UVM's Howe Library is one of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRC). PTRCs support patent and trademark research.

PTRC services are free and open to the public. Email the UVM PTRC or call (802) 656-2022 to discuss how the PTRC can support you, or to schedule an appointment for a free consultation.

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How we can help

PTRC library representatives provide patent and trademark information, support patent and trademark research, and can assist patent and trademark applications. PTRCs can also connect you with legal resources and services.

Basic assistance for patent and trademark research is in the library's Patents and Trademarks research guide.

PTRC services include:

• Introduction to patent searching and patent classification, including the Cooperative Patent Classification system.
• Demonstrations of patent and trademark databases and search tools for a patent or trademark research.
• Access to USPTO research tools.
• Access to USPTO information about application procedures, fee schedules, and other USPTO information.
• Access to self-help books and other publications on intellectual property including patenting, trademark registration, licensing and copyright.
• Assistance with finding local patent attorneys who are licensed to practice before the USPTO, and patent agents who can advise on patentability.
• Classes, workshops and presentations on intellectual property topics.
• Assistance with historical research on patents and trademarks.

PTRC services do not include:

The UVM PTRC does NOT provide legal advice or assistance that might be considered unauthorized practice of law. The following services are not things we can help with:

• Opinions on whether a specific invention, brand or idea would meet the criteria for a patent or a trademark.
• Patent or trademark searching relating to your invention, brand or idea.
• Evaluations of your patent or trademark searches, for example, whether a search is comprehensive.
• Assistance writing a patent or trademark application.
• Any other processes related to patents or trademarks that are normally performed by a licensed attorney or agent.
• Endorsement of any attorney, agent or other private entity providing legal services.
• Payment of application fees or other funding.

The Plant Patent Collection

Any new and distinct asexually reproduced plant is eligible for a plant patent. This includes cultivated sports, mutants, hybrids and newly found seedlings other than a tuber propagated plant or a plant found in an uncultivated state. 

PTRC library representatives can assist you with plant patent research and provide access to plant patent collections. Our Patents and Trademarks research guide can give you information about plant patent research.

Also, the UVM PTRC has a collection of full-color print documents of many plant patents. This collection is located on the ground floor of the Howe Library, in the U.S. Government Documents area.

About the PTRC Program

The USPTO's PTRC Program administers a nationwide network of public, state and academic libraries designated as PTRCs. Federal law authorizes PTRCs to:

• Disseminate patent and trademark information.
• Support diverse intellectual property needs of the public.

More information about the PTRC Program