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Learn how to efficiently search patents using Espacenet, a free service hosted by the European Patent Office. With over 90 million patent documents, including international and European applications, access smart and advanced search options, classification search, and legal status information. Follow a detailed guide on searching for patents related to specific technologies, understanding patent families, and verifying legal status data. Enhance your patent search skills and make informed decisions with Espacenet.
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Searching patents using Espacenet David Barford Consultant Ulaanbaatar March 2015
Key points • Hosted by the European Patent Office http://worldwide.espacenet.com/?locale=en_EP • 90 million patent documents • Patent family information • Legal status information • Citation information • European Patent Register • Free service; no log-in names or passwords required
Collections and coverage • Currently, over 90 million patent documents: • International patent applications (WO documents published by WIPO under the PCT) • European patent applications (EP) • 90 national collections • Five regional collections (ARIPO, EAPO, EPO, GCC, OAPI) • Coverage: • Full text of all WO and EP documents • Other collections vary eg abstracts from 1970 for many countries
Search options • Smart search • Searches all collections • Flexible with wide choice of field identifiers and search operators • Can simply use without identifiers and operators • Advanced search • Need to select which collection is to be searched (WO, EP, Worldwide) • Has boxes corresponding to different fields • Classification search • Suggests appropriate classifications; then searches those selected
A more complicated scenario • An automobile manufacturer intends to launch a new line of cars in Germany and would like to incorporate parking assist technologies into these cars.
Scenario • Your task is to determine: • whether patent applications have been filed for parking assist technologies in Germany • what is the current status of these patent applications
Task breakdown • Access Espacenet • Retrieve patent documents based on classification • Examine a specific patent document • Review legal status information
Task breakdown • Access Espacenet • Retrieve patent documents based on classification • Examine a specific patent document • Review legal status information
Task breakdown • Access Espacenet • Retrieve patent documents based on classification • Examine a specific patent document • Review legal status information
Classification search: Results /low: includes all "children" classifications/exact: includes only the specified classification symbol
Scenario • The manufacturer has seen Volkswagen cars that have a system of particular interest and asks for a list of all these patents for information.
Task breakdown • Access Espacenet • Retrieve patent documents based on classification • Examine a specific patent document • Review legal status information
Question • Where was this patent application filed?
Question • If a patent has been granted for an invention related to parking assist technologies in the United States, can it be enforced in Germany? • No, unless an equivalent patent has been granted in Germany. • Patents are territorial in nature.
Patent families • After filing an initial patent application, a patent applicant may file further applications while retaining the same priority date • Patent documents linked this way are members of a "patent family" Useful for retrieving equivalent patent documents filed in different countries
Record: INPADOC patent family Patent applications filed in Germany… …and through the European Patent Office
Task breakdown • Access Espacenet • Retrieve patent documents based on classification • Examine a specific patent document • Review legal status information
Tip! • Legal status data may not always be up-to-date. Always verify legal status data the responsible patent office before making critical decisions!
