The objectives of the PTRCA (formerly PTDLA) are to discover the interests, needs, opinions, and goals of the Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs), and to advise the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) in these matters for the benefit of PTRCs and their users, and to assist the PTO in planning and implementing appropriate services.
The objectives of the PTRCA (formerly PTDLA) are to discover the interests, needs, opinions, and goals of the Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs), and to advise the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) in these matters for the benefit of PTRCs and their users, and to assist the PTO in planning and implementing appropriate services.
PTRCA Membership
If you are employed in a Patent and Trademark Resource Center and your responsibilities include the patent collection, please consider joining PTRCA! Membership is for one year and runs from the last day of the annual training seminar until the last day of the next annual training seminar.
PTDLA Milestones
1871 |
Patents are offered in printed format to depository libraries. |
1977 |
At the invitation of the USPTO, patent depository libraries hold the first annual meeting at the USPTO. |
1979 |
“PDLs’ Report on Funding for Patent Depository Libraries” is produced based on more than two years of data collection, surveys, and discussions on how the PDL system should operate and be improved. |
1982 |
CASSIS online search system is implemented, to supplement manual patent searching. PDLs convert from paper to microfilm format for their patent collections. |
1983 |
Patent Depository Library Advisory Council (PDLAC) is founded. |
1984 |
On April 7, 1983, Gerald J. Mossinghoff, the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, testified at a hearing before the Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks. His speech, aimed at seeking federal funds to support patent depository libraries, included the following remarks: “An important part of our mission at the Patent and Trademark Office is to promote the greater dissemination and use of patent data and information. One way to do this is through our Patent Depository Library Program. A Patent Depository Library, or PDL, is an established library which has agreed to acquire a collection of U.S. patents. We now have 38 such libraries across the United States, providing remote access to the same U.S. patent information available in the Public Search Room of the Patent and Trademark Office in Arlington, Virginia.
|
1985 |
A series of Patent Depository Library Advisory Council reports are produced that set guidelines and standards and formed a basis for planning various PDL services as they apply to patent collections and supporting publications for PDLs: desired automation planning, marketing of PDL services, and services to PDL users. |
1988 |
The first PDLA Newsletter, in its present form, is published by the Los Angeles PDL. PDLAC is referred to as the Patent Depository Library Association (PDLA). |
1989 |
CASSIS CD-ROM replaces CASSIS Online for patent searching. |
1990 |
The Patent Depository Library Program (PDLP) starts to incorporate trademarks as well, and becomes the Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program (PTDLP). |
1991 |
The Automated Patent System (APS), an online patent examiners search system, is made available to 14 PTDLs, on a pilot basis.
|
1993 |
The USPTO proposes to offer APS to PTDLs on a subscription basis, as a source of funds. After much protest, lobbying, and discussion from PTDLs, a few PTDLs subscribe to APS. |
1994 |
The USPTO introduces the first PTDLP Partnership Library (Sunnyvale, CA), a PTDL that offers enhanced patent and trademark services. |
|
USPTO makes AIDS=related patents (full text and images) available on the Internet. |
1995 |
USPTO launches PatBIB, a web-based datase contaning bibliogrpahic data and abstracts for patents issued from 1986-1995. |
1996 |
PTDLA becomes an affiliate organization of the ALA. |
1996 |
PatBIB expanded to include patents from 1976 to present (updated weekly). |
1997 |
The USPTO starts to make U.S. Patents available on the USPTO’s web site. |
1998 |
PatBIB becomes PatFT, containing full text from 1976 to present. |
1999 |
Congress passes AIPA legislation. |
1999 |
WEST (the Web-based Examiner Search Tool) replaces APS at PTDLs. |
1999 |
PatFT now includes images of patent documents from 1976 to week. |
2000 |
Images of all U.S. Patents from 1790 to date, and full-text from 1976 to date, are made available on the USPTO’s web site. Full-text copies of U.S. Trademarks are also mounted on a web-based search database, TESS. |
2001 |
Full-text copies of Pre-grant patent publications of U.S. patent applications are made available on the USPTO’s web site starting in March 2001. |
2001 |
PTDLA-sponsored program is presented at the ALA annual conference in San Francisco. |
2001 |
PTDLA-sponsored program is presented at the SLA annual conference in San Antonio. |
2001 |
CASSISDVD-ROM replaces CASSIS CD-ROM as a patent/trademark search system. |
2001 |
PTDLA acquires domain www.ptdla.org. |
2001 |
PTDLA co-hosts 25th Anniversary Celebration of PTDL Training Seminars. |
2001 |
PTDLA-sponsored program is presented at the ALA annual conference in Atlanta. |
2002 |
PTDLA becomes incorporated. |
2002 |
PTDLA participates in a program honoring the 20th anniversary of PTDLP Fellowship program. |
2002 |
PTDLs participate in a series of focus groups and brainstorming sessions to gather input to be used in strategic planning for services at PTDLs. |
2004 |
Legislation to stop fee diversion is in progress.
|
2012 |
PTDLA changes its name to the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association (PTRCA) to reflect the shift from Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries to Patent and Trademark Resource Centers. |