Patent and Trademark Resource Center

An Overview of the PTRC Program

NC State University Libraries is currently a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC). PTRCs are those designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to receive and house copies of patent and trademark materials, to make them freely available to the public, and to actively disseminate patent and trademark information.

The Libraries provides

  • access to the Derwent Innovations Index database (restricted to NC State students, faculty, and staff) for international patent searching, as well as enhanced keyword searching;
  • a large research collection that includes works on intellectual property topics, as well as "how-to" books for students, inventors, engineers and academics.

The PTRC representative can

  • provide a brief orientation to available materials and resources, as well as general guidance on searching patents and trademarks;
  • help you identify historical patents and inventors using print materials, such as Patent Indexes and Official Gazettes;
  • contact experts at the USPTO for specialized questions or research needs beyond the scope of the Libraries' service;
  • point you to online tutorials and other reliable and informative web resources.

Other NC State Patents Resources

  • NC State University's Office of Research Commercialization (ORC) works closely with faculty, staff and students to ensure proper disclosure of inventions on campus. They also provide substantial assistance in assessing the commercial viability of inventions and bringing them to market. For more information visit their Innovator's Guide to Commercialization web pages: https://research.ncsu.edu/commercialization/inventors-guide-to-commercialization/
  • Special Collections' Online Exhibit on NC State Patents (June 1-30, 2000): /archivedexhibits/patents/

Resources for Independent Inventors

Independent inventors who are not affiliated with NC State are also able to make use of most services listed above, as a guest of the Libraries. Please contact the PTRC Representative Greg Tourino for further information or to book an appointment.

Librarian(s)