Patents, Trademarks & Copyright

The Entrepreneurship Research Series Workshops help inventors and entrepreneurs learn how to protect their intellectual property and support their business through research.

For more information, please go to the Entrepreneurship Research Series Guide. 

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. They also have many sessions offered in English and Spanish for our bilingual patrons, if wanting Spanish version click on Spanish title instead of english title of session. If interested please visit: Rocky Mountain Region Events. For more information, contact Jessica Pierpoint or Nicholas Wyant.

 May and June USPTO Virtual Events 

May 17th-18th: Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• "Find Pathways to Breakthroughs" by hearing successful innovators who will share hard-earned tips from their own journeys.
• The events day 1 will feature:
  • Dr. Ritu Raman, d'Arbeloff Assistant Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • Gurtej Sandhu, Senior Fellow and Vice President at Micron Technology and prolific inventor named on more than 1,300 patents
  • Jun Ye, Ph.D., Professor Adjoint at the University of Colorado Department of Physics, JILA Fellow, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Fellow, and National Academy of Sciences member
• The events day 2 will feature: 
  • Dilip Goswami, Founder and CEO, Molekule
  • Hoala Greevy, Founder, Paubox
  • Olin Kealoha Lagon, Founder and CTO, Shifted Energy
  • Rakesh Srivastava, President and CEO, Innovative Prosthetics and Orthotics
  • Mylen Yamamoto Tansingco, Founder and Creator, Cropsticks®
  • Dr. Hyunwoo Yuk, Co-Founder and CTO, SanaHeal

May 17th: Blockchain & IP Series-Introduction to Blockchain & IP

• This introductory session will offer information on double spend, origination conditions, private keys, public keys, and other introductory topics.

May 18th: Mexico IP Series-Diversifying your Market or Supply Chain (Enforcement)

• If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur and want to learn how to protect your intellectual property (IP) in Mexico, join in for an interactive session covering following topics:
  • How to start the enforcement process
  • Understanding the options for using mediation and arbitration in copyright disputes
  • How you can monitor the marketplace for unauthorized use of your IP
  • The option of administrative enforcement
  • The strengths and weaknesses of civil proceedings 

June 15th: Proud Innovation 2022 Pt.1- From Ideas to Innovations

• The Proud Innovation series highlights the accomplishments of LGBTQIA+ innovators, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who are using their intellectual property to promote advancements and serve as mentors.

June 21st: Blockchain and IP Series: Tokenization of Patents with IPwe

• Join to investigate a way to revolutionize the cataloging and licensing of patents. What would a system of tokenized patents and trademarks into smart contacts look like? Will there be increased opportunities for small/medium sized entrepreneurs?

June 22nd: Proud Innovation 2022 Pt. 2- From enthusiasm to entrepreneurship

• The Proud Innovation series highlights the accomplishments of LGBTQIA+ innovators, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who are using their intellectual property to promote advancements and serve as mentors.

June 28th: Intellectual Property (IP) Workshop for K-12 Educators

• The Office of Education at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) hosts a monthly virtual professional development workshop for K-12 educators interested in integrating intellectual property (IP), innovation, and invention activities into their STEM/STEAM curriculum. Educators will learn about different types of IP, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. 

USPTO Virtual Series

Intellectual Property Basics and Helpful Resources (monthly)

May 19th, June 2nd, July 7th, August 4th, September 1st, October 6th, November 3rd, December 1st

The Path to a Patent series (an 8-part series that is weekly on Thursdays)

• May 19th: Part 6 - Protecting IP Abroad
• June 9th: Part 7 - File Patent Application using Patent Center
• June 16th: Part 8 - Common Mistakes and Post-Filling Support

Trademark Basics Boot Camp (an 8-part series that is weekly on Tuesdays)

• May 17th: Module 7 - Keeping Registration Alive
• May 24th: Module 8 - Q&A Panel

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.

Other local virtual and in-person events involving IP that could be of interest: 

WSU Office of Innovation and New Venture

• June 1st starts Ignitor, 8-week in-person program 

Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSBDC)

• May 25- Branding Basics
• June 1- Start Up and Start Right
• June 8- Minority, Women and/or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Certification Program
• June 15- Social Media and Where to Start

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 or Nicholas Wyant 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, Library Patent and Trademark Specialist
  • Nicolas Wyant, Engineer, Patent, and Trademark Librarian
  • 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.