Competency: Reference, Research and Patron Services

Target Audience: Law librarians who are responsible for supporting the patent and trademark research needs of their user communities

Learning Outcomes:

1) Participants will be informed by a USPTO representative of the resources the agency provides to the patent and trademark community.

2) Participants will engage in a dialog with the speaker to improve the electronic access and delivery of information to intellectual property researchers and attorneys.

Effective access to intellectual property information is a key component of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) mission. By disseminating this information through its public search systems and data products, the USPTO provides the public with the means to facilitate the preparation of patent and trademarks applications, avoid infringement and understand the current state of the art as a basis for new ideas. This interactive presentation will focus on the new and innovative approaches being explored by the USPTO to more effectively provide access to the USPTO’s extensive body of scientific knowledge. The interactive portion of this presentation will focus on a topic of key interest: improving automated access to the USPTO’s systems so that patent information can be delivered to all users, including data mining users, in an efficient manner. The presentation will engage the audience in a discussion on key data dissemination issues, and ideas on approaches to improve the electronic access and delivery of information to intellectual property professionals.