You can find basic patent information in free online databases. This information will give you an initial overview and can be used as a source of inspiration. However, querying these databases is not a substitute for a professional search by an expert.

• Swissreg
  The IP rights database provides information on Swiss patents, published Swiss patent applications and European patents effective in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. You can also search for specific publications, for example after new grants or register changes. Additionally, you can manage your IP rights and applications via Swissreg.

• Espacenet
  If you want to search for relevant patents, then Espacenet is the right database. The European Patent Office's database contains more than 90 million patent documents from all over the world with information on inventions and technical developments from 1836 up to the present day.

Almost all patent offices publish their national patent applications and granted patents in publicly accessible databases. Here are some important ones:

• PATENTSCOPE
  Using this system of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), you can search 3.6 million international patent applications (PCT) and 77 million patent documents from regional and national patent collections.
• Patent Lens
  This database is maintained by Cambia, an international non-profit research organisation in Australia, which is supported by the WIPO and the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). The database contains more than 90 million documents from around the world.

• DEPATISnet
  The database of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) offers similiar services to Espacenet. It covers data worldwide.
• USPTO (USA)
  Contains US patent specifications including design patents and plant patents.
• UK IPO (United Kingdom)
  Contains UK patent specifications.
• JPO database (Japan)
  Contains Japanese patent literature.
• CNIPA database (China)
  Contains Chinese patent literature.
• KIPO Datenbank (Südkorea)
  Contains South Korean patent literature.

Patent classifications are classification systems in which patent documents are organised based on the technical concepts described in them regardless of language and terminology. There are various such systems in use. The following are two of the most important:

• International Patent Classification (IPC)
  This is available on the website of the WIPO in English and French and on the website of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office in German.
• Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
  This is available on Espacenet. However, it is only possible to do the classification search in English.