# USPTO Patent & Trademark MCP Server

A [FastMCP server](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk/tree/main/src/mcp/server/fastmcp) for accessing United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent **and trademark** data through multiple APIs including the [Patent Public Search](https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search/patent-public-search) API, the [Open Data Portal (ODP) API](https://data.uspto.gov/home), PTAB API v3, the [TSDR](https://tsdr.uspto.gov/) trademark status API, and [USPTO trademark search](https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/). Using this server, Claude Desktop can pull data from USPTO APIs, search through PTAB proceedings and decisions, research prosecution history, run trademark clearance searches, track trademark status, and more:

![Screen Capture of Claude Desktop using Patents MCP Server](screencap.gif)

For an introduction to MCP servers see [Introducing the Model Context Protocol](https://www.anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol).

Special thanks to [Parker Hancock](https://github.com/parkerhancock), author of the amazing [Patent Client project](https://github.com/parkerhancock/patent_client), for [blazing the trail](https://github.com/parkerhancock/patent_client/issues/63) to understanding of the string of requests and responses needed to pull data through the Public Search API.

## Features

This server provides **61 tools** across 9 USPTO data sources (36 active, 25 unavailable due to API shutdowns):

1. **Patent Search** - Full-text search of granted patents and published applications via PPUBS
2. **Full Text Documents** - Get complete text of patents including claims, description, and specification
3. **PDF Downloads** - Download patents as PDF files (Claude Desktop doesn't support this as a client currently)
4. **Prosecution History** - Access transactions and file wrapper data via ODP
5. **Patent Family Data** - Continuity information, foreign priority, and related applications
6. **Bulk Datasets** - Search and access USPTO bulk data products including PatentsView disambiguated data
7. **Trademark Search** - Full-text search of US federal trademarks by mark text, owner, goods/services, and class (clearance/knockout searches)
8. **Trademark Status & Documents** - Authoritative live status, prosecution documents, and mark images via TSDR
9. **Trademark Assignments** - Recorded ownership transfer records from 1955 to present (no API key needed)

It runs locally over stdio for Claude Desktop and Claude Code, or over HTTP as a shared, stateless service — see [Remote hosting over HTTP](#remote-hosting-over-http).

> **Note on unavailable APIs:** The PatentsView API (search.patentsview.org) was shut down on March 20, 2026, with its data migrated to ODP bulk datasets. The Office Action and Enriched Citation APIs (developer.uspto.gov) were decommissioned in early 2026. The Patent Litigation API is not offered on the USPTO Open Data Portal; litigation data is available as a bulk download. All 25 affected tools remain registered and return helpful workaround guidance pointing to alternative tools.

## API Sources

| Source | Description | Auth Required | Status |
|--------|-------------|---------------|--------|
| **ppubs.uspto.gov** | Full text documents, PDF downloads, advanced search (daily updates) | No | Active |
| **api.uspto.gov (ODP)** | Metadata, continuity, transactions, assignments, prosecution history | Yes (ODP API Key) | Active |
| **PTAB Trial API** | IPR/PGR/CBM proceedings, decisions, appeals | Yes (ODP API Key) | Active (ODP v3.0) |
| **tsdrapi.uspto.gov (TSDR)** | Trademark status, prosecution documents, mark images | Yes (TSDR API Key — separate from ODP) | Active |
| **tmsearch.uspto.gov** | Full-text trademark search (internal API behind the TESS replacement) | No | Active (unofficial) |
| **assignmentcenter.uspto.gov** | Trademark ownership transfer records (1955-present) | No | Active |
| **Patent Litigation API** | 74,000+ district court patent cases | N/A | Not offered on ODP (issue #16) |
| **PatentsView API** | Disambiguated inventor/assignee data, advanced search | N/A | Shut down March 2026 |
| **Office Action APIs** | Full-text office actions, citations, rejections | N/A | Decommissioned early 2026 |

## Prerequisites

- **Python 3.10-3.13** (3.12 recommended)
- **Claude Desktop** (for integration). Other models and MCP clients have not been tested.
- **[UV](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)** for Python version and dependency management

If you're a Python developer but still unfamiliar with uv, you're in for a treat. It's faster and easier than having a separate Python version manager (like pyenv) and setting up, activating, and maintaining virtual environments with venv and pip.

If you don't already have uv installed:
```bash
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
```

## Installation

1. Clone this repository:
   ```bash
   git clone https://github.com/riemannzeta/patent_mcp_server
   cd patent_mcp_server
   ```

2. Install dependencies with uv:
   ```bash
   uv sync
   ```

3. Verify installation:
   ```bash
   uv run patent-mcp-server
   ```
   Should output:
   ```
   INFO     Starting USPTO Patent MCP server with stdio transport
   ```

## API Key Setup

### USPTO ODP API Key (Required for most tools)

To use the api.uspto.gov tools (ODP, PTAB), you need an Open Data Portal API key. Without it, these endpoints return `403 Forbidden`. The Patent Litigation API is not offered on ODP and does not require an API key.

1. Create a USPTO.gov account at [data.uspto.gov](https://data.uspto.gov) (requires ID.me verification)
2. Once signed in, visit **"My ODP"** in the site navigation to get your API key
3. See the [Getting Started guide](https://data.uspto.gov/apis/getting-started) for detailed instructions

4. Create a `.env` file in the patent_mcp_server directory:
   ```bash
   USPTO_API_KEY=your_actual_key_here
   ```
   Note: The PPUBS patent tools, trademark search (`tm_*` search tools), and trademark assignment search work without any API key.

### TSDR API Key (Trademark status/document tools)

The TSDR tools (`tsdr_*`) require a **TSDR-specific API key** sent as the `USPTO-API-KEY` header. **The ODP key does not work for TSDR** — it passes the gateway's auth check, but every request then fails with `BACKEND RESPONSE STATUS: 404`.

1. Sign in to the [USPTO API Key Manager](https://account.uspto.gov/profile/api-manager) with a free MyUSPTO account
2. Select the **TSDR API** product and click "Request API key" (the key is emailed and stored under your account)
3. Add it to your `.env`:
   ```bash
   TSDR_API_KEY=your_tsdr_key_here
   ```

TSDR rate limits (peak hours 5am-10pm ET): 60 requests/minute general, 4 requests/minute for PDF document bundles (120/12 off-peak). Use `tsdr_list_trademark_documents` (metadata only, not rate-limited like PDFs) before downloading bundles.

### Trademark search and AWS WAF (no key needed)

`tm_search_trademarks` / `tm_get_trademark` use the internal API behind [tmsearch.uspto.gov](https://tmsearch.uspto.gov), which sits behind AWS WAF. It currently answers plain requests, but if USPTO tightens the WAF and searches start failing with 403/202 errors, copy the `aws-waf-token` cookie from a browser session on tmsearch.uspto.gov (valid ~4 days) and set:

```bash
TMSEARCH_WAF_TOKEN=your_cookie_value_here
```

## Configuration

The server can be configured using environment variables in your `.env` file. All settings are optional with sensible defaults:

```bash
# API Keys
USPTO_API_KEY=your_key_here      # ODP/PTAB tools
TSDR_API_KEY=your_tsdr_key_here  # TSDR trademark tools (separate key — see above)
TMSEARCH_WAF_TOKEN=...           # Optional - only if trademark search hits the WAF

# Logging
LOG_LEVEL=INFO  # Options: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL

# MCP Transport (see "Remote hosting over HTTP" below)
MCP_TRANSPORT=stdio    # stdio (default) or streamable-http
MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1     # Bind address when serving over HTTP
MCP_PORT=8000          # Port when serving over HTTP
MCP_PATH=/mcp          # URL path of the MCP endpoint
MCP_STATELESS=true     # Keep no per-client state between HTTP requests
MCP_JSON_RESPONSE=false # Reply with plain JSON instead of an SSE stream

# HTTP Settings
REQUEST_TIMEOUT=30.0  # Request timeout in seconds
MAX_RETRIES=3         # Maximum number of retry attempts
RETRY_MIN_WAIT=2      # Minimum wait time between retries (seconds)
RETRY_MAX_WAIT=10     # Maximum wait time between retries (seconds)

# Session Management
SESSION_EXPIRY_MINUTES=30  # How long to cache ppubs sessions
ENABLE_CACHING=true        # Enable/disable session caching

# API Endpoints (usually don't need to change)
PPUBS_BASE_URL=https://ppubs.uspto.gov
API_BASE_URL=https://api.uspto.gov          # ODP API endpoint (NOT data.uspto.gov)
TSDR_BASE_URL=https://tsdrapi.uspto.gov/ts/cd
TMSEARCH_BASE_URL=https://tmsearch.uspto.gov
TM_ASSIGNMENT_BASE_URL=https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov
```

## Claude Desktop Configuration

To integrate this MCP server with Claude Desktop:

1. Update your Claude Desktop configuration file (`claude_desktop_config.json`):
   ```json
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "patents": {
         "command": "uv",
         "args": [
           "--directory",
           "/Users/username/patent_mcp_server",
           "run",
           "patent-mcp-server"
         ]
       }
     }
   }
   ```

   You can find `claude_desktop_config.json` on a Mac by opening the Claude Desktop app, opening Settings (from the Claude menu or by Command + ' on the keyboard), clicking "Developer" in the sidebar, and "Edit Config."

2. Replace `/Users/username/patent_mcp_server` with the actual path to your patent_mcp_server directory.

When integrated with Claude Desktop, the server will be automatically started when needed and doesn't need to be run separately.

## Claude Code Configuration

To integrate this MCP server with Claude Code for a particular project, from the project root:

```shell
claude mcp add-json patents '{"command": "uv", "args": ["--directory", "/path/to/patent_mcp_server", "run", "patent-mcp-server"]}'
```

If you're already running Claude Code, you'll have to /exit and restart. Then /mcp to verify that it's configured.

## Remote hosting over HTTP

The server speaks stdio by default, which is what the Claude Desktop and
Claude Code configurations above launch. It can instead serve the MCP
endpoint over HTTP, so one deployment can back a whole team rather than
every person running their own copy with their own API keys:

```shell
patent-mcp-server --transport streamable-http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
```

The endpoint is then at `http://<host>:8000/mcp`. Point an MCP client at
that URL — in Claude Code:

```shell
claude mcp add --transport http patents http://your-host:8000/mcp
```

**This endpoint has no authentication of its own, and it holds your USPTO
and TSDR API keys.** Anyone who can reach it can spend your USPTO rate
limits. Bind to `127.0.0.1` (the default) and put an authenticating reverse
proxy in front of it, or otherwise restrict network access. The server logs
a warning at startup when it is bound to anything other than loopback.

Requests are stateless by default: the server keeps no per-client state
between them, so it can run behind a load balancer with several replicas
and no session affinity. Each worker holds its own upstream USPTO Public
Search session, which it establishes on demand and refreshes when it
expires.

| Flag | Default | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `--transport` | `stdio` | `stdio` or `streamable-http` |
| `--host` | `127.0.0.1` | Bind address for HTTP |
| `--port` | `8000` | Port for HTTP |
| `--path` | `/mcp` | URL path of the MCP endpoint |
| `--stateful` / `--no-stateful` | off | Keep per-client session state; needs session affinity to scale |
| `--json-response` / `--no-json-response` | off | Reply with plain JSON instead of an SSE stream |

Each flag has a matching environment variable (see Configuration above);
the command line wins where both are set.

## Available Tools

### Utility Tools
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `check_api_status` | Check status of all USPTO APIs |
| `get_cpc_info` | Get CPC classification information |
| `get_status_code` | Look up USPTO status code meaning |
| `get_trademark_class_info` | Look up a Nice/international trademark class (1-45) |
| `get_trademark_status_code` | Look up a USPTO trademark status code meaning |

### Patent Public Search (ppubs.uspto.gov)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `ppubs_search_patents` | Search granted patents (full-text, daily updates) |
| `ppubs_search_applications` | Search published patent applications |
| `ppubs_get_full_document` | Get full patent document by GUID |
| `ppubs_get_patent_by_number` | Get patent's full text by number |
| `ppubs_download_patent_pdf` | Download patent as PDF |

### Open Data Portal (api.uspto.gov)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `odp_get_application` | Get basic application data |
| `odp_search_applications` | Search applications with filters |
| `odp_get_application_metadata` | Get comprehensive metadata |
| `odp_get_continuity` | Get patent family/continuity data |
| `odp_get_assignment` | Get ownership/assignment records |
| `odp_get_adjustment` | Get patent term adjustment data |
| `odp_get_attorney` | Get attorney/agent of record |
| `odp_get_foreign_priority` | Get foreign priority claims |
| `odp_get_transactions` | Get prosecution transaction history |
| `odp_get_documents` | Get file wrapper documents |
| `odp_search_datasets` | Search bulk data products |
| `odp_get_dataset` | Get dataset product details |

### PTAB Trial API (api.uspto.gov ODP v3.0)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `ptab_search_proceedings` | Search IPR/PGR/CBM proceedings by patent number, party, status |
| `ptab_get_proceeding` | Get details for a specific proceeding by number |
| `ptab_get_documents` | List documents filed in a proceeding |
| `ptab_search_decisions` | Search PTAB decisions |
| `ptab_get_decision` | Get a specific decision by trial number |
| `ptab_search_appeals` | Search ex parte appeals |
| `ptab_get_appeal` | Get details for a specific appeal |

### TSDR - Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (tsdrapi.uspto.gov)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `tsdr_get_trademark_status` | Get authoritative live status by serial or registration number |
| `tsdr_list_trademark_documents` | List prosecution document metadata (no rate limit, no downloads) |
| `tsdr_download_trademark_documents` | Download prosecution document bundle as PDF (4/min rate limit) |
| `tsdr_get_trademark_image` | Get the mark image (drawing) as base64 |

### Trademark Search & Assignments
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `tm_search_trademarks` | Full-text search by mark text, owner, goods/services, class, live/dead status |
| `tm_get_trademark` | Get a trademark's search-index record by serial number |
| `tm_search_assignments` | Search recorded ownership transfers, 1955-present (Assignment Center, no key) |

> **Note:** `tm_search_trademarks` and `tm_get_trademark` use the undocumented internal API behind [tmsearch.uspto.gov](https://tmsearch.uspto.gov) (the TESS replacement) — the same situation as the PPUBS patent search API. USPTO offers no official REST API for full-text trademark search. The request/response contract was verified live on 2026-06-10, but these tools may break without notice if USPTO changes the internal API. TTAB proceedings (oppositions/cancellations) have no REST API; daily TTAB XML is available as bulk datasets via `odp_search_datasets`.

### Patent Litigation API (Unavailable — not offered on ODP, issue #16)

All 4 Litigation tools return `API_UNAVAILABLE`. The Patent Litigation API is not listed in the ODP Swagger catalog. The OCE Patent Litigation dataset (74,000+ district court cases) is distributed as a bulk download at <https://www.uspto.gov/ip-policy/economic-research/research-datasets/patent-litigation-docket-reports-data>.

| Tool | Workaround |
|------|------------|
| `search_litigation` | OCE Patent Litigation bulk dataset |
| `get_litigation_case` | OCE Patent Litigation bulk dataset |
| `get_patent_litigation` | OCE Patent Litigation bulk dataset or `ppubs_search_patents` |
| `get_party_litigation` | OCE Patent Litigation bulk dataset |

### PatentsView API (Unavailable — shut down March 2026)

All 14 PatentsView tools return `API_UNAVAILABLE` with workaround guidance. PatentsView data has been migrated to the USPTO Open Data Portal as bulk downloadable datasets. Use `ppubs_search_patents` for patent search, `odp_search_datasets` to find bulk datasets.

| Tool | Workaround |
|------|------------|
| `patentsview_search_patents` | `ppubs_search_patents` |
| `patentsview_get_patent` | `ppubs_get_patent_by_number` |
| `patentsview_search_assignees` | `ppubs_search_patents` with `AN/"name"` query |
| `patentsview_get_assignee` | `odp_search_datasets` (bulk data) |
| `patentsview_search_inventors` | `ppubs_search_patents` with `IN/"name"` query |
| `patentsview_get_inventor` | `odp_search_datasets` (bulk data) |
| `patentsview_get_claims` | `ppubs_get_full_document` |
| `patentsview_get_description` | `ppubs_get_full_document` |
| `patentsview_search_by_cpc` | `ppubs_search_patents` with `CPC/"code"` query |
| `patentsview_lookup_cpc` | `get_cpc_info` |
| `patentsview_search_attorneys` | `odp_get_attorney` (per-application) |
| `patentsview_get_attorney` | `odp_get_attorney` (per-application) |
| `patentsview_search_by_ipc` | `ppubs_search_patents` with IPC query |
| `patentsview_lookup_ipc` | `odp_search_datasets` (bulk data) |

### Office Action APIs (Unavailable — decommissioned early 2026)

All 4 Office Action tools return `API_UNAVAILABLE`. Use `odp_get_documents` to access office action documents from the file wrapper.

| Tool | Workaround |
|------|------------|
| `get_office_action_text` | `odp_get_documents` |
| `search_office_actions` | `odp_get_documents` or `odp_get_transactions` |
| `get_office_action_citations` | `odp_get_documents` |
| `get_office_action_rejections` | `odp_get_documents` |

### Enriched Citation APIs (Unavailable — decommissioned early 2026)

All 3 Enriched Citation tools return `API_UNAVAILABLE`. Use `odp_get_documents` or `ppubs` tools as workarounds.

| Tool | Workaround |
|------|------------|
| `get_enriched_citations` | `odp_get_documents` |
| `search_citations` | `odp_get_documents` |
| `get_citation_metrics` | `odp_get_documents` |

### Resources and Prompts

The server also provides **MCP Resources** (accessible via @ mentions):
- `patents://cpc/{code}` - CPC classification information
- `patents://status-codes` - USPTO status code definitions
- `patents://sources` - Data source information
- `patents://search-syntax` - Query syntax guide (patents and trademarks)
- `trademarks://classes` - Nice/international trademark classes (1-45)
- `trademarks://status-codes` - Trademark status code definitions

And **MCP Prompts** (workflow templates):
- `prior_art_search` - Comprehensive prior art search guide
- `patent_validity` - Patent validity analysis workflow
- `competitor_portfolio` - Competitor portfolio analysis (patents + trademarks)
- `ptab_research` - PTAB proceeding research guide
- `freedom_to_operate` - FTO analysis workflow
- `patent_landscape` - Technology landscape mapping
- `trademark_clearance_search` - Trademark clearance/knockout search guide
- `trademark_portfolio_review` - Trademark portfolio and deadline review
- `trademark_status_monitoring` - Trademark status and conflict watching

## Testing

The project includes comprehensive test suites:

```bash
# Run unit tests (default - skips integration tests)
uv run pytest

# Run with verbose output
uv run pytest -v

# Run integration tests (requires network access)
uv run pytest -m integration

# Run all tests including integration
uv run pytest -m ""

# Run with coverage report
uv run pytest --cov=patent_mcp_server
```

Test results are stored in `/test/test_results/`.

The unit suite also runs in CI on every push to `main` and every pull request, across Python 3.10–3.13 (`.github/workflows/tests.yml`). Integration tests stay deselected there, so CI needs no API keys.

### Development

To install development dependencies:
```bash
uv sync --dev
```

## Publishing to PyPI

```bash
# Build distribution packages
rm -rf dist/ && uv run python -m build

# Upload to PyPI
uv run twine upload dist/*
```

## Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for the contribution guide, and [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) for guidance specific to AI agents. Use the [bug report](.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml) or [feature request](.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.yml) templates when filing an issue — they prompt for the tool call, the constructed request URL/body, and the raw API response, which is usually enough to land a fix in one turn.

## Version History

### v1.1.1 (Current)
- **Fixed `ppubs_download_patent_pdf`**: USPTO moved the PDF download endpoint — the old `/api/internal/print/save/{pdfName}` path now returns 404; the client uses the live `/api/print/save/{pdfName}` endpoint (verified live 2026-08-05 with a real search, document fetch, and PDF download)
- **Corrected PPUBS search syntax guidance**: the slash-prefix field qualifiers (`TTL/`, `IN/`, `AN/`, `CPC/`) no longer work on the live API — they silently return 0 results, and `TTL/"phrase"` returns a server 500. Search tool docstrings, the prior-art prompt, and the `patents://search-syntax` guide now teach the working dotted-suffix forms (`.ti.`, `.ab.`, `.clm.`, `.spec.`, `.in.`, `.as.`, `.pn.`, `.cpc.`, `@pd`/`@ad` date ranges), each verified live
- Both breakages were USPTO-side drift predating v1.1.0 (confirmed by running the same live test against v1.0.0-era code)

### v1.1.0
- **Remote hosting over HTTP**: new `--transport streamable-http` mode serves the MCP endpoint over the network, so one deployment can back a whole team instead of every user running a local copy. `stdio` remains the default, so existing Claude Desktop and Claude Code configurations are unchanged. New flags `--host`, `--port`, `--path`, `--stateful`, `--json-response`, each with a matching `MCP_*` environment variable. See "Remote hosting over HTTP" for the security caveat — the endpoint holds your API keys and does not authenticate callers
- **Stateless by default**: HTTP requests carry no per-client state, so the server can run behind a load balancer with several replicas and no session affinity
- **Fixed a session race in the Public Search client** (affects stdio users too): concurrent tool calls each reset the shared cookie jar and raced to swap the access token, so requests already in flight could be signed with a half-replaced session. Session setup is now serialized, a 403 refresh is skipped when another call has already replaced the token, and the token travels per request instead of living on the shared client's default headers
- **Fixed shutdown**: closing the nine HTTP clients no longer happens in an `atexit` hook that spun up a fresh event loop; it now runs in the loop the clients were opened on. Deliberately not a FastMCP lifespan — in stateless HTTP mode that runs once per request, which would close the clients after the first tool call
- Raised the MCP SDK floor to `>=1.27` (was `>=1.3.0`, which allowed installs to resolve an SDK without streamable HTTP)
- Added MCP protocol-layer tests: the suite previously called tool functions directly and never exercised schema generation, resource/prompt registration, or serialization. 19 new tests (378 total, up from 359)

### v1.0.0
- **Trademark support**: 9 new trademark tools across three new clients, all verified against the live USPTO services on 2026-06-10
  - TSDR (`tsdr_get_trademark_status`, `tsdr_list_trademark_documents`, `tsdr_download_trademark_documents`, `tsdr_get_trademark_image`) — official trademark status/document API. Requires a TSDR-specific key (the ODP key does not work); error responses detect the wrong-key signature and explain how to get the right one. Document bundles above 4 MB are rejected with filter guidance (full wrappers can exceed 10 MB)
  - Trademark search (`tm_search_trademarks`, `tm_get_trademark`) — full-text search by mark text, owner, goods/services, and Nice class via the internal Elasticsearch API behind tmsearch.uspto.gov (no official REST API exists). Verified live; handles AWS WAF rejections with `TMSEARCH_WAF_TOKEN` support
  - Trademark assignments (`tm_search_assignments`) — USPTO Assignment Center public API (assignmentcenter.uspto.gov, no key required), searchable by serial/registration number, assignee, assignor, and reel/frame. Replaced the legacy assignment-api.uspto.gov XML API decommissioned June 5, 2026
- New reference tools and resources: `get_trademark_class_info`, `get_trademark_status_code`, `trademarks://classes`, `trademarks://status-codes` (all 45 Nice classes, common trademark status codes)
- 3 new workflow prompts: `trademark_clearance_search`, `trademark_portfolio_review`, `trademark_status_monitoring`
- Fixed `ppubs_download_patent_pdf` (called `download_image` with the wrong signature, raising `TypeError`)
- Rewrote patent workflow prompts to reference live tools (the old prompts still pointed at decommissioned PatentsView/Office Action/citation tools)
- New env vars: `TSDR_API_KEY`, `TMSEARCH_WAF_TOKEN`, `TSDR_BASE_URL`, `TMSEARCH_BASE_URL`, `TM_ASSIGNMENT_BASE_URL`
- Tool count: 61 registered (36 active, 25 unavailable)

### v0.9.5
- Re-enable 7 PTAB tools on USPTO ODP v3.0: `ptab_search_proceedings`, `ptab_get_proceeding`, `ptab_get_documents`, `ptab_search_decisions`, `ptab_get_decision`, `ptab_search_appeals`, `ptab_get_appeal` ([issue #23](https://github.com/riemannzeta/patent_mcp_server/issues/23)). PTAB data relocated to ODP `/api/v1/patent/trials/*` and `/api/v1/patent/appeals/*` (paths not in the ODP Swagger UI); the standalone-API decommission ([issue #16](https://github.com/riemannzeta/patent_mcp_server/issues/16)) was correct for the Patent Litigation API, but PTAB moved rather than disappeared.
- Active tool count: 27 (up from 20); unavailable: 25 (down from 32); total registered remains 52

### v0.9.4
- Fix `ppubs_search_patents` / `ppubs_search_applications` query semantics ([issue #21](https://github.com/riemannzeta/patent_mcp_server/issues/21)): default operator changed from `OR` to `AND`, so multi-word queries like `machine learning` no longer match the entire corpus and collapse into the latest-grants fallback under `date_publ desc` sort.
- Fix template-mutation bug in PPUBS client (`search_query.copy()` → `copy.deepcopy(...)`), eliminating a concurrency hazard between parallel calls.
- Fix `odp_search_applications` filters being silently ignored upstream ([issue #21](https://github.com/riemannzeta/patent_mcp_server/issues/21)): switched from GET query-string params to POST with a Lucene-style `q` body. `assignee_name`, `inventor_name`, `application_number`, `patent_number`, and filing-date ranges are now properly AND-combined into the search. Tool now returns `MISSING_FILTER` rather than dumping the full 12.8M-record corpus when called with no filters.
- Updated `ppubs_search_patents` / `ppubs_search_applications` / `odp_search_applications` docstrings to reflect the corrected semantics and document Lucene query support on ODP.
- Added `CONTRIBUTING.md`, `AGENTS.md`, bug-report + feature-request issue templates, and a PR template.

### v0.9.0
- Handle PTAB Trial API and Patent Litigation API unavailability on ODP ([issue #16](https://github.com/riemannzeta/patent_mcp_server/issues/16))
- All 7 `ptab_*` tools and 4 litigation tools now return `API_UNAVAILABLE` with workaround guidance pointing to PPUBS tools and USPTO bulk datasets
- Active tool count: 20 (down from 31); unavailable: 32 (up from 21); total registered remains 52
- Added unit tests for all 11 newly-unavailable tools and extended the shared error-structure parametrization
- Updated `check_api_status`, `resources.py` data sources, client docstrings, and README to reflect the shutdown

### v0.8.0
- Handle decommissioned PatentsView API (shut down March 20, 2026)
- All 14 `patentsview_*` tools return `API_UNAVAILABLE` with workaround guidance
- Fixed circular references in office_actions resources that pointed to unavailable PatentsView tools
- Updated API Sources table, configuration, and documentation

### v0.7.0
- Handle decommissioned Office Action and Enriched Citation APIs (developer.uspto.gov)
- All 7 affected tools return `API_UNAVAILABLE` with workaround guidance
- Added `test/unit/test_unavailable_tools.py` for decommissioned tool testing
- Code cleanup: removed dead code, improved docstrings

### v0.6.2
- Updated API key registration instructions: keys are now obtained from [data.uspto.gov](https://data.uspto.gov) ("My ODP")
- Clarified that `api.uspto.gov` is the correct API endpoint (not `data.uspto.gov` which is the web portal)
- Noted PTAB API v3 migration to ODP and Office Action API migration (early 2026)

### v0.6.1
- Added PatentsView attorney search tools (`patentsview_search_attorneys`, `patentsview_get_attorney`)
- Added PatentsView IPC classification tools (`patentsview_lookup_ipc`, `patentsview_search_by_ipc`)
- Fixed bug in `search_publications` method (pagination options not being passed)

### v0.6.0
- PyPI release preparation

### v0.5.0
- Focused on USPTO-only data sources
- Renamed ODP tools with `odp_` prefix for clarity
- Improved function signatures (using `query` instead of `q`)

### v0.3.0
- Added 33 new tools (PTAB, PatentsView, Office Actions, Citations, Litigation)
- Rate limiting support for PatentsView API
- Comprehensive async client architecture

### v0.2.2
- Centralized configuration with environment variables
- Standardized error handling
- Input validation with Pydantic
- Retry logic with exponential backoff
- Session caching for PPUBS

## License

MIT