human: How can I find out if my invention is already patented?
assistant: Public users may perform preliminary searches of patent information in a variety of formats including online and print at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Public Search Facility located in Alexandria, VA.
Computer workstations provide automated searching of patents issued from 1790 to the current week of issue. Full document text of U.S. patents issued since 1971 and OCR text from 1920 to 1970 may be searched. U.S. patent images from 1790 to the present may be retrieved for viewing or printing. Some foreign patent documents are available.
Annual Indexes of Inventors and various search aids are available in an online format.
The Public Search Facility is located in the Madison East building on the first floor at 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA 22313. The telephone number is 571-272-3275.
Users can access the full-text searchable database containing patent information for all U.S. patents granted since 1976 and all patent application publications (first published in March 2001), on the USPTO web site at http://patft.uspto.gov.
Inventors can also perform a preliminary search of patents at one of the Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs) established throughout the United States. They have classification search tools, automated search aids, and photocopy facilities available to the public. For information on your nearest PTRC you may visit PTRC web site at http://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/patent-and-trademark-resource-centers-ptrcs.
You may retain a patent attorney or agent to conduct a complete search. For information on registered patent attorneys and agents in your area, you may visit the Office of Enrollment and Discipline web site at https://oedci.uspto.gov/OEDCI/.