Recommended Research Databases and Patents

Patents

Have an idea? Reach out to UF Innovate.

There are three types of patents:

1. Plant: May be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.
2. Utility: May be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or compositions of matters, or any new useful improvement thereof. Most common.
3. Design: May be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture.

Patent Search Tools:

• Lens.org
• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Google Patents
• European Patent Office
• WIPO Worldwide Patent Searching

How to Cite Patents

• MLA
  • Inventor/author. Name of Patent. Labeled Patent or Application Number. Patent Office. Issue Date.
• Chicago Manual of Style
  • Author’s last name, author’s first name. Year of patent. Name of patent. Country of patent. Patent number, filed (month date, year), and issued (month date, year).
• APA Style
  • Last name, first initials, & Last name, first initial. (Year Patent Issued). Title of patent (U.S.
    Patent No. (number retains commas)) U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. URL
• NLM Style (very detailed; visit this NIH page on NLM Style for more information.)
• IEEE
  • Inventor1, Inventor2, et al., “Title of patent,” U.S. Patent number
    (number does not retain commas but keeps spacing), Publication date
    (Mon. DD, YYYY).
• CSE
  • Author(s), inventors; patent holder, assignee. Title of patent. Country issuing the patent country code patent number (retain commas). Publication date (format YYYY MMM DD). Extent.
• ACS
  • Author’s last name, first and middle initials. Name of patent. Country of patent. Patent number, Year.