MyPatent.co.za

Please feel free to download our Patent Searching Manual (40 pages, 738KB), for:

- tips on searching;

- common searching mistakes;

- links to publicly available search sites; 

- answers to frequently asked questions;

- suggestions on patenting strategy; and

- a diagram summarising the patenting system.

(Also, see the article on Searching and our File your own Patents Toolkit)

We suggest that you always conduct a patentability search prior to consulting a patent attorney. This will save you time, money and complications.

MyPatent offers the most affordable patent search services available (from R2,750). To instruct us to conduct a search, please contact Paulo.

The Search Manual has been drafted to enable you to conduct your own patent search with confidence!

Freely Accessible Sites 

Google : Try this new patent search feature on Google. It works surprisingly well and is very fast.

USPTO : Contains US granted patents and US applications published after 15 March 2001

- To obtain status information, click here

- To view the images, you may need to register (for free)

Delphion : Contains published US and EP patents

- To access INPADOC records, one needs to be a subscriber (although this is now available on espacenet, free of charge)

EPO : This is the Official European Patent Office database

- Contains over 30 million published patents world wide

Alphapatent : For quick and easy downloading of published US, PCT, EP and JP applications and patents

WIPO : Contains published PCT applications

- This is the most probable site where new inventions will first be published

AUS : Contains published AU patents and applications

EEVL : Contains the full text of over 250 engineering, mathematics and computing journals

UK Designs : Contains designs that can be viewed showing 128 images at a time

Freeserve : Contains status information for various patents

TIP : Contains links to various Patent Office web sites

Useful links to Biotech Searching Sites:

Biotech Information Center

The genome database

Worthington database

[See our Patent Costs and Free Patent Tools]