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Patent and Trademark Resource Center: Patent and Trademark Resouce Center (PTRC)

This guide provides a starting point for resources on patents and trademarks.

Who We Are

Patent and Trademark Resource Centers are a nationwide network of public, state and academic libraries designated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to disseminate patent and trademark information. John B. Cade Library received designation as a PTRC in October 2023 and is only the 2nd PTRC on an HBCU campus (Howard University was the first PTRC at an HBCU) and the 2nd PTRC established in Louisiana. Patent and Trademark Resource Centers were authorized by 35 U.S.C. 12 to:

  • Disseminate patent and trademark information
  • Support diverse intellectual property needs of the public

PTRC Program History and Mission

The Patent and Trademark Resource Center Program was established in 1871 to make printed patents available to the American public.  Today, the overwhelming majority of patent and trademark information is available electronically and the mission of making it easier to find is carried on by a network of approximately 85 academic, public, state, and special libraries across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico.  There are two PTRCs in Louisiana at John B. Cade Library-Southern University and A&M College-Baton Rouge and Louisiana State University Library-Baton Rouge.