Patent documents

PRV has access to a large number of patent literature databases. These databases contain published applications, granted patents and utility models. The contents of the various databases vary according to geographic coverage, technical focus and scope. Many are full-text databases, others contain English abstracts and some contain only bibliographic data, in some cases with legal status. Together with the advanced search tool the patent databases are essential in the patent examiner´s work.

To view patent databases used for the search

NPL databases

PRV gains from various publishers' access to a prominent collection of articles and technical literature so called NPL literature. The NPL literature (non-patent literature) is an important part of PRV's search documentation and is together with the patent databases the major source of information used for patent searches either by the authority or by the Patent Search Services.

Below you can see the NPL databases used by PRV and also read more about how PRV manages NPL literature in accordance with the Copyright Act.

Chemistry, non patent literature databases

Electronics and Physics, non patent literature databases 

Mechanics, non patent literature databases 

Copyright protected documentation

The Copyright Act does not permit electronic distribution of copyright protected documentation. Therefore, in accordance with the Copyright Act PRV does not generally distribute articles or technical literature in search reports provided by the Search Services. These copyright documents must be sent by post; normal procedure is to send the full documentation on the same day the report is ready to be delivered to the customer.
However, digital free–to-use articles will be linked up as well as NPL provided by a distributer to whom the customer has a contract allowing digital distribution.

The following information is presented electronically in the search report:

• Name of the article
• Publisher of the article
• Title
• Author
• ISSN