rules of practice for
Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights. Available from the Superintendent
of Documents.
=Basic Facts about Trademarks.=—Contains general information for the
layman about applications for, and registration of, trademarks and
service marks. Sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
=Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice Before the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office.=—An alphabetical and geographical listing of patent
attorneys and agents registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office. Sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
=Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP).=—A loose-leaf manual which
serves primarily as a detailed reference work on patent examining
practice and procedure for the Patent and Trademark Office’s Examining
Corps. Subscription service includes basic manual, periodic revisions,
and change notices. Sold by the Superintendent of Documents. (The MPEP
is also available in electronic form from the PTO’s Office of Electronic
Information and as an Internet information file.)
=Guide for the Preparation of Patent Drawings.=—A collection of the most
pertinent rules from Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations
pertaining to patent drawings with interpretations of those rules and
examples. Sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
=PTO Products and Services Catalog, Information Dissemination
Organizations (IDO).=—This compendium describes the products and
services available from the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and
provides ordering information. Many items are available free of charge
from the Information Dissemination Organizations (IDOs). The catalog
lists products and services available from the three IDO offices
responsible for public records; electronic products/services; general
information; PTO’s public search facilities in Arlington, Virginia; and
the network of 80 Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDLs) in
49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Included is
detailed descriptions of data available on magnetic tape, diskette, or
CD-ROM. A number of products can be ordered in paper form, including PTO
forms and patent or trademark copies, as well as Technology Assessment
and Forecast (TAF) statistical reports and research publications.
Available from the PTO General Information Services at 1–800–786–9199 or
703–308–4357.
Many publications listed above, as well as other Patent and Trademark
Office products and services are available electronically from IDO or on
the PTO’s Web site. Call General Information Services for more
information at 800–786–9199 or 703–308–4357.