Patent Database: Their Importance in Prior Art Documentation and Patent Search

Abstract

In knowledge based economies the nation’s economic status depends on the production, distribution and use of knowledge and information. The recent trend in the economic growth of nations is mainly determined by innovative technological know-how of the individuals. Intellectual property has gained attention in this era of knowledge. The vast amount of data generated through the application of intellectual assets is managed with the help of various <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">in- silico</i> tools. In recent days, the patent databases have gained importance due to the detailed information available on the granted patent and other details, such as, legal status of the patent applications, which are not available through any other literature search. This review paper attempts to describe different types of patent databases available, their unique features, strengths, weakness and their major purpose. This paper details the information on how to access a patent database, the relevance of patent information obtained from these databases in prior art search, patent analysis, and the drawbacks present in these patent databases.