International Patent Databases

• PCT database (External website that opens in a new window)(1997 - present, free searching and front page display )
  The PCT database is provided by WIPO (External website that opens in a new window) (World Intellectual Property Organization) which is an intergovernmental organization and one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations. The database contains the first page data (bibliographic data, abstract and drawing) of all published PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) applications since January 1, 1997, updated weekly. There are two ways to access the database: Guest and Account. For Guest access, click on the Search or Browse button and enter: Username: guest & Password: guest . For Account access (to create a new account if you don't have an account, it is free of charge ), simply click on the Search or Browse button and enter your own name and password. With an account access, a search query history is maintained across connections. There will be a VIEW IMAGES button on the displayed front pages of hit-list cases if the full text of the patent is available. Online help on the PCT Database search is available on the site. PCT applications published before 1997 may be consulted on the European Patent Office's esp@cenet database.
• Europe's Network Patent Databases - esp@cenet (External website that opens in a new window)(1997 - present, free searching and full text ) The esp@cenet is a free service on the internet provided by the European Patent Organization through the EPO (European Patent Office) and the national offices of its members states: Austria , Belgium , Cyprus , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Hellenic Republic , Ireland , Italy , Liechtenstein , Luxembourg , Monaco , Portugal , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland and United Kingdom . The database contains European patents since Oct. 1997 and world patents published by WIPO (The World Intellectual Property Org.) since Nov. 1997, as well as Japanese patents since 1980 individual European countries , go to the esp@cenet, UK site (External website that opens in a new window).
• IBM Intellectual Property Network (External website that opens in a new window) ( free searching and full text and front page display ) Intellectual Property Network (IPN) is a free IBM patent site provided by IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) The database contains:
  • United States patents (US): 1971-present & updated weekly. Full text / full image.
  • European patents - applications (EP-A): 1979-present, updated weekly. Front page & claims / full images.
  • European patents - issued (EP-B): 1980-present, updated weekly. Front page & claims / Full images
  • WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) PCT publications (WO): 1990-present, updated weekly. Front page & claims / full images
  • Patent Abstracts of Japan (JP): 1976-present, updated weekly. Front page & claims / Representative image
• MicroPatentWeb Full Text (External website that opens in a new window)(fee-based, full text) and MicroPatentWeb Front Page (External website that opens in a new window)(front page only) Micro Patent Web Full Text and Front Page are fee-based databases provided Micro Patent (External website that opens in a new window), a global supplier of patent and trademark information.

The MicroPatentWeb Full Text database contains PCT patents (World patents, 1983-current week), European Patents (EP, 1988-current week), United States patents (1976-current week) and Japanese patents abstracts (1976-current update). New US patents are available two days after issue from the U.S. Patent Office. The database can sort search results by assignee or IPC (International Patents Classifications), reprocess saved queries, and add constraints, search on current data only or an entire file, navigate quickly through records using "GOTO", and create reports to print or email. The new SEARCH HISTORY enables you to build a complex search that combines the results from simpler queries, using Boolean operators and parentheses to combine queries. SEARCH HISTORY also enable you to apply "OR" and "NOT" operators between the search fields themselves and sort and edit your results, so that your review includes only the most relevant full text records. Subscription fees is daily (US$95 full text or US$35 front page only) or annually (US$7,500 full text or US$2,500 front page only).