Patent and Trademark Resource Center Collections
The Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) at Texas A&M University is located in the R.C. Barclay Reference and Retailing Resources Center on the first floor of the Business Library & Collaboration Commons. The PTRC Program was established in 1871 to make printed patents available to the American public. Today, the overwhelming majority of patent and trademark information is available electronically and in addition to providing access to these materials, the PTRC also has a collection of hard copy resources.
Electronic Resources
We have access to PubWEST and PubEAST, the public versions of the databases used by patent examiners, which feature superior search functionality and are only available for use at the USPTO Headquarters and at every PTRC in the country. These databases contain:
- All U.S. patents issued since 1790
- Patent applications published since March 2001
More electronic and print resources may be found on our Patent Research Guide and Trademark Research Guide, including information on patents and trademarks, the application process, and how to search for those that already exist.
Books
The PTRC at the Business Library & Collaboration Commons is continuously building its collection of books on intellectual property, most of which are available for you to check out. These range from books on intellectual property law to acquiring a provisional patent to protecting one’s brand through trademark protection. We have recent books such as the popular Patent It Yourself and Patent Pending in 24 Hours as well as a large collection of the Index of Patents from 1913-1997.
Plant Patents
One benefit of being a PTRC is that we are sent color images of granted plant patents every week. Even if color plant patent images were available on the USPTO website (which they are not), the unique color of a plant is quite important to the patent so we are lucky to have these available printed as they are meant to be viewed. If you wish to view a plant patent, ask for assistance at the BLCC. It is recommended to call ahead.
Discs & Microforms
The Business Library & Collaboration Commons and Evans Library hold many microforms and some discs with patent and trademark documents going back 200 years. These include granted patents, Official Gazettes, Indexes of U.S. and Japanese Patents, and U.S. Patent Office Reports in the U.S. Serial Set from 1817-1925, among many others.
Free Intellectual Property Brochures from the USPTO
- General Information Concerning Patents
- Guide to Filing a Utility Patent Application
- A Guide to Filing a Design Patent Application
- Guide to Filing a Provisional Application For Patent
- Protecting Your Trademark: Enhancing Your Rights Through Federal Registration