This guide will help in completing a patent search. It has been said that as much as 80% of the information in patents is not published elsewhere. Patent searching is critical to thorough research results.
If you need assistance, contact me using the contact information from the left menu. We can work by email or do a virtual meeting. Training sessions can be offered for groups or a class.
This guide is broken into several parts that can be accessed to the left:
Topics tend to cross many disciplines and specialties so KSL offers a team to assist:
European Patent Office (EPO) includes patents from all major countries in a single search tool. It offers various search processes, translations, and downloading of PDFs.
Search tip: Most patent searches should start here as it contains all major countries and has the most advanced search tools and features.
The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) provides resources for the searching of patents and trademarks. It also offers various “how to” links and additional tutorials helpful in locating patents or determining if you have a patentable idea. USPTO website is limited to United States patents only.
Google Patent search includes patents from various countries, including scanned versions of older patents and links to the major patent offices.
Search tip: Google does not share what is or is not included in the search tool, nor the delay in which patents will appear in the tool. Thus, the tool is good for quick searches or exploration. Details searches should be conducted at one of the major country search tools.
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