Patents, Trademarks & Copyright

SAVE THE DATE!

Our Rocky Mountain Regional and USPTO have some great virtual workshop series via WebEx over the next few months that are FREE and open to the public. If interested please visit: Rocky Mountain Region Events. For more information, contact Jessica Pierpoint.

September 23rd: Overview of the USPTO's Trademark Register Protection Initiatives

Learn from Amy Cotton, Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy, about the USPTO’s register protection initiatives, including: 

• Post Registration Audit Program
• Mandatory account login
• Examining attorney guidance on digitally created or altered specimens
• Special task force
• U.S. counsel rule
• Trademark Modernization Act of 2020

September 23rd: Learn about Design Patents

This session will be useful for:

• inventors
• entrepreneurs
• anyone with a beginning to intermediate knowledge of the patent process.

September 29th: Women Athletes Inspiring your Entrepreneurship & IP Journey

Join us for this free virtual panel, where you will:

• Be inspired by the panelists’ stories of success in the creation of their businesses.
• Learn about the importance of protecting intellectual property (IP) from the beginning of the entrepreneurship journey.
• Listen to goal-driven women with athletic backgrounds discuss their success stories.

Hope Shimabuku, Director of the USPTO's Texas Regional Office will be moderator. Panelist include: 

• Ally Davidson, founder of Camp Gladiator (CG)
• Dana (Rywelski) Wildeboer, Senior Director of Marketing for Mass Challenge
• Corey Jackson, personal trainer and nutrition coach for Clear Path Fitness.

September 30th: China IP-Quarterly Legislation and Case Law Update

Looking at international intellectual property protection, well look no further. Since July 1, 2021, China has passed and implemented a variety of IP-related measures. This one-hour program will provide an opportunity for IP attorneys, businesses, inventors, and other IP stakeholders to access a unique and concise source of information. 

October and November starts Trademark Boot Camp, every Tuesday at 2pm et. 

• Oct. 5th: Fundamentals
• Oct. 12th: Registration
• Oct. 19th: Searching
• Oct. 26th: Application Requirements

• Nov. 2nd: Application walk-through
• Nov. 9th: Office Action Response
• Nov. 16th: Keep Registration Alive
• Nov. 23rd: Q&A Panel

Just starting out and want to learn more about Intellectual Property, check out this once a month repeat session Innovators and Entrepreneurs: Learn about IP basics and helpful resources (happening Oct 7, Nov 2, and Dec 2). 

For accessibility requests, or for more information, please call 303-297-4600, email rockymountain@uspto.gov or visit us online at Rocky Mountain Regional USPTO.

Welcome to the research guide for patents, trademarks & copyright.

Wichita State University Libraries is one of 84 U.S. Patent and Trademark Research Centers (PTRCs) in the country and the only PTRC in Kansas. Since receiving this designation in 1991, we have received copies of U.S. patents and a variety of patent and trademark searching tools in both print and electronic formats, as well as extensive training in providing patent and trademark research assistance. The Library is open to the public, and we assist with preliminary patent and trademark research by appointment at no charge.

PTRC library staff are trained to use search tools to access patent and trademark information and offer assistance with various patent, trademark, and copyright consultation questions. Please note that we cannot perform patent or trademark searches for individuals and cannot give legal advice. For legal advice, please contact a registered patent attorney or agent. More specialized questions should be directed to the USPTO. Please contact Jessica Pierpoint for more information or to schedule an appointment. 

What we offer:

• Books on a variety of business and intellectual property topics
• Databases for industry and consumer research
• Entrepreneurship Research Series workshops taught by: 
  • Jessica Pierpoint, Information Services Research Assistant
  • Meghann Kuhlmann, Business Librarian
• Virtual presentations given by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Rocky Mountain Regional Office
• One-on-one consultations to help you with business, patent, or trademark research
• Online research guides for entrepreneurs, business research, and intellectual property

Location and Hours:

PTRC librarians are typically available from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Visitor Parking and Parking Map 

Library Hours

Students' IP Rights at WSU

Click the image above to learn more about PTRCs.