A Guide to Patent Searching

In October 2005, the MRC with the collaboration of WIPO, organised a workshop on Patent Searching and Drafting of Patent Claims. The aim was to provide participants with an opportunity to develop effective patent searching techniques and basic skills in the drafting of successful patent claims.

As a follow-up, the MRC has prepared a manual entitled ‘A Guide to Patent Searching’ based on the training sessions delivered during the workshop. This manual consolidates the initial training and provides guidance to a wider audience on searching for patent information, with emphasis on:

• the use of free online patent databases (e.g., esp@cenet available through the European Patent Office website), and
• step-wise instructions, accompanied by illustrations, to facilitate the location and retrieval of patent information.