Use patent databases to monitor innovation

Would you like to know :

• the state of the art and applications developed worldwide in a particular field;

• who does what, where, how ;

• the evolution over time of the area under consideration ;

• your potential competitors ;

• know-how developed by various inventors and companies;

• new entrants in these development fields;

• your possible partners ;

• technological directions and new applications;

• links between technology and research.

You need to exploit patent databases. Patent information is unique and rarely published elsewhere. Beyond mere protection, patents, by virtue of the information they disclose and which is necessary for their legal validation, constitute a living, constantly-updated global encyclopedia.

The purpose of this sheet is to :

• to provide you with a better understanding of the various patent databases available on the Internet –, whether free or for a fee –, which you will need to use Automatic Patent Analysis (APA) tools. – APA);

• know the content of patent bibliographic records and other accessible elements ;

• structure your search ;

• exploit the results.