State-of-the-Art Searching for Researchers

Methods and Tools for Patent and Prior Art Searching

Furthermore, patents not only offer protection against copycats, but are also a key source of information on the state of the art. A thorough patent search helps to avoid duplication of development, identify potential for innovation and pave the way for successful intellectual property strategies.

During the seminar, researchers will receive an introduction to patent searching as a tool for analyzing the state of the art and for evaluating their own research findings. They will learn about the criteria for patentability and the methodological principles for searching  DEPATISnet database of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. In practical exercises, they will tackle typical issues encountered in day-to-day research.

Seminar Contents

• A brief introduction to industrial property rights

• Requirements for the grant of a patent

• The theory of patent searching / feature list

• The practice of patent searching

• An introduction to DEPATISnet database

• An introduction to basic searching on DEPATISnet

Event Information

You will receive login details and further information the day before the event.

Attendance is free of chargefor anyone whose university is a member of innovation2business.nrw.

Registration is possible until 16th November 2026.