1. Knowing the different patent bases

Patent information is unique, rarely published elsewhere. Beyond mere protection, patents, through the information they disclose and which is necessary for their legal validation, constitute a living, constantly-updated global encyclopedia.

Our aim is not to provide an exhaustive description of the existing databases, but to quickly describe those that will be most useful for using patent information to innovate and monitor your environment.

While the majority of national patent offices are developing their own databases, these remain sector-specific, are not necessarily open-access, and use the local language.

Paid patent databases such as Questel-Orbit, STN, Dialog, etc. are also available. These databases often include additional elements created during the indexing of records, but in our opinion, they are reserved...