Patents  

Click on the following guide link for assistance with finding patents at Dalhousie and in in the Sexton Library.

Did you know that there is someone at the Library with specialized information skills ?

 For help with patents and other problems please, contact a Librarian:

What is a patent?
A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem.
Source: World Intellectual Property Office. What is a patent? Retrieved April 29, 2008, from http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/patents_faq.html#patent

Why are patents important?
Patents legally identify inventions as belonging to the inventor. Patents are thus useful if:

• You have invented something and want to make sure no one steals your idea.

• To make sure your own idea is original and that is, no one else has already
  invented it.

• To find information that doesn’t exist elsewhere in scholarly publishing.

Different kinds of patents:

There are different kinds of patents for different types of innovation generally they fall under three categories:

1. Utility patent
2. Design patent
3. Plant patent

These definitions and more can be found at The United States Patent and Trademark Office

Obtaining a Patent:
Some patents are available on the Web. Order others through our Document Delivery Service. Patents are not collected by Sexton Library.

The Lightbulb Changer

U.S. Patent # 6826983