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Chemistry > Getting Started > Finding Patents

FINDING PATENTS

A patent is a legal document that grants an inventor the privilege of exclusive rights to his or her invention for a limited period of time in return for the full disclosure of how the invention works. To get a patent the inventor must show that the invention is novel (nobody's invented it before), it's not an obvious follow-up to a prior invention, and that it's useful.

Although patents are written to conform to certain legal criteria, chemists will find that patents are an often overlooked but potentially very rewarding information type. However, because of the legal nature of these documents, finding and understanding patents can be a challenge. There is an excellent tutorial that walks you through the process of finding a U.S. patent.

For links to patent databases and other patent resources click here.

 

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Last updated June 4, 2004
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