Library Guides: Patents: A How-To-Find Guide: Help for inventors

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Patent Help

Patent resources at ISU

Patent and IP resources located at Iowa State University. Note: legal services are not available to student inventors at this time. Students should refer to the next two sections, patent resources in Iowa and patent resources from the USPTO, for help.

ISU Office of Innovation Commercialization
OIC staff work with inventors on developing and executing appropriate protection and commercialization strategies for their innovations as well as licensing those innovations to industry and sharing revenue with ISU and the inventors.
Student Innovation Center: IP Corner
Experts will be available to discuss general issues relating to IP protection and strategy with students, faculty and staff of Iowa State University at these bi-monthly sessions.
Entrepreneurship Opportunities @ Iowa State
This research guide includes a list of innovation and invention opportunities at Iowa State and in the central Iowa area, plus research resources for innovation success.

ISU librarians can help you:

Understand what patents are and how they are structured
Learn basic patent searching skills using free search tools
Find a known patent (e.g., you know the patent number or inventor's name)

ISU librarians cannot:

Do a patent (prior art) search for you
Determine if your idea is patentable
Provide legal services or advice
Help you file a patent application

Patent resources in Iowa

Links to free and low-cost patent resources in Iowa.

LegalCORPS Inventor Assistance Program
LegalCORPS provides free legal representation to qualifying low-income inventors in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin who are seeking to patent their inventions with the USPTO.
Davenport Public Library
Iowa's Patent and Trademark Resource Center is located at Davenport Public Library. Staff can assist with basic patent information and search skills.

Patent resources from the USPTO

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. The USPTO website provides extensive information on the patent process, from prior art search to completed application, and legal information for inventors. Below are links to a few services from the USPTO that may be helpful.

Free Assistance for Inventors
The USPTO offers a wide range of intellectual property (IP) resources, including application assistance, education and training, and other services that support inventors.
Path to a Patent webinar series
Quarterly series from the USPTO that covers everything from intellectual property basics to patent searching to what you’ll need to draft and submit your patent application
Patent Electronic Business Center
The Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC) assists customers with the various Patent Electronic Systems which include filing their electronic patent application submissions via the Electronic Filing System (EFS-Web) and with the review of patent applications, as well as supporting customers with the Patent and Application Full-Text Image databases.
Patent Pro Bono Program
The Patent Pro Bono Program is a nationwide network of independently operated regional programs that match volunteer patent professionals with financially under-resourced inventors and small businesses for the purpose of securing patent protection.
Patent Practitioner Search
This tool helps inventors find attorneys and agents authorized to practice in patent matters before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Note that these attorneys and agents charge fees for their services. Use the Pro Bono Program link to find free and low-cost legal services.

Heather Lewin

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150 Parks Library

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Subjects: Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Chemical & Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering