USPTO Launches New Patent Tool

The US Patent and Trademark Office has launched a patent search tool that enables users to interact with past patent activity.


The PatentsView search tool, which was revealed on September 17, allows users to search through nearly 40 years of patent activity in the US. With the tool, users can explore regional, technological, and individual patent trends via search filters.


The database, which has been in development since 2012, links patent inventors, their location and their organisation, and overall patenting activity. It uses data from public USPTO data files running from 1976 to 2014.


Michelle Lee, director of the USPTO, said: “The USPTO is the public steward of a tremendous treasure trove of data, and we are always working to improve the discoverability, accessibility, and usability of the USPTO’s valuable information.”


The USPTO will host a one day workshop to discuss the system on September 24.