Patents: Patent websites

US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) Resources

• Search the USPTO patent database- For granted patents and patent applications
• General Information Concerning Patents- Good overview of patenting basics
• Frequently Asked Questions About Patents (FAQ)
• Inventor Resources - Designed specifically for independent inventors
• Manual of Patent Classification
• \"Kind\" Codes - What does A1 or B1 mean after the patent number?
• Schedule of Fees - What does it cost to get a patent?

International Patent Resources

• European Patent Office (EPO) Website- General information about the EPO
  • Espacenet - The EPO patent database - Search worldwide patents
  • EPO Member States - Participating countries in the European Patent Organization
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  • Patentscope - Search WIPO patent applications
• International Patent Country Codes

Other Free Patent Websites

• Google Patents - Google's patent search site. Contains US, EPO, and WIPO patent documents.
•    Advanced Google Patents Search Page - you can't link to this from the main Google patent page anymore.
•    About Google Patents - FAQ
• pat2pdf.org - Free patent printing site (US only)
• Free Patents Online - Full text of U.S. patents back to 1974. Full patent downloads in PDF format.
• The Lens - Includes US patents from 1976 on.  Also European, PCT, and Australian patents. Contains patent applications from US, PCT, and Australia.
• Intellogist comparison of free patent databases - Requires free registration with Intellogist. Side-by-side comparison of up to 20 free and commercial patent search databases.
   

• How to Conduct a Preliminary Patent Search: a Step By Step Strategy (From the US Patent & Trademark Office)
• MIT
• University of Central Florida

Other Resources

• Lemelson MIT Inventor's Handbook
• Wacky Patents - Who knew?
• Crazy Patents - Ditto
• Patently Silly - Unique? Useful? Unobvious?
• Patently O blog - "The nation's leading patent law blog"
• Intellogist - free website for patent searchers, provides sources of patent information, comparisons of free and fee-based patent databases, best practices in patent searching, etc.
• Patent Absurdity - 25 minute film on the rise of software patents and their affect on the economy and software developers.
• Haircut Property - 1 minute video illustrating the issues around protecting a hairstyle with intellectual property.
• How to Cite Patents - ACS style guide