Resources: Annotated Links

Selected sites

Bitlaw A comprehensive, comprehensible resource on intellectual property law. This well organized site lays out the intricacies of patent, trademark, copyright, and internet legal issues.

Canadian Intellectual Property Office Access more than 75 years of Canadian patent descriptions and images.

DNA Patent Database DNA patents issued by the USPTO, 1970-present.

DOE Patent Databases Bibliographic citations of patents and applications owned by the Department of Energy or its contractors or assignees.

Espacenet From the European Patent Office, abstracts (in English) and full text (in the original language) of patent applications from most of the countries of western Europe plus the United States. English abstracts are available also for applications from China and Japan.

Franklin Pierce Law Center Discussion of basic patent, trademark, and copyright information. Much here is aimed at first-time inventors and small-business owners.

Introduction to the Patent System This 17-minute downloadable video from the Federal Judicial Center is aimed at informing jurors about the patent system. Recommended to anyone seeking a lucid summary of patents and the patenting process.

Inventors Assistance Center at the USPTO. Lists contact information for help with filling out forms, for general information concerning rules and procedures, and for answers to general questions regarding patent examining policy.

Inventors' Association of Middle Tennessee Local group meets monthly through most of the year.

National Inventor Fraud Center A patent attorney's site. Lively, candid discussion aimed at informing inventors about the predatory tactics of some invention promotion companies.

pat2pdf.org If you know the U.S. patent number, download the image free from this site. Also see Patentmatic, below.

Patent Cafe Another lawyerly site well-stocked with overviews, strategies, and answers to frequently asked questions. Like the NIFC (above), the Patent Cafe displays a strong consumer-watch ethic.

Patentmatic Freely download U.S., European, "World" (PCT), and Japanese patent images in Adobe Acrobat® format (.pdf).

Tennessee Trademarks Search trademarks registered with the Tennessee Secretary of State.