Convenient Patent Public Search tool replacing four legacy systems this fall
September 20, 2022
On September 30, the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) new Patent Public Search tool (PPUBS) is replacing four legacy tools—Public-Examiner’s Automated Search Tool (PubEAST), Public-Web-based Examiner’s Search Tool (PubWEST), Patent Full-Text and Image Database (PatFT), and Patent Application Full-Text and Image Database (AppFT). The transition to the new tool was initially announced in a press release this past February.
Existing links to U.S. patents and U.S. pre-grant publications in PatFT and AppFT will be terminated following the retirement of these services. You can directly access U.S. patents and U.S. pre-grant publications via Patent Public Search and can set up links for direct document access to U.S. patents and U.S. pre-grant publications on a webpage or document. You can find a step-by-step guide to performing these functions in the Patent Public Search-Setting up external searches PDF.
Patent Public Search provides more convenient, remote, and robust full-text searching of all U.S. patents and U.S. pre-grant publications. The new tool streamlines the search process for users, provides alternatives for existing services, and incorporates new features.
Learn more about the benefits of Patent Public Search in our Director’s blog. We’ve also made more information available on our new Patent Public Search webpage, including FAQs, training resources, and other information to assist you in transitioning to the new tool. Upcoming public training sessions are posted on the webpage as soon as they are scheduled.
For questions about Patent Public Search, please contact the Public Search Facility at psf@uspto.gov, or visit the Public Search Facility and the Patent and Trademark Resource Centers webpages on the USPTO website.