Go to MPEP - Table of Contents
901.06(a) Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) - 900 Prior Art, Classification, Search
901.06(a) Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC)
The Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC), formerly known as the Scientific Library, is located at CP3/4, Room 2C01. STIC maintains three additional satellite information centers: the Biotechnology/Chemical Library in CM1, Room 1C19, the Electronic Information Center in CPK2, Room 4B40, and the Lutrelle F. Parker, Sr. Memorial Law Library in CP 3/4, Room 3D62.
35 U.S.C. 7 Library.
The Director shall maintain a library of scientific and other works and periodicals, both foreign and domestic, in the Patent and Trademark Office to aid the officers in the discharge of their duties.
Technical literature, foreign patent documents, and reference and online search services available in STIC are all important resources for the patent examiner to utilize. These resources provide material which must be known or searched to determine whether claims of applications are directly anticipated and therefore unpatentable under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 102. STIC handbooks, textbooks, periodicals, reports, and other materials assist examiners in deciding the question of patentable invention in cases in which the primary search indicates that there is some novelty as compared to any single reference in the art ( 35 U.S.C. 103). These resources enable the examiner to determine whether the features novel in the particular combination searched would be obvious to a person skilled in the art from the general state of knowledge as reflected in the technical literature.
I. STIC COLLECTIONS
A. Books
STIC carefully selects and purchases primarily English-language publications in all fields of applied technology. There is a modest collection in French and German, mostly in the field of chemistry. Collections of books and trade catalogs are also purchased by STIC for permanent location in specific Technology Centers (TCs). For instance, the Design Patent Art Units have a great many manufacturer's catalogs. Books may be ordered by examiners for location in the TCs by addressing a memorandum to the Manager of STIC via the TC Director. STIC is also developing a collection of materials in electronic formats (i.e., CD-ROM) in order to provide more timely delivery of requested references. The locations of all acquired publications are recorded in STIC so that users will know where to look for a particular publication, be it in the Information Center or in a TC. All publications, regardless of location, are processed in STIC's Technical Services Branch.
Reference works including encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and abstracting and indexing services are also available in the Information Center to assist examiners in finding information pertinent to the subject matter of a patent application. STIC does not circulate reference materials. Books in the reference collection are so labeled.
The staff of STIC makes every effort to obtain current, useful publications. However, all suggestions for additional purchases that come in from the Examining Corps are welcomed.
B. Periodicals
Approximately 1,300 technical periodical titles are received in STIC, including publications of many important scientific and technical societies. Incorporated into the collection are a number of titles pertinent to the examination of design patent applications and titles of interest to nonexamining areas of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Many of the periodical holdings in STIC are in microfilm or CD-ROM formats.
Requests for the purchase of new subscription titles are accepted at any time throughout the year, with subsequent purchase dependent on demonstrated need and availability of funds. STIC staff is alert to new periodical titles and often acquires sample copies which are sent to appropriate TCs for review and recommendation.
Current issues of periodicals are arranged alphabetically and located on shelves near the reference collection. Bound periodicals are interfiled with the book collection by their library classification numbers. Periodicals on microfilm and CD-ROM are housed in cabinets. A list of periodicals is available in STIC.
C. Foreign Patent Documents
The USPTO receives foreign patent documents through exchange agreements with almost all countries that print or otherwise publish their patent documents. This makes STIC's collection of foreign patent documents the most comprehensive in the United States.
The collection is located in the Foreign Documents Division. The most current part of the collection is made available to examiners and the public through the USPTO's automated search tools which allow users to look up, view and print documents. The documents from the major industrial countries for the period 1969 to 1990 are found on 16 mm microfilm in the Microfilm Room. The earliest patent documents, back as far as 1617, and documents from smaller countries are found in the paper collection in the stacks or at remote sites.
Most foreign countries issue official patent and trademark journals corresponding to the Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. These journals are shelved under country name. Most countries issue name indexes; some also issue classified indexes. Indexes are shelved with the journals. Much of the index information is also available on FPAS.
The official journals of a few countries include abstracts of the disclosures of the patents announced or applications published.
In addition, the Foreign Patents Branch acquires English language abstracts of foreign patent documents for selected countries published by Derwent. Holdings are in 16mm format from 1972 to date. Earlier holdings are in paper. The Branch also has unexamined Japanese patent applications abstracted by the Japanese Patent Office, the Patent Abstracts of Japan, from 1977 to date in paper.
Many countries, e.g., China, are providing abstracts of their patent documents on CD-ROM and other electronic media. These abstracts will also be accessible through FPAS.
Many technical abstracting publications include patent literature; the most notable of these is Chemical Abstracts. The annual indexes of Chemical Abstracts include, in addition to the subject matter index, an author index in which the patentee's and inventor's names appear, and patent number lists; corresponding patents of different countries are identified. Specifications of unprinted, or as yet unprinted, patents may be included in some of these abstracting services.
D. Special Collections
Biotechnology/Chemical
With the formulation of a new biotechnology examining group in 1988 came a mandate to improve STIC resources in this area. The former Chemical Library, located with the biotechnology and chemical examining groups, was replaced by the Biotech/Chemical Library. The library staff has been developing a collection to reflect the needs of the examiners in the biotechnology and chemical arts. Besides the usual journals and books in print, the library has been collecting backfiles of journals in microfilm and in CD-ROM format.
Government Publications
In 1986, STIC was designated a Federal Depository Library which means that it now receives a selected number of documents published by various U.S. government agencies. Many of these publications are on microfiche or CD-ROM. The primary search aids are the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications and the List of Classes. All the documents received in the STIC have been cataloged into the STIC's online catalog system and interfiled with the main collection.
Project XL Materials
This collection of books, games, puzzles, and manipulatives relate to the teaching of thinking skills whether they are classified as creative thinking, critical thinking, decision making, innovation and invention, or problem-solving skills. The collection is primarily aimed at, but not limited to, elementary education and is a result of a USPTO initiative in the mid-1980's to emphasize the importance of encouraging creativity in America's youth. Access to the collection is through STIC's online catalog. All Project XL materials are available for loan.
II. HOW TO LOCATE MATERIALS IN STIC
The STIC Online Catalog
The primary vehicle for locating books and other materials is the STIC online catalog. The online catalog contains a record of all materials held by the STIC collections, including location, call number, and availability. Workstations for accessing the online catalog are located in the STIC branches.
Materials acquired by the STIC are classified according to the Library of Congress classification system, which employs a combination of letters and numbers. Books and bound periodicals are intershelved in the stacks according to this classification system. New unbound periodical issues are shelved in a separate area of each branch, in alphabetical order by title.
III. LOAN POLICY
All STIC materials except noncirculating items may be charged out at the Circulation Desk. (Noncirculating material includes reference publications, foreign patent documents, and microfilm.) Books circulate for a period of 4 weeks and can be renewed on request. Extended loan periods are available on request. Examiners may use the Department of Commerce Libraries as well as other Federal Government libraries in the area. STIC's staff can answer questions regarding the accessibility and lending practices of other libraries. If books are needed from another library for official use, the request should go through the Scientific and Technical Information Center by means of an interlibrary loan request. (See "Interlibrary Loans" under STIC SERVICES.)
IV. STIC SERVICES
A. Reference Services
The staff of the Scientific Reference Branch, the Electronic Information Center, the Lutrelle F. Parker, Sr. Memorial Law Library, and the Biotechnology/Chemical Information Branch assist examiners in the use of the STIC. Upon request, they provide guidance on finding information in the collection. If any problems are encountered in locating materials, using the catalogs or indexing services, or finding answers to informational needs, please check with the staff. They are ready and willing to assist. Queries may be made in person or by telephone.
B. Online Searching
Online computer data base searching is provided by the Scientific Reference Branch, the Electronic Information Center, the Lutrelle F. Parker, Sr. Law Library, and the Biotechnology/Chemical Information Branch. All branches have access via modems or the in-house system to a number of vendors' commercial data base search systems. These vendors' databases extensively cover the field of knowledge and make it possible for online searchers to retrieve bibliographic information with abstracts, chemical structures, DNA sequences, and sometimes the full text of the articles, depending on the database. This online search service provides a valuable screen of the nonpatent literature for the examiner intending to make a search of the secondary sources of his/her area of interest.
Vendors accessed by STIC staff include DIALOG, ORBIT, DOE/RECON, Chemical Abstracts Services (STN), INPADOC, DataTimes, DATASTAR, DTIC/DROLS, IntelliGenetics, and Mead Data Central. When they are identified as meeting the needs and requirements of the Office, new database vendors are added. A list of the databases offered by each vendor is available in the vendors' manuals located in each STIC branch. Examiners may request a computer search by submitting a request form to the appropriate branch. Searches are usually completed and ready for pickup within 1-2 days.
Examiners are allowed to conduct searches of online commercial databases independently of STIC staff. Training is provided through the Patent Academy and individual assistance is available from the STIC staff, especially for searching chemical structures and DNA sequences.
Online searching of nucleic and amino acid sequences is conducted by the staff of the Biotechnology/Chemical Information Branch through the use of an in-house computer network developed for this purpose. Examiners who wish to access the Automated Biotechnology Sequence Search (ABSS) system located in TC 1600 must apply through their SPE to the Biotechnology/Chemical System Branch for an ID and password. On an as needed basis, introductory classes are conducted by STIC staff to assist examiners in understanding the sequence search results.
C. Foreign Patent Services
The staff of the Foreign Patents Branch of the Foreign Document Division is available to assist with any problem or informational need regarding foreign patent searching or foreign patent documents.
Online search services on Orbit/Questel and Dialog (on the basis of Derwent databases) or INPADOC are performed for patent examiners by the Foreign Patents Branch. The services provided include: identification of English-language or preferred-language equivalents; determination of priority dates and publication dates; searches by inventor name or abstract number; other patent family and bibliographic searches; and foreign classification information.
Examiners who choose to perform their own patent searches after receiving appropriate training through the Patent Academy can consult foreign patent experts for difficult searches. In choosing the Derwent or the INPADOC database, examiners should be aware that the systems overlap in coverage and have other similarities, but also differ in format, kinds of searches that can be performed, and patent document and country coverage. Derwent maintains superior coverage of chemical patent documents, while INPADOC includes earlier documents and more countries and has more extensive coverage of mechanical and electrical patent documents than Derwent databases.
The staff of the Foreign Patents Branch can supplement the online searching effort with manual searches of foreign patent journals, including Official Gazette(s), patent concordances, and/or indexes. The staff also provides training in the use of the Foreign Patents Access System (FPAS) and information of use of the foreign patent collections.
SPECIAL NOTE: Members of the public can order copies of foreign patent documents. Procedures are outlined in a brochure entitled, "Foreign Patent Document Copy Orders" available in STIC.
D. Translations
Examiners may consult the translators in the Transations Branch of STIC's Foreign Document Division for oral assistance in translating foreign language patents and other literature sources that are possible references for applications being examined. Oral translations are performed for the major European languages and for Japanese. Examiners may also request written translations of pertinent portions of references being considered for citation or already cited in applications. Full translations are also made upon request. Written translations can be made from virtually all foreign languages into English.
There is a computerized database located in the Translations Branch listing all translations which have been made by the Branch, and a few others gathered from miscellaneous sources. This database lists over 30,000 translations of foreign patents and articles, all of which are located in the Translations Branch. Patent translations are indexed by country and patent number; articles are indexed by language and author or title. Any copies of translations coming to examiners from outside the Office should be furnished to the Translations Branch so that it may make copies for its files.
E. Interlibrary Loans
When needed for official business purposes, STIC will borrow from other libraries materials not available in-house. Requests are initially submitted to the Reference Fulfillment Branch. Those that can be filled by libraries in the metropolitan area are handled by staff who go out on a daily basis to retrieve requested materials. Those that must be filled by libraries elsewhere in the country are requested electronically via numerous networks and commercial vendors. Law books cannot be borrowed by STIC for use by examiners in connection with law courses.
When a book or periodical is borrowed from another library, and cited in an Office action, a photocopy of the portion cited should be placed in an appropriate class and subclass. This class and subclass should be cited in the Office action.
STIC also loans its materials to other libraries around the country so that occasionally an examiner may find that the item he/she desires is unavailable. Materials which are out on interlibrary loan may be recalled for the examiner if required for immediate use.
F. On-Site Photocopying
For the convenience of the Examining Corps, photocopy machines are available for employee use in STIC. These are to be used for photocopying STIC materials which do not circulate, or for materials which examiners do not wish to checkout.
G. Obtaining Publication Dates
Requests pertaining to the earliest date of publication or first distribution to the public of publications should be made to the Scientific Reference Branch or the Biotechnology/Chemical Information Branch. For U.S. publications, the staff can obtain the day and month of publication claimed by the copyright owner. The same information can be obtained for foreign publications through correspondence although it will take a little longer.
H. Tours
Special tours of the STIC can be arranged for examiners or for outside groups. Contact the Scientific Reference Branch.
I. STIC Brochure
A brochure detailing location, hours, holdings, telephone numbers, and services of the Scientific and Technical Information Center is available from STIC.
Go to MPEP - Table of Contents