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<\/a><\/figure><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe following search tools can be used for prior art searches (invalidity searches) and \u2013 with limitations \u2013 for freedom to operate searches (FTO searches):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- DEPATISnet <\/a>(database of the German Patent and Trademark Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Esp@cenet (database of the European Patent Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- DPMAregister<\/a> (patent register of the German Patent and Trademark Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- PAIR<\/a> (patent register of the US Patent and Trademark Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- EPOLINE Register<\/a> (patent register of the\u00a0European Patent Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- PATENTSCOPE <\/a>(patent register of the World Intellectual Property Organization)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
2. Search Tools for Trademarks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The following search tools may be used for trademark identity searches:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- DPMAregister<\/a> (trademark register of the German Patent and Trademark Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- TESS<\/a> (trademark register of the US Patent and Trademark Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- TMview<\/a> (trademarks of all trademark offices participating at national, international and EU level)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- eSearch plus (trademark and design register of the European Union Intellectual Property Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- ROMARIN<\/a> (international registrations of trademarks of the World Intellectual Property Organization)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Global Brand Database<\/a> (brand-related searches across multiple collections provided by the WIPO)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Recommendations for the classification of goods and services of trademark applications can be found using the following search tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- TMclass (classification database of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
3. Search Tools for Designs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The following search tools can be used for design searches:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- DPMAregister<\/a> (design register of the German Patent and Trademark Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- DesignView (centralized access point to registered designs information held by any of the participating national offices in the EU)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- eSearch plus\u00a0(design and design register of the European Union Intellectual Property Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hague Express <\/a>(international registrations of industrial designs of the World Intellectual Property Organization)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Update (as of June 17, 2026)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Several of the tools listed above have since been renamed or retired. The most important changes: the US register Public PAIR<\/em> was replaced by Patent Center<\/em> on July 31, 2022; the US trademark database TESS<\/em> was replaced by Trademark Search<\/em> on November 30, 2023; WIPO’s ROMARIN<\/em> was superseded by the Madrid Monitor<\/em> on January 1, 2018; the classic Esp@cenet<\/em> was replaced by the new Espacenet<\/em>; the EPOLINE Register<\/em> is now the European Patent Register<\/em>; Hague Express<\/em> has been folded into the Global Design Database<\/em>; and the OHIM<\/em> became the EUIPO<\/em> in 2016. The current, still free-of-charge search tools are listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Patents and patent applications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- DEPATISnet<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 patent database of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- DPMAregister<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 official patent, trade mark and design register of the DPMA<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Espacenet (new)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 worldwide patent database of the European Patent Office (EPO)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- European Patent Register<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 procedural status of European applications (formerly the “EPOLINE Register”)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- PATENTSCOPE<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 PCT and national\/regional collections of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Patent Center<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 register of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO; successor to Public PAIR)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Google Patents<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 free, full-text tool that is useful as a supplementary prior-art resource<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
2. Trademarks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- DPMAregister<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 trade mark register of the DPMA<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- TMview<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 joint trade mark database of numerous national offices, the EUIPO and WIPO<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- eSearch plus<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 trade mark and design register of the EUIPO (via the EUIPO website)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- WIPO Global Brand Database<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 brand searches across many collections worldwide<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Madrid Monitor<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 international registrations under the Madrid System (successor to ROMARIN)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- USPTO Trademark Search<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 US trade mark searches (successor to TESS)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- TMclass<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 tool for classifying goods and services (Nice classification)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
3. Designs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- DPMAregister<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 design register of the DPMA<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Designview<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 joint design database of the participating offices<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- eSearch plus<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 design register of the EUIPO<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- WIPO Global Design Database<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 international designs under the Hague System plus national collections (incorporates the former “Hague Express”)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
New since the original post: the Unitary Patent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
With the launch of the European unitary patent and the Unified Patent Court (UPC) on June 1, 2023, two further sources have become relevant: the European Patent Register<\/a> indicates unitary effect, and the Unified Patent Court (UPC)<\/a> provides information on pending proceedings through its register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please note: the offices’ databases and URLs change from time to time; if in doubt, navigate from the relevant office’s home page (dpma.de, epo.org, euipo.europa.eu, wipo.int, uspto.gov).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The following search tools are provided by national and international patent and trademark offices and can be used free of charge for searching of patents, designs and trademarks: 1. Search Tools for Patents The following search tools can be used … Continue reading
- Designview<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 joint design database of the participating offices<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- TMview<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 joint trade mark database of numerous national offices, the EUIPO and WIPO<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- DPMAregister<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 official patent, trade mark and design register of the DPMA<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- DPMAregister<\/a> (design register of the German Patent and Trademark Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- TESS<\/a> (trademark register of the US Patent and Trademark Office)<\/li>\n\n\n\n