Information for those interested in using patent information and EPO data.
Patent information is basically the technical information found in patent documents, plus any legal information about them. Use it to find out what already exists, keep track of who’s doing what, avoid infringing other people’s patent rights, and improve the quality of your own patent applications.
Practical information for users of EPO data; latest additions to databases; data structure; type and format.
The total number of patents is so large that a sophisticated standard classification system is essential. Patent offices worldwide use the International Patent Classification (IPC). The Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is an extension of the IPC and is jointly managed by the EPO and the USPTO.
Patent information provides a wealth of information for people involved in business, especially corporate decision-makers, investors, managers and innovators working in research and development.
