PTRC: Patents & Trademarks

In July 2024 JMU Libraries joined the PTRC program, administered by the US Patent & Trademark Office. PTRC (Patent & Trademark Resource Centers) is a network of libraries that serves to provide patent and trademark assistance in the form of researching and identifying existing patent and marks, and advising about registration. The designated PTRC representative at JMU is Howard S. Carrier, JMU’s Copyright & Intellectual Property Librarian.

It is hoped that membership of this program will be valuable to JMU students and faculty and the wider JMU community. Searching for patents and marks is a technical and precise process, and yet a vital step in developing inventions or formulating trademarks and thereafter seeking to protect that intellectual property. In accordance with the PTRC’s stated purpose, support will be provided to the JMU community in the form of workshops, training, and requested consultations.

PTRC notes: “Many communities value PTRCs because they are rich local resources for small businesses, research and development firms, university and governmental laboratories, and independent inventors and entrepreneurs. The availability of assistance with patent and trademark searching helps libraries connect with their communities.”