Patents, Standards, and Trademarks

Carleton researchers who are interested in developing and protecting their intellectual property should contact the Office of Industry and Partnership Services (IPS).

Please see: Intellectual Property Resources (CIPO)

1. Begin by defining exactly what you are searching for
2. Get background information from handbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries
3. Be specific when determining search terms: synonyms/antonyms
4. Use Boolean Operators to connect search terms by understanding how search engines operate
5. Once your topic is narrowly defined, select databases to find specific articles that have been published in journals
6. Use the advanced interface of electronic databases and Internet search engines to help narrow your search. Limit to: specific field (article, book, conference proceeding, newspapers, video); full-text or peer reviewed journals only
7. Find books on your topic to gain greater depth and understanding
8. Films and Videos and Images are non-literary forms of representation
9. Take notes during your research to keep track of where you have been, keywords searched, what worked and what didn't, etc. You may consider using Microsoft OneNote or free software for note-taking such as Evernote
10. Write down or store all the references you have consulted to include them in the bibliography of your research paper

Library search

OMNI: the Carleton University Library search portal. Please see Help With Using Omni

Subject headings

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) use controlled vocabulary to access and express the subject content of documents. Patents, standards, and trademarks, have largely been divided into the following collections. ​This is a searchable index. Click on a link below to discover the Library's holdings in this area:

1. Accounting standards
2. Adult
3. Analysis
4. Brand name products
5. Computer industry
6. Female
7. Health care
8. Humans
9. Intellectual property
10. Inventors
11. Life sciences and biomedicine
12. Male
13. Methods
14. Middle aged
15. Performance standards
16. Periodical publishing
17. Science and technology
18. Sensors
19. Social sciences
20. Socioeconomic factors
21. Sociology
22. Technology
23. Trademarks
24. United States
25. Video/film

• Add keywords
• Use the filters on the left of the resulting screen. Typical filters are Available Online and Peer Reviewed Journals

Recommended databases

1. ASTM International Standards Worldwide: Provides access to all of the American Society for Testing and Materials' active standards. Contains technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services.
2. Compendex: Provides access to bibliographic databases of engineering literature. Includes Compendex, Inspec (Compendex and Inspec can also be searched together), NTIS, CRC ENGnetBASE, patents (records from the European Patent Office and the US Patent and Trademark Office).
3. International Financial Reporting Standards: Contains accounting standards and interpretations adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).
4. SciFinder: Chemical Abstract Service's tool to locate journal and patent literature, substance and property data, chemical reactions, chemical regulatory data, and chemical suppliers >Training Videos - Patent Searching
5. SAE Mobilus: SAE Mobilus is a vast online repository of authoritative technical content including SAE standards and technical papers. Carleton subscribes to current SAE Ground Vehicle Standards and SAE Aerospace Standards.
6. Techstreet Enterprise: Technical standards management platform.
7. Web of Science: A searchable, multidisciplinary suite of databases.

Information regarding patents, trademarks, copyright and industrial designs can be found at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office CIPO

Patents

A patent is a limited duration property right relating to an invention, granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in exchange for public disclosure of the invention.

Suggested reading

1. A guide to patents (Canadian Intellectual Property Office) [internet]
2. Patent searching : tools & techniques Hunt, David.; Nguyen, Long (Long B.); Rodgers, Matthew (Matthew E.) c2007 [electronic resource]
3. The basics of patent searching Clarke, Nigel S World Patent Information, 2018-09, Vol.54, p.S4-S10 [electronic resource]

Patent databases

• Canada
  1. Canadian Patent Database (CIPO)
• United States
  1. Free Patents Online Provides free PDF downloads of full text U.S. patents. Check out the fun list of Crazy Patents.
  2. Google Patents Searches patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Now Integrates Prior Art And Google Scholar.
  3. Patent full-text and full image database: Full text of US patents. Issued patents: fulltext from 1976 onwards, full page images from 1790. Published applications: since 15 March 2001.
  4. Patents, notifications, and lists: Browse, keyword search or receive RSS feeds on the latest published U.S. patent application each week before the USPTO decision to grant/deny.

• International
  1. DEPATIS German Patent Information System.
  2. Espacenet European, Japanese, and World Intellectual Property Organization.
  3. Online European Patent Register Contains all published European patent applications and PCT applications with EPC Member States designation from first publication until grant (over 850,000 records).
  4. SAE Mobilus a vast online repository of authoritative technical content including SAE standards and technical papers
  5. SciFinder Scholar Provides comprehensive information on chemical and related information, including journal articles and patents in one source.

Patent offices

• Canada
  1. Canadian Intellectual Property Office Provides information on patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs and integrated circuit topographies.
  2. Carleton University's Innovation Transfer Office Services for students and faculty include advice on how to apply for a patent, management of patent agents on prosecution, marketing of the technology to potential licences, and negotiation of licence agreements and monitoring of licences.
• United States
  1. United States Patent and Trademark Office Guides, news and link to the Patent full-text and full image database.
• International
  1. European Patent Office Provides information on EPO member states and news updates. Can also search the Online European Patent Register.
  2. Japan Patent Office Provides news updates, committee documents, and quick guides to patent, utility model, design and trademark law. Also search the Patent Abstracts of Japan.
  3. SIPO State Intellectual Property Office for the People's Republic of China.
  4. United Kingdom Patent Office Includes information regarding patent history, news, applications, and patent law. Provides links to guides and brochures on patent information. Can also search Great Britain's Espacenet, with links to other national and international databases.

Books

1. A Guide to Patents: Canadian Intellectual Property Office [internet]
2. Filing patents online: a professional guide [electronic resource]
3. Fundamentals of patenting and licensing for scientists and engineers [electronic resource] / Matthew Y. Ma.
4. Patent and trademark information : uses and perspectives / Virginia Baldwin, editor.
5. The patent guidebook / John T. Pienkos.
6. Patents for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology : fundamentals of global law, practice, and strategy / by Philip W. Grubb and Peter R. Thomsen.

Journals

1. Browse journals
2. Biotech patent news. 1987
3. Canadian Patent Office record = La gazette du Bureau des brevets. Canadian Intellectual Property Office. 2004-
4. Europäisches Patentblatt. European Patent Office. 19??
5. Official gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Patents (Online) United States. Patent and Trademark Office. Information Products Division. 200?
6. World Patent Information [electronic resource]. Worldwide forum for the exchange of information between people working professionally in the field of Industrial Property information and documentation and to promote the widest possible use of the associated literature.

Information regarding patents, trademarks, copyright and industrial designs can be found at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)

Standards

Standards are officially approved specifications that cover such topics as methods of testing, terminology, performance, and construction requirements. Often they are not more than a few pages long. Many bodies issue standards (national and international standards organizations, trade associations, government departments, etc).

Suggested reading

1. Learn How To Find Standards (NIST) [internet]

Standards databases

1. ASTM International Standards Worldwide: Provides access to all of the American Society for Testing and Materials' active standards.
2. IEEE Standards via IEEE Xplore Digital Library: Provides access to the technical literature in electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics.
3. Techstreet Enterprise: A subscription-based platform hosting industry standards and technical books from many organizations. Carleton subscribes to a small selection of standards published by DIN-adopted European-adopted ISO Standard (DIN) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Other standards databases

(free to search but fees apply to order)

1. ASME Digital Collection: Houses the most current and relevant content in mechanical engineering and related engineering fields, such as medical device research, energy resources, and nuclear engineering.
2. British Standards Online: [internet] BSOL contains British standards and international and European standards that have been adopted as British standards. It also includes ISO, EN, PAS, ASTM and IEC standards that haven't been adopted as British standards.
3. CPA Canada Standards and Guidance Collection: A complete electronic collection of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Canada’s official pronouncements.
4. The Document Center: [internet] is a leader in the dissemination of conformance information for business
5. IHS Global Engineering Documents: [internet] the retail arm of IHS, is your single source for individual standards, publications, and integrated collections via hardcopy or electronic delivery
6. ISO Online Standards Store: [internet] an independent, non-governmental, international organization that develops standards to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems
7. NSSN: National Resource for Global Standards: [internet] a virtual standards wall; a single point to search for information on approved standards

If you would like to order an individual standard, you can do so by contacting via Interlibrary Loans. We will place the order for you but we will not absorb the costs. Most libraries do not lend standards through interlibrary loan. However, if you have privileges to a specific library, you can access the standard within that library. Please note that CISTI no longer keeps standards.

Standards organizations

• Canada
  1. CGSB (Canadian General Standards Board) Canadian federal government organization that provides standards development and conformity assessment services.
  2. CSA (Canadian Standards Association) Nonprofit, membership-based organization that works to develop standards and provide educational services.
  3. SCC (Standards Council of Canada) Federal Crown corporation whose mandate is to promote efficient and effective voluntary standardization in Canada.
• United States
  1. ANSI (American National Standards Association) This body administers and coordinates U.S. private sector voluntary standardization.
  2. DODSSP US Department of Defense single stock point for military specifications, standards, and related publications.
  3. NISO (National Information Standards Organization) Free fulltext standards available online.
• International
  1. IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) "Leading global organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies".
  2. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) This nongovernmental organization is a network of the national standards institutes of 148 member countries.

Journals

1. Browse journals
2. Journal of research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Online) National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.) 1988- [electronic resource]
3. OECD education working papers. OECD Directorate for Education.; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 2002 [electronic resource]
4. Standardization news : SN. American Society for Testing and Materials.; ASTM International.; American Society for Testing and Materials. Annual report. 1985- [electronic resource]
5. StandardView (Online) [Electronic resource] Association for Computing Machinery. ©1993-©2000 Contains "practical and theoretical information [...] on all aspects of standardization, with an emphasis on how standards affect the daily work of all information technology professionals."
6. Transactions of the Institute of Measurement and Control Institute of Measurement and Control 1979 [electronic resource]

Information regarding patents, trademarks, copyright and industrial designs can be found at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)

Trademarks

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. A service mark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods.

Suggested reading

1. The Google Shortcut to Trademark Law Lisa Larrimore Ouellette California law review, 2014-04-01, Vol.102 (2), p.351-407 [electronic resource]
2. Trademarks guide (Canadian Intellectual Property Office) [internet]

Trademark resources

1. Canadian Trademarks Database from CIPO
2. OECD Working Paper Series: OECD iLibrary is OECD's online library for books, papers and statistics and the gateway to OECD's analysis and data.
3. Trademark Official Gazette: The Trademark Official Gazette (TMOG) is published each Tuesday and contains bibliographic information and a representative drawing for each mark published, along with a list of cancelled and renewed registrations.
4. Trademarkia: Trademarkia provides free trademark search tools, and is the largest free trademark search platform.
5. WIPO Global Brand Database: Perform a trademark search by text or image in brand data from multiple national and international sources, including trademarks, appellations of origin and official emblems. V: 2020-10-05 10:31

Journals

1. Browse journals
2. Official gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Trademarks (Online) United States. Patent and Trademark Office. 1975
3. Trade-marks journal (Ottawa, Ont. : Online) Canadian Intellectual Property Office. 1954 [electronic resource]
4. World patent information (Online) World Intellectual Property Organization.; Commission of the European Communities. 1979- [electronic resource]

Search Omni (please read: Omni Help) to find a title published by one of the standard organizations listed below:

Print standards

1. AASHTO Provisional Standards
2. American Concrete Institute (ACI) ACI Manual of Concrete Practice
3. American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) AISC Steel Construction Manual
4. American Institute of Timber Construction (AITC) AITC Timber Construction Manual
5. American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
6. American Petroleum Institute (API)
7. ASHRAE Handbooks
   1. Fundamentals
   2. HVAC Applications
   3. HVAC Systems and Equipment
   4. Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems and equipment
   5. Refrigeration
8. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
9. Canadian Electrical Code
10. Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB)
11. Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
12. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
13. Instrument Society of America Standards Library for Measurement and Control (ISA)
14. International Building Code
15. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
16. International Standards Organization (ISO)
17. National Building Code of Canada
18. National Plumbing Code of Canada
19. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Handbook
20. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater