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Free patent databases
Search 60 million patent documents online
Procedural information on all European patent applications
Full-text of the most recent four weeks of EP-A and EP-B publications
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Patent search: free databases
Patent databases cover all areas of technology and contain inventions stretching from the 19th century to today. They are a source of ideas for innovators, scientists and engineers the world over, and also contain useful legal information such as whether a patent is in force or not, and where. The European Patent Office recommends the following free databases for patent research.
esp@cenet
esp@cenet is Europe's network of patent databases. Its simple interface is available in most European languages and has been carefully tailored for use by people who don't have a lot of patent searching experience. It contains over 60 million patent documents from all over the world.
Register Plus
The Register Plus is the place to find out whether a European patent application has been granted or not. It records the steps of the European patent granting procedure as the application passes through. Users can even call up images of the correspondence between the EPO and the patent applicant (or the patent attorney).
ESPACE EP
ESPACE EP is the ideal database for expert patent searchers wanting to search European patent documents. Using MIMOSA software, users can search the full-text of the most recent four weeks of EP-A and B publications through a powerful search engine. Allowing users carry out unrestricted full-text searches of EP publications is an example of the EPO's "barrier-free" patent information policy in action. Register your e-mail address and you will receive instructions on how to access the free MIMOSA search engine.