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 in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian on their patents, trademarks, industrial design and copyright activities plus information on events, program activities and publications. The Intellectual Property Digital Library gives access to bibliographic data, abstracts and drawings for published PCT International patent applications. Also holds Madrid (Trademarks) and Hague(Industrial Designs) collections. The site can be accessed in English, French or Spanish as a guest or with a free account. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
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. Esp@cenet gives access to patent applications in their original language from the European Patent Office and from WIPO and to patent applications with an English abstract and title worldwide (60 million documents). Version 3 of Esp@cenet enables the user to select quick, advanced, number or classification search (ECLA or IPC8). Bibliographic data, descriptions and figures are presented together with access to the original document and also to legal status information via Inpadoc. The search interface is available in English, French, German and Japanese. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
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. The public PAIR (Patent Application and Information Retrieval) system enables tracking of patent applications moving from publication to final disposition. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
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) and Canada IPO. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
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 1 Nov 2007]
Japan Patent Office provides information in English and Japanese about their activities and online searching of Patent Gazette via the Industrial Property Digital Library (Japanese or English) and PAJ News. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt gives information about German patents, in German. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
UK Patent Office offer information on their services, news items, and brief guidance on patents and other intellectual property topics. Patent searching is available via Espacenet. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
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 1 Nov 2007]
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 Thomson Patent Store. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
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 1 Nov 2007]
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. Their QPAT database allows searching by paying subscribers of the full text of US patents issued since 1971, European patent applications issued since 1978, European patents issued since 1991 and PCT applications since 1978. In English and French. [last looked at on 1 Nov 2007]
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 1 Nov 2007]

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.