How can patent examiners request materials not available in STIC?

Patent examiners can request materials not available in STIC through the Interlibrary Loan service. The process is as follows:

1. Submit a request to the STIC facility in the examiner’s Technology Center (TC)
2. Use the electronic form available on the STIC NPL website

The MPEP 901.06(a) states:

“When needed for official business purposes, STIC will borrow from other libraries materials not available in-house. Requests can be submitted to the STIC facility in an examiner’s TC or via the electronic form on the STIC NPL website. STIC has borrowing agreements with libraries throughout the U.S.“

This service ensures that examiners have access to a wide range of resources, even if they are not immediately available within STIC’s collections.

To learn more:

• Interlibrary Loan
• STIC Services
• Resource Requests
• Patent Examination