Press Release, 12-57

USPTO Connects Innovators to Key Patent and Trademark Resources

New Web-Based Search Engine Means Easier Access and More Transparency

Washington – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is making its patent and trademark examining manuals more accessible to the public through a new, user-friendly search tool. The Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) and Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP) search tools, which work like an Internet search engine, are available at tmep.uspto.gov and mpep.uspto.gov.

The new tools are part of a larger, agency-wide effort to better connect innovators to the USPTO’s many free resources and to make the agency’s procedures as transparent as possible. Individuals will be able to navigate through the manuals using a table of contents, or perform searches by typing words in a search box. Search results will be ranked by relevance and search terms highlighted in the body of the document. Sections of the manual can be printed or exported to PDF using typical browser functionality. The primary benefit of the new system to users and the USPTO is that the manuals can be updated within hours, rather than months.