“have to know” free public patent databases

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Where to Search Patents

“Have to know” free public patent databases

Björn Jürgens

E-Mail: bjorn.jurgens@gmail.com

Twitter: @benlogo

© 2011

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ESPACENET

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• Multinational Patent Database hosted by the

European Patent Office (EPO)

• Offers free access to more than 70 million patent

documents worldwide from 90 different countries.

• URL: http://worldwide.espacenet.com/

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Home Screen & Smart Search

Interface

Smart Search: The system attempts to identify the correct field for

each given search term, e.g., “Smith” automatically searched in

inventor name

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Quick Search Interface

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Advanced Search Interface

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Number Search Interface

Enter either application, publication or priority number with or

without country code prefix

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Classification Search Interface

Search for relevant classification by entering keywords, or

search the description of a classification

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Result List

Export Patents

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Bibliographic View

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Description View,

with automatic

translation function

(French, German,

Italian, Spanish)

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Full Document (PDF) View

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Legal Status

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Query History

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“My Patents List” (Patent Bookmarks)

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• PROs:

– Largest public patent database available (more than 70 million patent documents)

– EP patents searchable in FULLTEXT

– Saves Search (Query) History

– Enable Patent Export (from result list, limited to 30 docs each export)

– INPADOC legal status

– “My Patent” List

– Patent Family grouping

• CONs:

– No expert (field) search possible

– Search Limitations (max. 10 search terms per field, no left truncation, max. 500 results, etc.)

– No Search Query connections possible

– No statistical analysis possible

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DEPATISNET

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• Multinational Patent Database hosted by the German

Patent and Trademark Office

• Offers free access to more than 50 million patent

documents from 80 countries

• URL: http://depatisnet.dpma.de

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Home Screen

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“Beginners Search”

Interface

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Result List

Export Patents

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Bibliographic View

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Full Document (PDF) View

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Expert Search Interface

Different Use of

Operators than in

Espacenet

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IKOFAX Search Interface

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Classification Search

Interface

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• PROs:

– Powerful Search interfaces

– Enable Patent Export (from result list, limited to 50 docs each export)

– Full Text searching in German Patents back until 1950

• CONs:

– No legal status

– No statistical analysis possible

– No family grouping

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PATENTSCOPE

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• Patent Database hosted by the World Intelectual property Organization (WIPO) contains all PCT patents and patents from 17 national offices

• 8 million patent documents in total (1,8 million PCT)

• URL: http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/

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Simple Search Interface

Select collections to be searched

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“Field

Combination”

Search

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Advanced Search Interface

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Result List with

Refining

Interface

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Result List with

Statistical

Analysis!

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Bibliographical

View

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Description

View with

automatic

translation

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National Status of PCT

applications

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Original Documents related

to the PCT application

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• PROs:

– Powerful Search interfaces

– Statistics and RSS Feeds

– Automatic Translation to multiple languages (via Google Translator)

– Additional PCT Documents available (Written Opinions, Int. Search Reports, etc.)

• CONs:

– Less patents and coverage than ESPACENET or DEPATISNET

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USPTO

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• National Patent Database hosted by United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) contains all patents filed in the US

• Divided in two Databses:

– US Patent Database (PATFT): Granted US Patents in Full-Text from 1976

– US Patent Application Database (APPFT): since March 2001

• URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/

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USPTO Patent Search

Home Screen

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USPTO “Quick Search”, with

2 combinable Search Fields

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USPTO “Advanced Search”

with commandos

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USPTO Result List

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USPTO Full Text View

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USPTO Original Document View

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• PROs:

– Commando Search interface (“Advanced Search”)

• CONs:

– Poor User Interface

– Only US patents (patents filed in the US)

– No statistics, no patent export

– Original Document View requires Quicktime (no saving possible!)

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Contact Details:

Björn Jürgens

E-Mail: bjorn.jurgens@gmail.com

Twitter: @benlogo

Thank you very much!