Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About The Published Application Full Text Database

This is a list of questions we frequently are asked, along with their answers. It's a good place to check, as your question may have been asked (and answered!) before.

Here's a list of categories and questions currently answered in this document:

Questions about the Service

• How do I keep up-to-date on this service?
• How can I find out about published application policy issues?

Questions about the Database

• What information is in the database?
• Does your database include trademark data?
• Does your database include copyright data?
• Does your database include data on pending patent applications?
• What years does your database cover?
• How often is the database updated?
• How do I get the published application images?

Questions about Searching

• How do I use the Boolean Search Page?
• How do I use the Manual Search Page?
• What is the menu under the heading "Select Years to Search"?
• How do I search more than one year at a time?
• How do I search for a particular published application number?
• How do I search for a particular class or subclass?
• How do I search for a particular type of published application, e.g., a design application?

Questions about the Service

How do I keep up to date on this service?

The easiest way is to check the Status page and the Database Contents page. They are updated whenever we make a significant update or change to our system.

 

 

 

How do I find out about published application policy issues?

For more information about the US Patent and Trademark Office, its policies, procedures and representatives, check the PTO Home Page under Patents.

 

 

 

 
 
 

Questions about the Database

What information is in the database?

The database consists of the full text of US published applications (including new utility and plant). The full text of a published application includes all bibliographic data, such as the inventor's name, the published application's title, and the assignee's name, as well as the abstract, the full description of the invention, and the claims.  All of the words (text) in the publication are searchable.

 

 

 

Does your database include trademark data?

The US Published Application Full Text Database only includes data on US published applications. To perform a trademark search, go to the USPTO Web Trademark Database. For other trademark related information, the best place to start is the PTO Home Page, and click on the Trademarks button.

 

 

 

Does your database include copyright data?

The US Published Application Full Text Database only includes data on US published applications. Copyright information is not included. For copyright related information, the best place to start is the PTO Home Page and click on the Copyrights button or go to http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/.

 

 

 

Does your database include data on pending patent applications?

The database only includes data on Published Applications in accordance with the 18 month pre-grant publication rules. Pending patent applications where the applicat has elected to not publish prior to grant remain confidential.

 

 

 

What years does your database cover?

The database contains all Published Applcations from March 15 2001 through the present weekly issue.

 

If you know the specific published application number you are looking for, you can order a copy of the published application from the PTO by clicking on the 'Order Copy' icon on any of our pages.

 

 

 

How often is the database updated?

 

 

How do I get the published application images?

Questions about Searching

How do I use the Boolean Search Page?

Help is available on the Boolean Search Help Page.

 

 

 

How do I use the Manual Search Page?

Help is available on the Manual Search Help Page.

 

 

 

What is the menu under the heading "Select years to search"?

This is the list of the published application years to use when restricting your search.

 

 

How do I search more than one year at a time?
         Currently you can only search on year 2001.
 

 

 

How do I search for a particular published application number?

There are several ways. The easiest is to use the Published Application Number Search Page, enter the number you are searching for in the box provided, and hit the 'Search' Button.

To search for a published application or Document number using the Manual Search Page, use this syntax:

DN/number

Where number is the number of the published application for which you want to view. Non-utility published applications must include a prefix: 'PP' for plant applications.
 

 

 

How do I search for a particular class and subclass?

To search by class and subclass, go to the Boolean Search Page, select the all years option in the Select years to search menu, select the appropriate Term text entry box and then type the class and subclass in this form:

 

 

class/subclass

Note subclasses can contain decimal or alpha modifiers (for example, 427/2.31 or 427.3A)

Choose 'Published U.S. Classification' from the matching Fields menu and hit the 'Search' button.

 

 

You can also search for class/subclass on the Manual Search Page by using this syntax:

CCL/class/subclass

Further information on searching by class is available on the Field Search Help Page.
 

 

 

How do I search for a particular type of published application, e.g., a plant application?

To search for a particular type of published application, go to any one of the three search pages (Boolean, Manual, Number) and, in the appropriate published application number field (Published Application Number (Document Number), DN/, Query), enter

• 'PP' for plant applications,

 

Further information on searching by class is available on the Field Search Help Page.
 

 

 

 

What are Stopwords?

Stopwords are terms that appear so frequently in document text that they lose their usefulness as search terms. Although they are not indexed as search terms, they will be displayed in your search results.