Federal Information

Official website of the Copyright Office. Provides information for registering a copyright, recording a document, and helpful resources and publication.

Contains the text of title 17 of the Unites States Codes, including amendments. It includes the Copyright Act of 1976 and all subsequent amendments to copyright law, the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984 as amended, and the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act as amended.

Search for copyrights on items.

From Nolo Press, in addition to general information and forms, site includes special topics such as copyrights on software, copyrights and cyberspace, and fair use.

Official website of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Includes information on patents and trademarks, Intellectual Property policy, and learning resources.

Search over 100 million worldwide patent documents. espacenet is a free Internet service provided by the European Patent Organisation and the national offices of its members states.

From the USPTO. Provides detailed breakdown of everything concerning patents.

Search for full-text patents online.

Rice University's Patent and Trademark Depository Library is an excellent resource for Houston area inventors.

From the USPTO. Provides information about trademarks including application requirements.

This search engine allows you to search the USPTO's database of registered trademarks and prior pending applications to find marks that may prevent registration due to a likelihood of confusion refusal.

Site includes explanation of the concept of "public domain" and a list of more than 3000 songs that are currently in the public domain.