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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE PUBLIC SEARCH FACILITY (PSF)

SEARCHING PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS

VOL. IX No. 3, October 2008

Public User Meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m. Meeting notices and minutes are available by linking to Products and Services from the USPTO home page at www.uspto.gov. Send topic suggestions for future newsletters to psf@uspto.gov.

Search Facilities

• Operations
• News
• Personnel

TRADEMARK SEARCH FACILITY CLOSURE

The USPTO Trademark Search Facility in the South Tower closed its door for the last time on Friday, September 5, 2008. When the move was made to the Alexandria campus in 2004 and most of the patent and trademark information resources were combined into the new Public Search Facility, the Trademark Search Facility continued to house the classified trademark paper collection. Now that these collections are on microfilm located in the Public Search Facility, the Trademark Search Facility has been closed.

PUBLIC SEARCH FACILITY STAFF UPDATE

After working over 30 years maintaining the classified Trademark registration collections located in the Trademark Search Facility, Virginia Johnson is now working in USPTO's File Information Unit assisting public customers.  Ms. Johnson assumed her new duties on August 31, 2008.  Please join us in extending our best wishes to Ms. Johnson in her new position.

Our colleague Linda Lynch has joined us in the Public Search Facility. Please take a moment to drop by the Public Search Facility On-line Assistance Desk and say hello to Linda. For the past few years Ms. Lynch has provided search services at the Trademark Search Facility in Arlington, Virginia. Welcome Linda to the USPTO Carlyle campus!

PUBLIC SEARCH FACILITY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

During the period of July 14-August 8, 2008, a self administered survey was available to patrons visiting the USPTO Public Search Facilities. The purpose of the survey was to gauge current customer satisfaction levels and assess the change in service levels since the last survey was conducted in 2006. Ninety-one patrons completed the survey. 89% of 2008 survey respondents indicated overall satisfaction with the Public Search Facility products and services. A survey results report will be available shortly.

Search Collections

• Digital
• Print
• Microfilm

UPDATE ON "GILSON ON TRADEMARKS”

“Gilson on Trademarks”, release 67, was received in August and has been interfiled in the PSF copy.  Highlights of this revision include information about a new USPTO rule requiring a description of the mark, a proposed USPTO rule on Express Mail, cease and desist letters, an analyses of the “well-known marks doctrine” for foreign mark protection – without registration - in the United States, and store brands versus private brands.  This 9-volume set is available for use in the trademark section of the PSF reference area.

Search Interfaces

• Structure
• Capabilities
• Modules

NOTICES OF SUIT INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON-LINE

Publicly available Notices of Suit for patents and trademarks filed with the U.S. District Courts can be retrieved and viewed at the website www.uspto.gov. The term Notice of Suit is used to identify the written notification sent to the USPTO Director advising that an action has been filed with a U.S. District Court.

The Notices of Suit documents can be accessed through the USPTO's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) web page by selecting the site index link from http://www.uspto.gov, then selecting the FOIA Reading Room link, and then by clicking on Notices of Suit filed with U.S. District Courts for Patents and Trademarks. There are four ways to retrieve Notices of Suit documents on-line: 1) by document identifier (e.g. patent number, trademark registration number); 2) by entering a specific date range; 3) Click on Retrieve all Notices of Suit; or 4) enter the court, company name, trademark name or title of invention. The date range search is based on the dates the Notices of Suit documents are processed within USPTO.

*Please Note: The date range search is based on the date the Notice of Suit is processed within USPTO. This date will vary considerably from the date the Notice of Suit is filed with the U.S. District Court. This is due to variances in mailing and processing times within the Courts and at USPTO.

You may obtain additional information about accessing Notices of Suit information online at the Public Search Facility On-line Assistance Desks.

Search Topics

• Hints
• Results
• Reminders

FILE ORDERING NOW AVAILABLE IN TRADEMARK ASSISTANCE CENTER

For the convenience of public users who frequent USPTO search facilities in both Crystal City and Carlyle, a File Tracking System workstation has been installed in the Trademark Assistance Center, located on the concourse level of the Madison East Building. 

Installation of the terminal will allow users to order patent and trademark files from the Carlyle campus. As is the case with the delivery of all publicly ordered files, files ordered from the Trademark Assistance Center workstation will be delivered to the File Information Unit for inspection/reproduction. Files can be ordered in the Trademark Assistance Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

Public Information Services
United States Patent and Trademark Office
P. O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

KEY: =online business system =fees =forms=help =laws/regulations =definition (glossary)

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