Blog Posts by Subject: Patents and Trademarks

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of November 20, 27 and December 4, 2012.

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of November 6 and 13, 2012.

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of October 23 and 30, 2012.

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of October 2 and 16, 2012. Images for the week of October 9 will be added later.

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of September 11, 18 and 25, 2012.

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of August 21 and 28, and September 4, 2012. These follow from the earlier postings of Plant Patent plates, which are listed, with links, in a table at the end of this entry.

We pride ourselves on our United States patent system. But, to misquote, all patents are local (or at least national). So anyone who wants patent protection in another country will have to meet the filing and legal requirements of that national government. And, of course, do a patent search!

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of August 7 and 14, 2012. These follow from the earlier postings of Plant Patent plates, which are listed, with links, in a table at the end of this entry.

For about a decade now it has been feasible to conduct prior art research for a U. S. Patent entirely online using free search tools available on the USPTO website. Although the availability of patent research resources online has not diminished the challenges of prior art searching, it has certainly made the activity more convenient.

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of July 17, 24 and 31, 2012. These follow from the earlier postings of Plant Patent plates, which are listed, with links, in a table at the end of this entry.

As before, please be careful in using these — they're really not appropriate to use for prior art or other similar searches. Otherwise, please enjoy!

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of June 26, and July 3 and 10, 2012. These follow from the earlier Plant Patent plates posted for the weeks of April 17 and 24, 2012, the weeks of May 1, 8 and 15, 2012, the weeks of May 22, 29 and June 5, 2012 and the weeks of June 12 and 19, 2012.

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of June 12 and 19, 2012. These follow from the earlier Plant Patent plates posted for the weeks of April 17 and 24, 2012, the weeks of May 1, 8 and 15, 2012, and the weeks of May 22, 29 and June 5, 2012.

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of May 22, 29 and June, 2012. These follow from the earlier Plant Patent plates posted for the weeks of May 1, 8 and 15, 2012 and the weeks of April 17 and 24, 2012.

As before, please be careful in using these - they're really not appropriate to use for prior art or other similar searches. Otherwise, please enjoy!

Here are scans of the color plates of U.S. Plant Patents received at SIBL for the weeks of May 1, 8 and 15, 2012. These follow from the earlier Plant Patent plates posted for the weeks of April 17 and 24, 2012.

Despite the shift from the Patent and Trademark Depository Library designation to our new Patent and Trademark Resource Center status, one vestige of over 140 years of being a patent depository remains. Color images for Plant Patents are only available in print, and are still being received here at SIBL in paper format. This seems like a good opportunity to take a look at some of the most recent ones we've received here, and so we've done a bunch of QAD color image scans. Please take a look...

They weren't found in Area 51; or Area 57 or Hangar 18 or anywhere close to Roswell for that matter. For those of you who want to believe — I'm sorry, you'll have to wait a bit longer. The bibliographic record for this find shows the US Alien Property Custodian as author, and these patents, or patent applications in the cases ascertained so far, are documents from the Second World War.

The talent pool in patents and trademarks at SIBL is deep — which means we're almost always ready to answer IP questions on the spot when they come up. But I've been lucky and have had the opportunity to wear the patent and trademark hat — yes, there is one, it won first place in a contest a few years ago! And among the privileges this brings is the opportunity to invite U.S. Patent and Trademark Office representatives to come to SIBL every couple of years for public and staff presentations.

November 8 is fast approaching, and with it the Intellectual Property day at SIBL, featuring representatives from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This seems like a good opportunity to recommend one of the Library's best sources for information about trademarks, Stephen Elias and Richard Stim's Nolo book Trademark — Legal Care for Your Business and Product Name.

Those who take an interest in patents will have heard by now; the U.S. has a new patent law, the "Leahy-Smith America Invents Act." It's too early to tell whether the changes that will take place as a result will be revolutionary or not; and for that I await the views of the experts. But it is worthwhile taking note of these recent patent law amendments in anticipation of the visit to SIBL by the USPTO on November 8.