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What are patents?
What are Patents?
A patent is a grant of a property right to an inventor that is issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The rights included in a patent cover the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, or importing an invention, although this right is the responsibility of the patentee. For more information, see the USPTO's information on patent basics, which you can find here. Finding patents is a useful skill for both needing to patent your own work and for seeing what sort of inventions have been patented by others.
How do you find patents?
All patents are available through the USPTO, and there are several other tools available to finding patents. Regardless of the tool you use, finding patents is a long process.
Finding Patents in the United States
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)The USPTO website maintains access to information about the patent process, including searching and application.
- Google PatentsSearch patents by keyword.
- Patent and Trademark Resource CentersThe USPTO has designated a series of libraries authorized to disseminate patent and trademark information and support intellect property needs of the public. The closest PRTC is at the Engineering Library, at the University of Washington.
- Department of Energy PatentsA collection of US Department of Energy patent information. Dates back to the 1940s.
International Patent Databases
- Australia - AusPat - Patents DatabasesContains applications back to 1904.
- Canadian Intellectual Property Office Canadian Patent DatabaseThis database lets you access 92 years of patent descriptions and images.
- EPO - Espacenet (European Patent Office)Espacenet offers free access to more than 70 million patent documents worldwide, containing information about inventions and technical developments from 1836 to today.
- Japan Patent Office - INPIT LibraryPublic access to IP Gazettes of the JPO.
- KIPRIS - Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information ServiceSearch for South Korean patents.
- New Zealand Patent SearchFrom the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.