Links to patent information

The listing of sites here does not imply endorsement by TWI, or that they are the best sources of information. The list is updated and links are checked periodically.

• World Intellectual Property Organization offer information on patents, trademarks, industrial design and copyright activities plus information on events, program activities and publications. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• European Patent Office provide information in English, French and German on their products, services and publications. Free patent searching is available via the European Patent Office service Esp@cenet. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• United States Patent and Trademark Office offers bibliographic and full text searching of US issued patents back to 1976, with online ordering. Patents from 1790 to 1975 are searchable by patent Number and current US classification. Patent applications published since March 2001 are available for full text searching. General information about patents and the activities of this office are presented. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• SurfIP is a web search service that allows one to search the following simultaneously: WIPO-PCT, European Patent Office, US Patent Office, IPO Singapore, UK Patent Office, Taipei Patent Index, China (SIPO), Canada IPO, Korea KIPO and Thailand (TIPIC). [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• The Canadian Patents Database is offered by The Canadian Intellectual Property Office in English or French. It gives access to 75 years of Canadian patents. Full text images of patents can be viewed in sections (front page, abstract, disclosures, drawings, claims). [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• Japan Patent Office provides information in English and Japanese about their activities and online searching via the Industrial Property Digital Library (Japanese or English) and PAJ News. [last looked at on 14 Nov 2008]
  
  
• Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt gives information about German patents, in German. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• UK Patent Office offer information on copyright, designs, patents and trademarks. Patent searching is available via Espacenet. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• MicroPatent Web Services offer subscribers patent and trademark search services including PatentWeb offering full text and front page searching of international databases together with document delivery. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• Thomson Scientific provide extensive background information on patents as well as details of their wide range of patent information services including DWPI (Derwent World Patents Index). Other Thomson patent information services include Delphion and Patentweb. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• The British Library holds 47 million patent specifications from over 40 authorities and much supporting literature. It has a number of databases and a payable research service. A large number of links to other patent resources are provided. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• Questel Orbit is an international online information company specialising in patent and trademark and some scientific information. TWI's Weldasearch is amongst the databases they offer. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  
• The Patent Information Users Group is mainly for professional patent searchers. In addition to information about the group and its activities, there is a discussion list, newsletter, and links to other patent-related websites. [last looked at on 14 Aug 2008]
  
  

If these links fail, or you know of one that ought to be included, please inform Margaret Connell BSc, Information Officer at TWI (The Welding Institute); margaret.connell@twi.co.uk.