PLANT PATENTS – OUTDATED Review with Paulina Borrego – Do not use Ann Kardos 8/7/2023

BACKGROUND

UMass Libraries is a Patent and Trademark Depository Library. There is a complete file of plant patents issued in the Science and Engineering Library.

For a description of the plant patent program, and supporting collection, see the Library's Patents and Trademarks subject page: http://guides.library.umass.edu/patents

CATALOGING AND ACCESSIBILITY

The plant patents are already cataloged.

All new materials relevant to the plant patent collection are (and should be) cataloged to Reference Collection at the Science and Engineering Library (SEL). Paulina Borrego is the Library's patents and trademark specialist. Send all new plant patent materials to Paulina Borrego. She then gives them to Cindy Spell to catalog.

All plant patents are issued either print or microfiche, and are in file cabinets on the SEL 3rd Floor East. (Note: there is no official electronic version issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because the image reproduction of the detailed photographs is not sufficient).

Plant Patents 1-10,000 are microfiche, in acid free folders in the very front of the first file cabinet. Plant Patents 10,001+ are paper, and are filed in acid free folders after the microfiche in several file cabinets.

There are catalog records for the plant patents in WorldCat and Aleph:

United States Plant patent (SCI REF QK46.U54) United States Plant patent (SCI REF MICROFICHE 101)

FILING OF NEW PLANT PATENTS

Open plant patent envelope for that week (postage date) and verify the number of plant patents in envelope with number given on plant patents in the ALLPTRCS email; the USPTO will send out an email at the end of the month with the postage dates, plant patent numbers, and the total number of plant patents in each batch for that month. (Example of email received for Jan. 2016: January 05, 2016 PP26285 to PP26296 # of patents 12 January 12, 2016 PP26297 to PP26308 # of patents 12 January 19, 2016 PP26309 to PP26344 # of patents 36 January 26, 2016 PP26345 to PP26362 # of patents 18)

Reorder plant patents putting the lowest number plant patent on the bottom of the pile to be made (plant patent photos on top in descending order followed by the paper plant patent pages in descending order).

Continue to work through entire shipment, making sure all pages are received. If any pages are missing or damaged follow procedure to request replacements (below). Replacements should be requested in a timely manner (six weeks of shipment arrival).

Place plant patents in hanging file folder and make folder tag for the shipment indicating beginning and ending plant patent numbers.

Note any issues with the shipment using a sticky note and place inside the particular hanging file folder. For example, if a patent has been withdrawn I note the plant patent number on a sticky note and place it inside that particular shipment batch so that patrons will not waste time looking for that plant patent. Other issues may be: waiting for replacement pages, waiting for missing pages, etc.

Put plant patent hanging file folder in the designated plant patent filing cabinet located on the third floor.

PROCEDURE TO CLAIM PLANT PATENTS

To facilitate a prompt resolution to delivery and damage problems to new USPTO plant patents, please use the follwing procedures:

Mail, fax, or email the damage or non-receipt claim within 6 weeks of issue to Karna Cooper using the contact information below. In the case of duplicates received, return any that you do not want to the Program Office.

Karna Cooper U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Contracts Division RM. 09A42-A Randolph Square P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 Telephone: 703-756-1485 Fax: 571-270-9864 Email: karna.cooper@uspto.gov

Changes to delivery address, contact Program Office.

Before claiming non-receipt of a plant patent, please ensure you check with the Paper Issue Plant Patents e-mails that are sent from the Program Office indicating the most current patent sent out. Further questions/problems regarding plant patents, please contact the Program Office.

Program Office: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program Madison East 2B18 P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 Telephone: 800-435-7735, option 2 Fax: 571-273-0088 Email:PTDLOFFICE@uspto.gov