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Navigating the USPTO Patent Assignment Search: A Comprehensive Guide

By Babak Akhlaghi on March 28, 2024.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a pivotal institution in the realm of intellectual property, playing a crucial role in protecting the innovations that fuel progress. Among its varied services, the USPTO patent assignment search stands out as an essential resource for individuals and organizations navigating the intricacies of patent ownership and assignments. This guide delves deep into the functionality and significance of the USPTO’s patent assignment search tool, shedding light on its utility and operation for all stakeholders involved in the patenting process.

Understanding Patent Assignments

To fully appreciate the value of the USPTO assignment search, one must first understand what a patent assignment entails. Essentially, a patent assignment is the transfer of an owner’s rights, title, and interest in a patent or patent application to another entity or individual. This process can occur through the sale of the patent, a transfer of ownership during a business transaction, or through inheritance. The completion of an assignment confers upon the new owner the exclusive rights to the patent, including the authority to prevent others from exploiting the patented invention.

The Role of the USPTO Patent Assignment Search

Central to the USPTO’s offerings is the USPTO assignment database, a comprehensive repository that records all patent assignment information from August 1980 to the current day. This database becomes indispensable for verifying the present ownership of a patent or patent application whenever the USPTO processes pertinent assignment details.

For inventors, legal professionals, and corporations alike, the USPTO assignment search is vital for various reasons. It facilitates due diligence efforts prior to the acquisition or licensing of patents, aids in the resolution of patent right disputes, and ensures adherence to assignment recording protocols.

Utilizing the USPTO Patent Assignment Search

Thanks to the user-friendly interface of the USPTO assignment search tool , users can effortlessly access detailed records of patent assignments. This tool, part of the broader USPTO Electronic Patent Assignment System (EPAS), allows searches by multiple criteria such as patent number, assignor and assignee names, publication numbers, and reel/frame numbers. Results from this assignee search provide comprehensive details about each assignment, including participant names, assigned patents or applications, and the date of assignment.

The USPTO patent assignment search tool is far more than a mere database; it serves as a critical access point to the legal and commercial dimensions of patenting. By facilitating access to exhaustive records of US patent assignments, the USPTO empowers stakeholders across the innovation landscape to make well-informed decisions. This, in turn, helps in averting disputes and promoting the seamless transfer of technology. Whether you are conducting a US patent assignment search, exploring the USPTO assignment database, or utilizing the USPTO trademark assignment search function, the USPTO’s resources are invaluable for anyone involved in the intricate world of patents and trademarks.

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United States: Navigating The USPTO Patent Assignment Search: A Comprehensive Guide

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a pivotal institution in the realm of intellectual property, playing a crucial role in protecting the innovations that fuel progress. Among its varied services, the USPTO patent assignment search stands out as an essential resource for individuals and organizations navigating the intricacies of patent ownership and assignments. This guide delves deep into the functionality and significance of the USPTO's patent assignment search tool, shedding light on its utility and operation for all stakeholders involved in the patenting process.

Understanding Patent Assignments

To fully appreciate the value of the USPTO assignment search, one must first understand what a patent assignment entails. Essentially, a patent assignment is the transfer of an owner's rights, title, and interest in a patent or patent application to another entity or individual. This process can occur through the sale of the patent, a transfer of ownership during a business transaction, or through inheritance. The completion of an assignment confers upon the new owner the exclusive rights to the patent, including the authority to prevent others from exploiting the patented invention.

The Role of the USPTO Patent Assignment Search

Central to the USPTO's offerings is the USPTO assignment database, a comprehensive repository that records all patent assignment information from August 1980 to the current day. This database becomes indispensable for verifying the present ownership of a patent or patent application whenever the USPTO processes pertinent assignment details.

For inventors, legal professionals, and corporations alike, the USPTO assignment search is vital for various reasons. It facilitates due diligence efforts prior to the acquisition or licensing of patents, aids in the resolution of patent right disputes, and ensures adherence to assignment recording protocols.

Utilizing the USPTO Patent Assignment Search

Thanks to the user-friendly interface of the USPTO assignment search tool , users can effortlessly access detailed records of patent assignments. This tool, part of the broader USPTO Electronic Patent Assignment System (EPAS), allows searches by multiple criteria such as patent number, assignor and assignee names, publication numbers, and reel/frame numbers. Results from this assignee search provide comprehensive details about each assignment, including participant names, assigned patents or applications, and the date of assignment.

The USPTO patent assignment search tool is far more than a mere database; it serves as a critical access point to the legal and commercial dimensions of patenting. By facilitating access to exhaustive records of US patent assignments, the USPTO empowers stakeholders across the innovation landscape to make well-informed decisions. This, in turn, helps in averting disputes and promoting the seamless transfer of technology. Whether you are conducting a US patent assignment search, exploring the USPTO assignment database, or utilizing the USPTO trademark assignment search function, the USPTO's resources are invaluable for anyone involved in the intricate world of patents and trademarks.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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Welcome to Patent Public Search

The Patent Public Search tool is a new web-based patent search application that will replace internal legacy search tools PubEast and PubWest and external legacy search tools PatFT and AppFT. Patent Public Search has two user selectable modern interfaces that provide enhanced access to prior art. The new, powerful, and flexible capabilities of the application will improve the overall patent searching process.

If you are new to patent searches , or want to use the functionality that was available in the USPTO’s PatFT/AppFT , select ‘Basic Search’ to look for patents by keywords or common fields, such as inventor or publication number. Select ‘Advanced Search’ to use full query options as well as to further filter a patent search by database or organize documents through tagging.

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The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

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World Intellectual Property Day 2024—Capitol Hill

Join Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Rep. Darrell Issa, Chair of the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, and representatives from USPTO partner organizations, including the American Intellectual Property Law Association and others, at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, May 1 for a special program at the U.S. Capitol to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day 2024. 

World Intellectual Property Day is an annual commemoration around the world to celebrate the importance of intellectual property (IP) rights as drivers of innovation and creativity. 

The theme of this year’s celebration is IP and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , or “IP and the SDGs – IP as a Solution.” The 17 SDGs, which include goals such as affordable and clean energy, climate action, and gender equality, are a blueprint for people, peace, prosperity, and our planet. Participants will discuss progress on achieving these goals and the critical role IP protection plays in this achievement.

The full agenda is forthcoming. 

This in-person event will offer a livestream option when you register.

Register today

Additional information 

For more information, visit the  registration page . Registration closes at midnight, May 1. 

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If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please submit your request to the contact information listed above.

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A new AI-powered tool could revolutionize how lawmakers are held accountable for insider trading

• A graduate school project could transform how lawmakers are held accountable for stock trades.
• PoliWatch, developed for a UC Berkeley capstone project, helps point researchers to misconduct.
• Still in its "private beta," its founders have yet to create a business plan for it.

A group of California-based graduate students has developed an AI-powered tool to catch congressional insider trading as soon as possible. Though in its infancy, the program could be a revolutionary way for journalists, researchers, and the general public to hold public officials accountable.

For their Fall 2023 master's capstone project at UC Berkeley, Mats Dodd, Aditya Shah, Jocelyn Thai, and Connor Yen came up with the idea for PoliWatch to see if insider trading is as prevalent of an issue in Congress as many perceive it to be.

"We dug into it and were really disappointed when we found that in the last decade, there's maybe been twelve successful investigations that have led to anything," Dodd told Business Insider, adding he believes that congressional ethics committees tend to sweep infractions "under the rug."

Shah explained that PoliWatch works by feeding its system publicly available congressional stock filings, hearing schedules, committee assignments, and sponsored travel.

"We're basically contextualizing stock transactions with key information such as committee assignments, sponsored legislation, and our team of investigative experts to identify suspicious activities with ease," Shah said, noting that the tool was already able to identify when lawmakers made questionable COVID-related trades during the pandemic, which the Department of Justice investigated in 2020.

"We really see this tool as almost being like putting a magnifying glass on what's happening and letting the people see what's actually going on because it's crazy," Dodd said.

Robert Maguire, the research director at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, is thrilled about the new tool's potential use cases.

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"If I'm understanding correctly with this can do, it is going to potentially revolutionize the public and journalist's ability to track the stock trades and ownership of members of Congress," Maguire said.

PoliWatch is in a "private beta" period as the project lacks outside financial support. At the moment, keeping it up and online costs the team around $500 a month. Shah said the team still plans to update and improve the product, but it's not anyone's full-time job — they haven't even incorporated a business yet for PoliWatch.

Another reason the project isn't publicly available yet is how young it is. Dodd said that for now, the team wants "a human in the loop in any outputs of our model because we want people with expertise in this area to vet information" and not have the data misconstrued.

Shah added that looking ahead, they'd like to expand PoliWatch's reach beyond congressional transactions to promote corporate accountability as well.

Congress' thorny trading history

As Business Insider's far-reaching "Conflicted Congress" investigation found in 2021, lawmakers regularly violate the federal Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act with little consequence. Many members of Congress own shares of companies that overlap with their committee assignments.

Public sentiment toward members of Congress and their families trading stocks came to a head at the end of 2021 when then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi came out against banning the practice in a press conference.

A 2022 poll from Data for Progress found that 70% of likely voters supported a ban on congressional stock trading, with just under half saying it would make them more likely to vote for a candidate if they supported a ban.

Though bipartisan anti-congressional trading bills have been introduced in recent years, none have been brought to a vote on the House or Senate floor.

Dodd said he sees PoliWatch as a way to try and restore confidence in congressional transparency.

"In terms of building public trust and faith in the people running our country, it's at all-time lows," he said. "This could be a big boost to bring that up."

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