Need help finding patents?
If you need help finding standards contact your subject librarian.
How to find patents in the Library
"A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention. Patents benefit inventors by providing them with legal protection of their inventions. However, patents also benefit society by providing public access to technical information about these inventions, and thus accelerating innovation" - .
A patent is granted by a national government or regional office and typically lasts about 20 years.
Finding and filing patents
The following resources can be used to search for patents (this list is not exhaustive). If you need help finding patents contact your subject librarian.
| Organisation / database | Type of patent / topic | Access |
|---|---|---|
| British | Freely available | |
| European | Freely available | |
| US | Freely available | |
|
International |
Freely available | |
|
International |
Freely available | |
|
International |
Freely available | |
| Design | Freely available | |
| SciFinder-n | Chemistry | Library subscription |
51³Ô¹ÏÍø Enterprise /enterprise/
British Library Business and IP Centre
UK Intellectual Property Office’s guidance on patents
How to read a patent
What is Intellectual Property?
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) FAQs
Need help finding standards?
If you need help finding or locating standards contact your subject librarian.