I.P. Guide: International Patent Information at NYPL by Kenneth Johnson, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFLAugust 24, 2012

The world, on Mercator's projection / By David H. Burr ; engraved by S. Stiles & Co., N. York., Digital ID 465015, New York Public LibraryWe pride ourselves on our United States patent system. But, to misquote, all patents are local (or at least national). So anyone who wants patent protection in another country will have to meet the filing and legal requirements of that national government. And, of course, do a patent search!

Fortunately, there is an online patent search site that will search almost all international patents (including United States patents): Espacenet (discussed below). Of course, as with United states patents, some types of research into patents for other countries may be best accomplished using resources that can be found in NYPL's collections — highlights of which are what this guide is intended to cover.

SIBL has a large collection of foreign and international patents and patent gazettes. Those in full text are available mainly on microfilm, though some of the more recent patents are available on CD ROM, and some of the older patents are available in paper. Those in gazettes (i.e., an abstract of the patent) are primarily available on paper. These materials can be requested from our Access Services using their call numbers and volume information. For making or obtaining copies of these materials, please speak to a librarian or contact AskNYPL.

 

Skip to List of Patents for Individual Countries

WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

WIPO is the United Nations agency dedicated to the use of intellectual property (patents, copyright trademarks,designs, etc.) as a means of stimulating innovation and creativity.

Abstracts and Illustrations
Date
Title
Location
May 1978-1994 PCT Gazette JSM 97-135
Text and Drawings (from patent first pages) [includes WIPO, EPO, US, GB, France, German and Switzerland]
Date
Title
Location
1971-1996 GlobalPat CD-ROM. Numbered GP-1 - GP-116
1997-May 2000 GlobalPat *WSC-882
Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1981-1994 WO [microfilm] *XFR-14 Microfilm
Indexes
Date
Title
Location
1981-1994 WO [microfilm] *XLR-7

 

 

EPO (European Patent Organization)

The EPO is an intergovernmental organisation that was set up in 1977 on the basis of the European Patent Convention of 1973. It has two bodies, the European Patent Office and the Administrative Council, which supervises the Office's activities.

ESPACENET

Espacenet is the patent search database of the European Patent Office. It contains patents from almost every country in the world, including the United States. On one site, you can make a Worldwide search of the complete database or search separately through individual national databases.
Applications - Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1978-1994 EP [microform] [A1, A2] *XFR-12 Microfilm
Jan. 4, 1995-Jan. 7, 1999 ESPACE-EPA (European Applications) *WSC-549 CD-ROM
1995-1999 ESPACE World
(World Patent Applications)		 *WSC-573 CD-ROM
Search Reports - Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1992-1994 EP [microform] [A3] *XFR-12 Microfilm.
Granted Patents - Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1978-1994 EP [microform] [B1, B2] *XFR-12 Microfilm.
1995-1999 ESPACE-EPB *WSC-574 CD-ROM.
Indexes
Date
Title
Location
1978-1994 EP [microform] *XLR-6

 

 

Switzerland Participation - Women with large ornamental globe, Digital ID 1683617, New York Public LibraryIndividual Country Patents

Click on a country name to see a list of select patent information for that country available at the New York Public Library.

Australia (including South Australia
and Victoria Province)

Austria

Belgium

Canada

Cuba

Denmark

France

Germany

Hungary

Japan

Russia

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Go to WIPO and EPO Patent Resources

Australia

 

 

 

Abstracts and Illustrations
Date
Title
Location
1904-June 1986 The Australian official journal of patents, trade marks, and designs *VAB+ (Australia. Patents, Trade Marks and Designs Office. Australian official journal of patents, trade marks and designs)
July 1986-Jan. 1987 The Australian official journal of patents, trade marks, and designs *VAB (Australia. Patents, trademarks and design office. Australian official journal)
Jan. 22, 1987-Feb. 1994 Australian official journal of patents *VAB (Australia) 88-1937
Mar.1994-Feb 2001, May 2001-Dec 2003 Australian official journal of patents JSM 96-27
Specifications
Date
Title
Location
1936-1945 Patent specification *VAZ (Australia) (Australia. Patent Office. Patent specification)

Website:
IP Australia - www.ipaustralia.gov.au

Australia - South Australia

Specifications
Date
Title
Location
1877-1886 Specs. of patents granted in South Australia *VAZ (Specs. of patents granted in South Australia)

Australia - Victoria Province

Patents / Abstracts
Date
Title
Location
1854-1892 Patents and patentees. *VAB (Victoria, Australia. Patent office. Patents and patentees)
1854-1866 (Library has 1870) Victoria. Abstracts of specifications of patents applied for from 1854 to 1866. *VAB (Victoria (Australia). Patent Office. Abstracts of specifications)

 

Austria

 

 

 

 
Patent Bulletin
Date
Title
Location
July 1881-December 1895 Illustriertes Österreichisch-Ungarisches patent-blatt [microform]. *ZAN-U4 Microfilm.
1899-1940, 1951-1961 Oesterreichisches Patentblatt. *VAB (Austria. Patentamt. Österreichisches Patentblatt)

Website:
Austrian Patent Office - www.patent.bmvit.gv.at/Home/index.html

 

Belgium

 
 
 
 
Abstracts
Date
Title
Location
1854-1985 Recueil des brevets d'invention. Verzameling der uitvindingsoctrooien. *VAB (Belgium. Propriete industrielle, Office de la. Recueil des brevets d'invention)

1854-1855, Abstracts only; 
1855-1858, Abstracts & illustrations
1858-1896, Abstracts & relevant patent nos.
1897-1954, Abstracts by subject groups
1955-1985, Abstracts by IPC

Full text
Date
Title
Location
1950-1966 Brevet d'invention [Record 1: no. 493079 - no.692350] *VAB (Belgium. Propriete industrielle, office de la. Brevet d'invention)
1967-1973 Brevet d'invention [Record 2: no. 692351 - no. 796000] *VAB (Belgium. Propriete industrielle, office de la. Brevet d'invention)

Website:
Research.be - www.research.be

 

Canada

 

 

 

Claims and Drawings
Date
Title
Location
1824-1855 Patents of Canada *VAB (Canada. Patent and Copyright Office. Patents of Canada)
Abstracts only
Date
Title
Location
1873-1992 The Patent Office record. La Gazette du Bureau des brevets. *VAB (Canada. Patent and Copyright Office, Canadian Patent Office record)
Specifications and Drawings
Date
Title
Location
1948-1951 Patents. Brevets *VAZ (Canada) (Canada. Patent Office. Specification and drawings)

Library has (Print): no. 450,080 (July 27, 1948)-no. 479,997 (Jan. 1, 1952) (incomplete).

Full text (microforms)
Date
Title
Location
1976-1981 Patents. Brevets *XLR-3 Microfiche.

Library has: (Microfiche) no. 986,651-1106550; 1976-1981.

Date
Title
Location
1986 Patents. Brevets *XFR-22 Microfilm.

Library has: (Microfilm cartridges) Library has: 1,198,983-1,216,100;Jan. 7- Dec. 30, 1986.

Website:
Canadian Patent Database: http://brevets-patents.ic.gc.ca/opic-cipo/cpd/eng/introduction.html

 

Cuba

 

 

 

Patent Bulletin
Date
Title
Location
1906-1908 Boletín oficial de la Secretaría de Agricultura, Industria y Comercio *VAB+ (Cuba. Comercio, Secretaria de. Boletín oficial de la propriedad industrial)
1909-1918 Boletín oficial de la Secretaría de Agricultura, Comercio y Trabajo *VAB+ (Cuba. Comercio, Secretaria de.
1918-1936 Boletín oficial de marcas y patentes / Secretaría de Agricultura, Comercio y Trabajo *VAB+ (Cuba. Comercio, Secretaria de. Boletín oficial de la propriedad industrial)
1937-1965 Boletín oficial de la propiedad industrial / Secretaría de Comercio *VAB+ (Cuba. Comercio, Secretaria de. Boletín oficial de la propriedad industrial)

 

 

Denmark

 

 

 

 

Full text
Date
Title
Location
1895-1988 Danske patenter *VAB (Denmark. Patent- og varemaerkevaesenet, Direktoratet for. Dansk patenter)
1974-1988 Fremlæggelsesskrifter *VAB 80-435
1989-1992 Fremlæggelsesskrifter *XLR-10 Microfiche.
Indexes
Date
Title
Location
1974-1978 Register over danske patenter *VAB 80-437

Website:
Danish Patent Office - www.dkpto.dk [English - int.dkpto.dk]

 

France

 

 

 

 

Abstracts
Date
Title
Location
1791-1900 Description des machines et procédés pour lesquels des brevets d'invention ont été pris sous le régime de la loi du 5 juillet 1844. *VAB (France. Commerce, Ministere du. Description des brevets d'invention)
Abstracts and Illustrations
Date
Title
Location
1950-1992 Bulletin officiel de la propriété industrielle. Abreges descriptifs des bevets d'invention. *VAB (France. Institut national de la propriété industrielle. Bulletin officiel de la propriété industrielle. Abréges descriptifs des brevets d'invention)
1993-2000 Bulletin officiel de la propriété industrielle. Abreges descriptifs des bevets d'invention. JSM 99-183
Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1902-1938 Brevet d'invention. [Record 1: 1902-1938] *VAE (France. Propriété industrielle, Service. Brevets d'invention)
1939-1959 Brevet d'invention. [Record 2: 1939-1959] *VAE (France. Propriété industrielle, Service. Brevets d'invention)
1960-1965 Brevet d'invention. [Record 3: 1960-1965] *VAE (France. Propriété industrielle, Service. Brevets d'invention)
1966-1969 Brevet d'invention. [Record 4: 1966-1969] *VAE (France. Propriété industrielle, Service. Brevets d'invention)
1970 Brevet d'invention. [Record 5: 1970] *VAE (France. Propriété industrielle, Service. Brevets d'invention)
Patent Applications
Date
Title
Location
1969-1970 Demandes de brevets d'invention *VAE (France. Propriété industrielle, Service de la. Demandes de brevets d'invention)
1970 Demandes de brevets d'invention *VAE (France. Propriété industrielle, Service de la. Unique publication de brevets d'invention)
1982-May 1995 Demandes de brevets d'invention *XFR-16 Microfilm.
1983-1992 Demandes de brevets d'invention *XLR-8 Microfiche Indexes.

Website:
French National Patent Office / Institute Nationale De La Propriette Industrielle (INPI) -www.inpi.fr

 

Germany

 

 

 

Abstracts & illustrations
Date
Title
Location
1880-1941 Auszüge aus den Patentschriften *VAB (Germany. Patentamt. Auszuge aus den Patentschriften)
Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1877-1945 Patentschrift *XFR-9 1877-1945 Microfilm.
1946-1972 Patentschrift *XFR-9 1946-72 Microfilm.
1957-1968 Auslegeschrift [Record 1: 1957-1968] *VAH+ (Germany (Federal Republic, 1949- ). Patentamt. Auslegeschrift)
1969-1977 Auslegeschrift [Record 2: 1969 -1977] *VAH+ (Germany (Federal Republic, 1949- ). Patentamt. Auslegeschrift)
1978-1982 Auslegeschrift [Record 3: 1978-1982] *VAH+ (Germany (Federal Republic, 1949- ). Patentamt. Auslegeschrift)
1981-1994 Offenlegungsschrift *XFR-11 Jan. 1981-1994 Microfilm.
1999-2001 DEPAROM U [electronic resource] : Deutsche Gebrauchsmuster-schriften. *WSC-1058 CD-ROM.
1999-2001 DEPAROM ACT [electronic resource] : Deutsche Patentdokumente, A1, C1-C4, T1 *WSC-998 CD-ROM.

Website:
German Patent Office - www.dpma.de

 

Hungary

 

 

 

Patent Bulletin
Date
Title
Location
1896-1948 Szabadalmi közlöny  *VAB (Hungary. Szabadalmi közlöny)
November 1949-1965; 1972-1977; 1980-1985 Szabadalmi közlöny és védjegyértesitö [microform] *ZAN-U9 Microfilm.
1994-1998 Szabadalmi közlöny és védjegyértesitö [microform] JSM 96-28

Website:
Hungarian Patent Office - www.hipo.gov.hu/English/

 

Japan

 

 

 

Utility model specifications
Date
Title
Location
1905-1958 Jitsuy¯o shin'an k¯oh¯o *V
Specifications
Date
Title
Location
1897-1973 Tokkyo k¯oh¯o = The patent gazette *VAK
1982-1995 K¯okoku tokkyo k¯oh¯o = Published examined patent applications *XFR-21 Microfilm.
Patent Abstracts
Date
Title
Location
1996(?)-2001 Patent abstracts of Japan news : PAJ JSM 01-106
1980-1989 Patent abstracts of Japan [electronic resource] *WSC-1203
1994-2001 Patent abstracts of Japan [electronic resource] *WSC-1204
Designs
Date
Title
Location
1954-1961 Ish¯o k¯oh¯o *V

Website:
Japanese Patent Office - www.jpo.go.jp

 

Russia/USSR

 

 

 

Indexes and Patents
Date
Title
Location
1893-1907 Zapiski Russkago tekhnicheskago obshchestva  *QCB (Russkoye tekhnicheskoye obshchestvo, St. Petersburg. Zapiski)
Abstracts & Illustrations
Date
Title
Location
1924-1931 Vestnik Komiteta po delam izobretenii *V (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Komitet po izobretatelstvu. Vestnik...)
July 1931-June 1936 Vestnik Komiteta po izobretatelstvu. *V (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Komitet po izobretatelstvu. Vestnik...)
1937- Otkrytiia, izobreteniia, promishlennye obreaztsy, tovarnye znaki. *V (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Gosudarstvennoye byuro posleduiushchei registratsii izobretenii. Biulleten)
1959-1962 Biulleten izobretenii. *VAZ (Russia) (Biulleten izobretenii)
1963-1965 Biulleten izobretenii i tovarnykh znakov. *VAZ (Russia) (Biulleten' izobretenii i tovarnykh znakov)
1966-1967 Izobreteniia, promyshlennye obraztsy, tovarnye znaki. *VAZ (Russia) (Izobreteniia, promyshlennye obraztsy, tovarnye znaki)
1969-1982 Otkrytiia, izobreteniia, promyshlennye obraztsy, tovarnye znaki : ofitsialnyi biulleten Komiteta po delam izobretenii i otkrytii pri Sovete Ministrov SSSR. *VAZ (Russia) (Otkrytiia, izobreteniia, promyshlennye obraztsy, tovarnye znaki)
[1983-]
1987-1991		 Otkrytiia, izobreteniia : ofitsialnyi biulleten Gosudarstvennogo komiteta SSSR po delam izobretenii i otkrytii. *VAZ (Russia) (Otkrytiia, izobreteniia)
Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1987-1992 Patents & Invent. Cert.
Patent Nos. 1281186-1785584		 Microfilm.

Websites:
Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks (ROSPATENT) -www.fips.ru
Eurasian Patent Organization - www.eapo.org

 

Sweden

 

 

 

 

Patent Gazette

Date
Title
Location
April 1968-March 25, 1985 (incomplete). Svensk patenttidning *VAB (Sweden. Patent- och registeringsverket. Svensk patenttidning)
Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1885-1972 Patent *VAI (Sweden. Patent- och registreringsverket. Beskrifning)
1968-1990 Utlaggningsskrift. [Record 1 : 1968-1990] *VAI (Sweden. Patent- och registreringsverket. Utlaggningsskrift)
1989-1994 Utlaggningsskrift [microform] [Record 2: 1990-1994] *XLR-11
1994-1999 Patentskrift [microform] *XLR-13 Microfiche.

Website:
Swedish Patent Office - www.prv.se

 

Switzerland

 

 

 

 

Indexes

Date
Title
Location
1890-1960 Patent-Liste *VAB (Switzerland. Geistiges Eigentum, Amt für. Patent-Liste)
1965-1990 Schweizerisches Patent-, Muster- und Markenblatt / Feuille suisse des brevets, dessins et marques *VAB (Schweizerisches Patent-, Muster- und Markenblatt)
Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1984-1993 Patentschrift [microform]
Patent Nos. 640,381-683,054		 *XFR-19 Microfilm

Website:
Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property - www.ige.ch

 

United Kingdom

 

 

 

Official Journal
Date
Title
Location
1854-1993 Official journal (patents) *VAB (Great Britain. Patent office. Official journal (patents)
1994-1995 Official journal (patents) JSM 96-26
Plates and Full Text
Date
Title
Location
1617-1875 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 1: 1617-1875]
1876-1892 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 2: 1876 v.1:1 (Plates)- 1892 v.4:802 (Plates)]
1892-1902 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 3: 1892 v.5:801 (Plates)- 1902 v.144:28799 (Plates)
1902-1912 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 4: 1902 v.145:28800 (Plates)- 1912 v. 104:20799 (Plates)]
1912-1915 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 5: 1912 v.106:21000 (Plates)- 1915 v. 91:18225 (Text)]
1917-1924 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 6: n.s. v.1:100000 (Plates)- n.s. v.1058:205800 (Text)]
1923-1936 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 7: n.s. v.1058:205701 (Plates)- n.s. v.3460:446000 (Text and Plates)]
1936-1952 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 8: n.s. v.3461:446001 (Plates and Text)- n.s. v.5678: 667800]
1952-1960 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 9: n.s. v.5679:667801- n.s. v.7523:852300]
1960-1967 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 10: n.s. v.7524:852301- n.s. v.9811:1081100]
1967-1974 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 11: n.s. v.9812:1081101- n.s. v. 12594:1359400]
1974-1983 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 12: n.s. v.12595:1359401- n.s. v.15052:1605200]
1979-1986 Specifications of inventions... *VAD (Great Britain. Patent Office. Specifications of inventions) [Record 13:[ser. 3] v.1:2000001A- v.1724:2172400]
1979-1994 UK patent application [microform].
Patent Nos. 20000001 - 2275190		 *XFR-18 Microfilm.

Early British Patents:

1840 No. 8513 : William Bush : Breeches of Fire-Arms, and Cartridges -- Text

Website:
UK Intellectual Property Office - www.ipo.gov.uk

View all posts by Kenneth Johnson