U.S. Government IP Resources

Hi, and welcome to the IPGov database. When I was first approached about doing this project, I was given one main task; compose a database that lists all of the federal websites that have anything to do with Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer, and provide links to all of the pertinent documents or web sites on the topic. What an amazing and, at times, surprising, journey this project has become.

Far from being mundane, this database should appeal to people of all different backgrounds and experience with Intellectual Property. While doing my searches, I limited myself to one main criterion; make it interesting. I chose material and documents that were content-based, and really had something of substance to say about intellectual property or technology transfer. And if an article merely mentioned "Intellectual Property" once or twice, without really having anything to say about the subject, I did not include it in the database. Therefore, visitors to this site should find tangible, useful information that will help them find virtually any type of information on the subject of Intellectual Property. Of course, I omitted websites that did not have any Intellectual Property content at all, so some users will notice that not all of the federal agencies are accounted for in this database.

I also endeavored to add variety to the database as well. For example, anyone interested in the history of patents will no doubt be excited to find links to some of Thomas Edison's original patent drawings through NARA. But for those who are looking for some more relevant information on technology transfer programs with the US Department of Agriculture, there is some very pertinent information on the subject as well, and I even provided links to the to the forms that need to be filled out when working with a government agency. But that is not all, and there are also helpful links for the person looking for information on trademarks, copyrights, and patents as well.

I was not surprised to see an emerging number of technology transfer programs on many of these websites, as Government agencies like NASA and the Department of Energy are faced with the inevitable budget cuts that have plagued all government agencies as of late. And I was pleased to see the work that our government does in the protection of intellectual property rights, both here in the United States and abroad, although there is certainly room for growth in the area. For some specifics on that type of information, I would recommend looking at some of the department of Justice links.

There are so many different documents on the subject of Intellectual Property, it is difficult to explain each of them in any sort of detail. Nevertheless, I hope this database proves useful to all who visit here. I appreciate the opportunity to have worked on this project, and hopefully your research will be enriched by its content.

Sincerely,

Stacy Shurman