What is a patent?

A Patent is legal and technical document that describes an invention and grants a property right to the inventor for a limited period. Patents are an important source of technical and scientific information, as they are often the first source of published information on a new technology. Over 70% of Patents are never published elsewhere.

Although Newcastle University Library does not hold patent documents, there are some useful resources freely available on the web. In addition, the Patents Advice Centre, situated in Newcastle City Library, offers specialist advice on searching for patents and other forms of intellectual property.