To empower users to find the relevant patent and technology information and connect people they need to advance technology.
~Mission, Patents.com
Patents.com is looking to provide the most comprehensive worldwide source of patent data – to include 450 million searchable, indexed patent pages available in 15 native languages. It’s a source for patent data and analytic tools and a hosted community platform enabling users to connect to generate business opportunities, including the licensing and sale of intellectual property.
Rob Monster, Chairman of Patents.com, noted they have ambitious plans for the site:
Overall, the company is executing well. We have a very aggressive development plan ahead, and look forward to bringing some innovation to the patent community, including the forthcoming launch of a peer-to-peer marketplace for patent licensing. Patents for license/sale will be closely linked with patent search results to enable more chance discovery of patents of interest.
While the really unique aspect of the site is the roll out of global language support for patent search, the site also offers other services including an intellectual property community platform and tool for connecting members with others in the patent ecosystem. A Profile Search allows users to find the people, companies, and technology they are interested in connecting with on the Patents Community.
The Patents.com site makes it easy to find patents linked by company name or by inventor. A search of either brings up the relevant patents including patent number, title, issue date and a copy of the patent abstract.
There are a few minor quibbles. Using the site reveals that the site is still in its early stages of development. For example, the Patents Exchange is currently limited to just a handful of patents available for sale or licensing. Also, the database of attorneys seems to be a bit out of date.
Overall, Patents.com offers plenty of tools that might be useful in your patent related activities. We recommend that you check out all the features yourself.
