Research Guides
USPTO Patent Public Search
Web-based patent search application from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Includes issued patents and patent applications. More information is available on the USPTO Search for patents portal.
FAQ
Basic Search Overview (pdf)
Quick Reference Guides
Patent Center (USPTO)
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Patent Center system is a tool for electronic filing and management of patent applications. Public (guest) users, applicants, and patent owners can track status, maintenance fees, and file history information for United States patents. PDF images of some documents included. Guest users may access publicly available documents via Patent Center. Online ordering of patent documents is available.
Google Patents
Google Patents is a database of full-text patents. Includes patent documents from the United States Patent & Trademark Office, European Patent Office, Canada, China, Germany, WIPO, and other patent offices . For an overview and search tips, see the About Google Patents page. To determine current CPC classifications, use the tools available at the USPTO website.
Patent Lens
Open public patent database indexing patent documents from national and regional patent offices. Full-text documents from the US, WIPO, and EPO are available. lens.org offers a variety of patent analysis and citation tools.
FreePatentsOnline (FPO)
FreePatentsOnline (FPO) provides a free patent search database. The patent search database includes US patents and US patent applications as well as documents from the European Patent Office, WIPO, Japan and Germany. FPO also offers data, citation, and other tools and resources.
While the Library reference service staff is happy to provide assistance with your patent or trademark research, we cannot perform searches, evaluate searches, assist with your application or dispense legal advice.
The University of Washington and its employees are providing a service of an informational nature with no express or implied warranty for results and assume no obligation or liability for damage arising out of the use, or inability to use, the information provided. Every effort is made to keep this information up to date. However, errors and omissions may occur.
For the most up-to-date information or legal advice, please contact a patent or trademark attorney.
USPTO Trademark Search **Replaced TESS (U.S. Trademark Electronic Search System) on November 30, 2023**
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Trademark Search system contains pending, registered, and dead federal trademarks. Online Help is available for search assistance. The "Announcements" section provides update-to-date information about database status and system development. More information from the USPTO: Search Our Trademark Database.
Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR) Database
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office TSDR database lists current status information about pending and registered trademarks. Search by trademark serial number or registration number. Trademark records in TESS provide links to the status information displayed in TSDR. More information from the USPTO: Check Trademark Status and View Documents