Patent and Trademark Resource Center a one-stop shop for innovators and creators

A new service at the ASU Library is ready to inspire more inventors in Arizona. The Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) celebrated its designation by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Oct. 10 at Hayden Library on the ASU Tempe campus.

The PTRC is part of a nationwide library network where the ASU community can receive help navigating a variety of resources from the USPTO.

“As a member of the PTRC program, ASU Library will provide support to students, faculty, researchers, and local entrepreneurs by providing access to a comprehensive collection of patent and trademark resources, including official materials from the USPTO,” said Eric Prosser, the engineering and entrepreneurship librarian and the head of the STEM Division at ASU Library. “In addition to regular workshops and seminars, we will also offer individual consultations to assist patrons with the complexities of patent and trademark research.”

Special guests from ASU and USPTO spoke during the event, including Mary Fuller, director of the Western Regional Outreach Office.

“The PTRCs are one of our important tools that help the USPTO bring innovation to impact,” said Fuller. “Without PTRCs, we wouldn’t be able to reach the communities that we can reach today.”

In her remarks, Fuller shared some of the highlights of patents at ASU and Arizona.

“Since 2003, ASU research has resulted in more than 4,750 invention disclosures and 1,551 U.S.-issued patents. Startups based on ASU intellectual property have generated 1.3 billion dollars in investment capital from July 1, 2002 to October 20, 2023,” said Fuller.

Being raised in Arizona, the event was personal for Fuller and she hopes the impact is felt in the community. “Intellectual property changes the economic outcome for individuals in ways that at first individuals might not realize are possible,” said Fuller.

“When you look at students, innovators and communities, we have a lot of people here solving problems,” said Fuller. “If you are a problem solver, you’re probably an innovator, and if you’re an innovator and you’re innovating a solution to a problem in a way that’s never been done before, you just might be an inventor. And if you’re an inventor, we want you to come in, meet with us and protect your intellectual property so that you can make a difference.”

While the celebration occurred at Hayden Library, the PTRC services are available at all Phoenix-metro campus locations and online. On the ASU Library’s PTRC website, visitors can find helpful resources, schedule a consultation and connect with other ASU entrepreneur support such as the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute.

After the ribbon-cutting, Prosser shared a variety of inventions associated with Arizona, from Keystone Kool Deck® to cactus-shaped lamps.

One inventor is Tara Astigarraga, a member of the Choctaw Nation born and raised in Arizona, and in the 2000s received a patent for a method to predict when flash memory would reach its end of life.

"Tara credits her first patent to curing her all-too-common sense of imposter syndrome and now shares her knowledge, experience and mentorship to broaden participation in STEM careers by members of underrepresented groups," said Prosser. “Ideas and inventions can come from anyone and anywhere, and having the PTRC at the ASU Library embodies the ASU Charter by helping to strengthen Arizona’s network of innovative entrepreneurs and small businesses in the communities we serve.”