Google Patent Search

Search Google Patent Search... for Google Patents

Google has expanded the scope of its search activities once again with the beta launch of Google Patent Search. The patent search engine allows users to search through the full text of over 7 million patents issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office and works much like Google's Book Search.

The interface itself is clean and spartan, like Google's other products. Users can type in a patent number or any other search term and are presented with a list of responses like any other search. An advanced search link offers the ability to search by inventor's name, assignee, date filed, date granted, and other critera.

Searches of older patents like this 1894 patent for a trawl-line will turn up an image of the original patent text along with relevant drawings. More recent filings, such as this 2001 patent for welding equipment return text abstracts and descriptions along with any images included with the patent filing. Users can scroll through pages and zoom in just as they can using Google Book Search.

Ironically, Google Patent Search didn't turn up any results for Patent D533561, which was just granted on December 12. Patent D533561 is for a "Graphical User Interface" describing the various results page layouts for Google searches. The patent is limited to design, meaning that it covers the look and feel of Google's those pages, not how the search engine works.

Are we going to hear sighs of relief from the thousands of patent attorneys and other intellectual property specialists who are grateful to have an alternative to the US Patent and Trademark Office's cumbersome interface? Not yet, says Raymond Zenkich, a partner at IP consulting firm Red Chalk Group. "The interface is nice when you click through to a patent," Zenkich told Ars. "They've got the lowest common denominator, and it's free, but it's not quite where it needs to be for professionals in the industry."

On the other hand, fee-based patent search engines such as Delphion and MicroPatent may find themselves alarmed by Google Patent Search. "The core part of their offering is now free," noted Zenkich. "Google does not yet have the other value-added offerings that the fee-based engines provide, but the alarm bells are certainly going off."

:source: Source: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061214-8419.html