NEW patent searching database from USPTO. As of Sept. 30, 2021, it replaces PatFT (granted patents), AppFT (patent applications), PubEAST, and PubWEST.
The new system gives the choice of:
1. Basic Search - look for patents by keyword or common fields, such as inventor, patent number, or publication number. For keyword searching you can only enter one word per search field, connected by AND, OR, or NOT.
2. Advanced Search - provides a full range of query options, filter by database, and organize by tagging. (See Search Overview). Has the choice of 2 layouts for results - Quick Search and Enhanced Search.
You can search 3 databases: US-PGPUB (U.S. pre-grant applications back to 3/2001), USPAT (full-text U.S. patents back to 1970, classification and patent number searching back to 1790) and USOCR (OCR scanned pre-1970 U.S. patents)
Commercial databases offer easier searching with more whistles and bells than the freely available databases.
An index of patent and citation information for inventions in chemical, electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering.
There are other very sophisticated databases that the law school does not subscribe to, such as: