Skip to Main Content

Standards and Patents: Finding Patents

A guide to finding standards and patents online

Patents - An Introduction

A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a government to an inventor for a limited period of time in exchange for a public disclosure of an invention. 

Each country governs its own patent procedures. In Australia, the body responsible for administering patents is IP Australia. A list of international ofiices is provided by WIPO.  WIPO's Patentscope can help you to search for patents across multiple languages.

Each patent goes through an application process prior to being granted. When you search for patents, you may find:

  • Patent applications
  • Granted patents
  • Lapsed patents

Patent search tools

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this website may contain images, voices and names of people who have died.

The University of Sydney Library acknowledges that its facilities sit on the ancestral lands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who have for thousands of generations exchanged knowledge for the benefit of all. Learn more