Celebrating 25 years of Broward County Library's designation as a Patent and Trademark Depository Library!
 

Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights

The Reference Section of the Broward County Main Library is one of over 80 libraries nationwide designated by the Patent and Trademark Office as a Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL). The Broward County Library became a PTDL in 1984. As a PTDL, it receives and maintains a collection of patent and trademark materials for public use in accordance with Title 35, Section 13 of the U.S. Code. The Section also maintains information on copyrights.

Patents are grants of property rights, by the U.S. Government, which allow inventors to exclude others from making, using or selling their inventions.

Trademarks are words, phrases, symbols, or combinations of these which identify and distinguish the source of the goods or services of one party from those of others.

Copyrights are a form of protection, provided by the laws of the United States, to the authors of original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works.

The following types of information are available in the BLG Section:

• General patent, trademark, and copyright information,
• How to determine the patentability of a new idea,
• How to conduct patent or trademark searches, and
• How to prepare a patent, trademark, or copyright application,

Print Resources

The materials listed below are available in the Reference Section: 

Patents

• Utility Patents -- 1790-present
• Design Patents -- 1842-present
• Plant Patents -- 1931-present
• Reissue Patents -- 1872-present
   
• Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice before the
  U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Classification Definitions
• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 37
• Commissioner of Patents, Annual Reports
• Index of Patents
• Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System
• Manual of Classification
• PCT Applicants guide
• Shepard's U.S. Citations: Patents and Trademarks

Trademarks

• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 37
• Design Code Manual for Trademarks
• Official Gazette

Copyrights

• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 37
• Copyright Circulars

The Reference Section also has many related books, government reports and documents, how-to manuals, and other information relating to patents, trademarks and copyrights. Please ask the staff for assistance.

Links to Web sites  

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
www.uspto.gov
This is the official site of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Patent and trademark searches may be conducted here. In addition, information on how to apply for patents and trademarks is provided.

U.S. Copyright Office
www.copyright.gov
This is the official site of the Copyright Office. The forms and informational circulars of the Copyright Office are available at this site.