Top 7 Free Patent Search Tools For Non-Patent Attorneys
A patent search is a fundamental part of research & development, whether you’re a large corporation or an independent inventor.
Of course, it’s extremely important to understand the IP landscape to make sure you’re not infringing on any existing IP; but today patent searches are being conducted for other reasons as well. Conducting a patent search can be a great way to visualize the competitive landscape around your r&d efforts, along with getting inspiration on how your innovation can fit well within the market. Gaining market intelligence is fundamental in organizing a positive r&d strategy, however independent inventors & SMBs believe they have to pay high upfront fees to get access to the USPTOs database, which is simply not true. So what’s the best way to keep tabs on your competitive landscape & gain market intelligence without having to use a patent attorney? Here are the top seven free patent search tools for non-patent attorneys.
USPTO
If you want to conduct a patent search, then one of the best ways to do it is through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The USPTO is a U.S federal agency that is a direct part of the United States government. The agency oversees all of the U.S patents and trademarks, making it an extremely reliable source of information regarding patents. The USPTO website has a wide variety of features, allowing you to do more than just search for patents. One can learn how to fill out their own patent application, and even find news on specific keywords and industries. The USPTO oversees almost all of the patent information in America, so if you’re searching for domestic patent information, then the USPTO can be a great resource. However, the USPTO can be complicated for first-time users & doesn’t really provide helpful visualizations.
Cypris
Cypris is a patent search engine with a user-friendly interface that’s coupled with a patent marketplace. On Cypris, you cannot only easily identify patents within your field, but also see IP that’s available for sale or license related to your search. They have over 1K patent listings in over 160 different categories. Cypris also hosts a market intelligence tool that allows inventors to get deeper insights into their field. Cypris insights will present, companies, startups, investors & patents matched with an inventor’s technology, to provide a strategic roadmap around commercialization within their market. Conducting a free Cypris search is easy & can be done on the homepage. Cypris’s mission is to democratize innovation, by making IP data accessible for all, while creating an environment for sharing resources, to drive innovation forward.
Google Patents
Google has always been known to produce high-quality platforms, and Google Patents is no different. One thing that Google has always done right is accessibility and readability. Sure, you can gain access to official databases from government agencies, but these platforms are usually extremely slow, unfriendly to users, and lack proper search tools. On the other hand, Google Patents takes information from a wide variety of patent databases across various countries and tries to make the information readily available to users. As a result, Google Patents can make finding information about particular patens much easier and quicker than using a government database. If you’re someone who values speed and accessibility, then Google Patents may just be the patent search platform for you.
Espacenet
As an inventor, you may face the opportunity to expand your patent to international markets. Doing so can be a major headache, as many different countries have different patent laws and processes. One of the biggest markets you should look into expanding into is Europe, an area that has very similar patent laws thanks to the European Union. One can use Espacenet to view all of the European patents, having access to patent applications in over 80 countries. Espacenet is one of the largest patent databases in the world, so even if you aren’t expanding your product into Europe, it may still be worth checking the database just to see what is on there. Much like the USPTO, Espacenet can offer a comprehensive look into patents and can be a fantastic resource when it comes to a patent search.
Drug Patent Watch
Although previous entries on the list encompassed patents across various industries, Drug Patent Watch focuses exclusively on the drug industry. That being said, Drug Patent Watch covers patents from over a hundred countries, rather than just one specific geographical area. If you’re a pharmaceutical company that’s looking to create a specific drug, then this is the platform that you’ll want to conduct your market research on. Here you can access millions of drug patents from across the world, allowing you to better formulate your development strategy and gain some inspiration. The drug industry is lucrative and relies heavily on patent protection. If you want to be successful in the drug industry, then you better conduct many long hours of research, something Drug Patent Watch can be a great help in.
Derwent
As mentioned before, some of the database sites for government patent and trademark agencies can be quite unfriendly to the user. These databases have horrible user interfaces, and most of the information is locked behind legal jargon that can be hard to understand. However, Derwent prioritizes user experience. Derwent takes patent information from a wide variety of sources, displaying the information on their database for all to see. The information can be accessed very easily as the database has an extremely good user interface that isn’t hard to learn at all. Perhaps the most important feature of Derwent is their summaries that they post on patents. These summaries allow you to understand the patent without having to deal with legal jargon or other terms you might not be familiar with. As a result, Derwent is a strong option if you’re looking for accessibility or user experience in your patent search.
Patent Lens
Patent Lens is an international patent database that is run by the independent non-profit organization Cambia. Patent Lens takes patents from a wide variety of places including the United States, Europe, and Australia, making the database perfect if you’re looking to tap into the international market. The database has several full-text patent documents, allowing you to gain any information that you may want from patents around the globe. Having such a wide breadth of information can be extremely valuable, especially in helping you create your own patent application. If you want a patent database that has millions of documents regarding patents from around the globe, then Patent Lens can be a solid free option.
About Cypris
Cypris is an IP intelligence search engine & patent marketplace. Innovators can use the Cypris Insights tool to investigate companies, startups, investors & patents, within their innovations field. Patent owners can leverage the open marketplace to market their inventions for sale or license.
Our mission is to democratize innovation, by creating an environment to share resources.
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