This page aims to give a starting point for finding patents and registered design information.
Please note: Oxford Brookes Library is not able to carry out patent searching on your behalf. For comprehensive searches or specialist help, we recommend you contact the British Library or one of the specialist patents libraries listed below.
Help with patents in the UK
The organisations listed below are able to provide help and advice on patents and patents research.
- UK Intellectual Property Office: responsible for intellectual property in the UK. They deal with legal aspects of patents, including applications and grants. They also deal with trade marks, copyright and designs.
- Patents Information at the British Library: The national collection of patents is held at the British Library in London. Their website includes general information about intellectual property, detailed information on searching for patents worldwide and links to a range of other databases. It's possible to visit the collection in person, and the British Library can also conduct comprehensive patents searches, on a pay-as-you-go basis.
- UK Patent Libraries : centres around the UK where you can find help with patents research.
Finding patents information online
The resources below allow you to search for patents and, in some cases, access the full text of published patents. It should be noted that none of these resources are comprehensive.
- Espacenet : Hosted by the European Patent Office, this is the largest free online patents database. It has worldwide coverage, and is an excellent starting point.
- Free Patents Online : Search through US and European patents.
- The Lens : Patents from the US, Europe, Australia, and The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
- USPTO Patent Databases : This database covers US patents.
- WIPO PatentsScope : A database provided by The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Other patent resources
The resources below give more detailed information and advice on searching for patents.
- Manual of Patent Practice (MOPP) from the UK Intellectual Property Office.
- Hitchcock, David. (2017). Patent searching made easy: how to do patent searches online and in the library . Berkeley, CA: Nolo.
- Grant, John. (2008). Patents, registered designs, trade marks & copyright for dummies . Chicester: John Wiley.
Registered designs
DesignView allows you to search for registered designs using keywords.
Intellectual Property Office - searching for and registering designs.