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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

11.900:  Patent and Trademark Technical Information Dissemination

Objectives:  To promote the continued growth of American technology and commerce through the utilization and dissemination of technical information available through patents and trademarks, and maintenance of public search centers containing patents and trademarks.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

11.900 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Anyone is eligible.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  Not applicable.

Credentials/Documentation:  None.

11.900 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:  Not applicable.

Award Procedure:  Not applicable.

Deadlines:  Not applicable.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  Not applicable.

Appeals:  Not applicable.

Renewals:  Not applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  Not applicable.

Examples of Funded Projects:  Not applicable.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  Not applicable.

11.900 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 11.650 National Technical Information Service;
• 42.002 Copyright Service;
• 81.003 Granting of Patent Licenses.

11.900 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

The PTO's information dissemination program provides patent and trademark information via a diverse line of products and services. Last year, 934,697 customer requests were processed for general patent and trademark information; 466,681 copies of office records were provided to customers; PTO's Internet Web site was accessed over 9,000,000 times; 2,000,000 new patent and trademark references were filed in PTO's public search facilities in Arlington, Virginia; and over 10,000 patrons were served each week through PTO's national network of 85 Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries.

11.900 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Type of Assistance:  Dissemination of Technical Information.

Obligations:  (Salaries and expenses) FY 99 $42,217,000; FY 00 est $37,464,000; and FY 01 est $39,458,000.

Budget Account Number:  13-1006-0-1-376.

Authorization:  35 U.S.C. 1-42.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  "General Information Concerning Patents," at a cost of $4.25. "Basic Facts About Registering a Trademark" at a cost of $3.25.

11.900 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  Department of Commerce field offices listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.

Headquarters Office:  General Information Services, 1-800-786-9199 or (703) 308-4357. Mailing Address: General Information Services, U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices, Crystal Plaza 3, Room 2C02, Washington, DC 20231. Web Address www.uspto.gov.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

11.900 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  Not applicable.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Not applicable.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  The Patent and Trademark Office examines patent applications to determine the patentability of an invention and grants patents when requirements of law are met. It publishes and disseminates information, mainly through its Internet Web site (www.uspto.gov), which contains the texts and images of more than two million patents dating back to 1976 and over one million registered and pending trademarks dating back to 1870. The Patent and Trademark Office also sells copies of patents for $3.00 each, and maintains a public search room at 2021 South Clark Place, Arlington, VA, which contains the world's largest collection of applied technical information in the form of patents. There are about 6,000,000 U.S. patents issued to date. These documents are arranged by subject classes and subclasses for searching. The Patent Search Room is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and may be used by anyone at no charge. The device, discovery or process described in a patent cannot be manufactured, used or sold except by the inventor or assignee for 20 years after the date of patent filing, after which it enters the public domain. However, technical information contained in a patent can be used in many other ways. Copies of trademarks are available for a fee, or may be examined in the trademark public search library. The Trademark Search Library contains a copy of every registered U.S. Trademark and pending drawings for a registered mark. It is located in the South Tower, Room 2B10, 2900 Crystal Drive. The hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. All trademarks are available in cross-referred, alphabetical and design sections.

11.900 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  Not applicable.

Audits:  Not applicable.

Records:  Not applicable.