CONTACT: (Media Only)
Paul Fucito
(571) 272-8400 or paul.fucito@uspto.gov
WASHINGTON - The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the grand opening of the newest Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) at the Durango Public Library in Durango, Colorado on Tuesday May 22, 2018. A free public program, “Researching Patent and Trademark Information: Essential Information You Need to Protect Your Intellectual Property” will be presented.
The Durango Public Library will be the second PTRC in the State of Colorado. It will serve residents in southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico. The Durango Public Library is in the Four Corners region of Colorado, which includes the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Nations. The library will support entrepreneurs throughout the region seeking patent and trademark protection for their intellectual property. USPTO-trained librarians will assist patrons using the agency’s patent and trademark databases.
PTRCs are a nationwide network of public, state, and academic libraries that provide free services, including assistance in accessing patent and trademark documents, help in using USPTO databases, and aid in identifying resources on the USPTO website. They support inventors, intellectual property attorneys and agents, business people, researchers, entrepreneurs, students, historians, and members of the public unable to visit USPTO campuses. PTRCs also host public seminars on IP topics for novice and experienced innovators.
The PTRC Program began in 1871 when federal law first provided for the distribution of printed patents to public libraries. The addition of the Durango Public Library to the PTRC network makes a total of 86 resource centers located in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
A list of current PTRC libraries can be found on the USPTO's website at www.uspto.gov/ptrc.
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