Excellent patent searching tutorial from the PTDLP

The people who run the Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program office put together some of the best patent and trademark guides available. Making this information available is what the program is all about, and you can count on the PTDLP materials to be even-keeled, realistic, and authoritative.

I mean, however tempting it is to believe the late-night TV ads guaranteeing a successful patent application, virtually any novice inventor does him or herself a favor by checking out the explanatory materials put together by the PTDLP. Here's a link to some of their classic brochures.

A few months ago, the PTDLP folks outdid themselves by producing this tutorial. It's an animated, narrated, interactive slide show that covers the fundamentals of a preliminary patent search. It's just right for someone looking to dive in to the USPTO's resources but unsure where to begin. Two thumbs up!