Oregon State University Libraries and Press will now be able to help the public research patents and trademarks as it becomes the 101st Patent and Trademark Resource Center nationwide. It is one of only two in Oregon, the other being at Multnomah County Library.
OSU received the designation last November and after training, staff started providing the service in the spring. OSU Libraries is now a part of a nationwide network of academic, public and state libraries designated to support the public with trademark and patent assistance.
Trained OSU librarians can assist with preliminary patent and trademark research and also connect patrons with federal resources and workshops to aid them as they seek protection for their inventions and brands. Staff have established a community of practice and are developing service standards and web content.
According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, many communities value PTRCs because they are rich local resources for small businesses, research and development firms, university and governmental laboratories, and independent inventors and entrepreneurs. The availability of assistance with patent and trademark searching helps libraries connect with their communities.
David Irvin, director of Guin Library at Hatfield Marine Science Center, is leading the development of the program. Previously, Irvin led a similar office at New Mexico State University.
“We’ve got a really great team of librarians working on this project,” Irvin said, “and we intend to carry out a sophisticated research service that will become an essential stop for Oregon’s inventors and entrepreneurs.”
Irvin is the editor of the “Journal of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association,” which publishes scholarly and from-the-field articles about intellectual property librarianship.
Click here to learn more and connect with a librarian for help.
By Theresa Hogue
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