The University of Nevada, Las Vegas has been designated as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The UNLV Libraries Patent & Trademark Resource Center, Powered by Switch is the result of a partnership between UNLV University Libraries, the UNLV Wiener-Rogers Law Library, and Switch. A grand opening of the new PTRC was held on Nov. 15.
“The UNLV Libraries are the perfect home for the Patent and Trademark Resource Center, as our librarians work to connect individuals with information and resources they need for success and innovation,” said Maggie Farrell, dean of libraries at UNLV. “This designation also continues to center UNLV at the heart of economic development in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada and furthers our Top Tier mission in socio-economic development and community partnerships.”
Switch has partnered with the UNLV Libraries to partially fund the PTRC, pledging a generous gift for the establishment of the PTRC office in Lied Library, as well as supporting training and programming for services offered by the USPTO.
“We are honored to be a part of this initiative,” said Betsy Fretwell, EVP of Strategy at Switch. “Over several years, Switch has maintained a long and robust history of supporting key public, private and research-related projects with UNLV. The UNLV Libraries U.S. Patent & Trademark Resource Center designation has a special meaning for our organization."
Fretwell said that Switch Founder and CEO Rob Roy has over 400 pending and registered trademarks, in addition to the more than 700 issued and pending patent claims covering data center designs that have manifested into the company’s world-renowned data centers and technology solutions.
"This investment and the opening of this office will pave the way to simplify patent processing for many entrepreneurs and emerging companies across the growing business and technology sectors in Nevada,” adds Fretwell.
The UNLV Libraries PTRC will focus on student and faculty innovation providing advanced patent searching capabilities and instruction, and will also be available for community entrepreneurs who want help accessing USPTO services.
In addition to trained experts available to answer questions about patent and trademark research, the PTRC will also provide workshops and one-on-one training for the UNLV and Southern Nevada communities on researching and establishing intellectual property.
The UNLV Libraries PTRC hosts drop in hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 3-5 p.m. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, contact Patrick Griffis (patrick.griffis@unlv.edu), Business Librarian, or Youngwoo Ban (youngwoo.ban@unlv.edu), Wiener-Rogers Law Library Research Librarian.
For more information about the UNLV Libraries Patent and Trademark Resources Center Powered by Switch, visit www.library.unlv.edu/ptrc.
