How to Get Started
When you think you have a patented idea, before you begin the patent process, you should answer these few questions:
- Understand what a patent does
- Keep a record of your invention
- Make sure your invention qualifies
- Assess the commercial potential
- Do a thorough patent search
Once you think you have a unique idea, you can begin the process of searching products that have been patented to make sure your idea has not already been designed, developed or submitted and not yet approved.
USPTO Patent Search Strategy
- Multi-Step Patent Search StrategyFormerly called the Seven Step strategy. A concise summary of the recommended procedure for conducting a patent search.
- How to Conduct a Preliminary U.S. Patent Search: A Step by Step StrategyThe Patent and Trademark Resource Center Program created this 38-minute CBT (computer based training) tutorial that teaches how to conduct your own prior art search. It gives detailed, illustrated instructions on how to use the Patent Public Search database, as well as how to continue your prior art search using other resources.
Tutorials
Here are a variety of tutorials that may assist with understanding different aspects of the U.S. patent system, CPC classification, patent searching, and the application process.
- Why search for patents? What is a patent? Patent Searching BasicsThis short video (5:21) is part of the MIT Libraries video tutorial series. Learn about what a patent is and why patents can be important to your research.
- Introduction to PatentsThis microcourse by Dave Bloom (Patent & Trademark Resource Center, UW-Madison Libraries) teaches about the patent process, the anatomy of a patent, patent searching, and links to additional resources.
- Cooperative Patent Classification System/CPCThe new system was developed jointly by the European Patent Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office to harmonize the exchange of works between the two organizations and patent searching in general. The CPC is based on the IPC (International Patent Classification) and the ECLC (European Classification).
- Classification Searching on the USPTO WebsiteWhile this Penn State PTRC video uses a USPTO interface that has since been retired, it is an excellent tool for understanding the CPC classification hierarchy.
To follow the "CPC Sections" walkthrough, from the USPTO homepage click Find It Fast--> Classification-->Additional Resources--> CPC --> Scheme - How to do a Patent SearchThis UCF produced video explains patent classification systems and demonstrates how to conduct a patent search using the classic version of Espacenet, the free global patent database of the European Patent Office.
- University of Michigan Library: Patent and TrademarksThe "Patent Searching Tutorial" video demonstrates searching Espacenet classic.
"A Quick Guide to Patent Research" PDF does same search using Espacenet Advanced Search.
The University of Minnesota Libraries have produced two highly interactive tutorials:
- Tutorial: Patents and PatentabilityIn this tutorial you will learn about the different types of patents, how patents relate to inventions, what makes an idea patentable, and the parts of a patent.
- Tutorial: Patent searchingThis tutorial explains the benefits of using patents in your research and how to search using Google Patents in conjunction with the USPTO Patent Database.