What is the Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) in relation to foreign patent documents?
The Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) plays a crucial role in managing foreign patent documents at the USPTO. According to MPEP 901.05:
“The Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) maintains a collection of foreign patents and foreign language technical literature.”
STIC’s responsibilities include:
- Maintaining a comprehensive collection of foreign patents
- Providing access to foreign language technical literature
- Assisting examiners in searching and retrieving relevant foreign patent documents
- Supporting the USPTO’s prior art search capabilities
To learn more: