NL Patent Office

Exploratory search and search assistance (only applies to Dutch nationals)

You can check whether your invention has already been invented using the online search system for patents, espacenet. This database contains approximately seventy million patent documents from eighty different countries in which protected technical inventions are described.

A certain amount of skill is required to search in this database, however. We are therefore happy to help researchers, inventors and entrepreneurs in the Netherlands with exploratory searches, search assistance and workshops and lectures (free of charge).

Exploratory search (only for Dutch entrepreneurs)
An exploratory search will provide you with information about and insight into the possibilities of using patents and patent information. In principle, everyone is eligible to have an exploratory search carried out. In the case of companies, the size of your company will be the determining factor, as well as your experience in using the patent system and the extent to which you are in contact with patent attorneys or commercial providers of patent information.

The result of an exploratory search is a collection of patent publications that:

• provides an overview of well-known technologies in a specific field, or
• forms the state of the art for your specific development.

The report does not however contain any claims relating to novelty or the inventive step.

No search will be carried out that relates to:

• infringement or indemnity
• invalidity
• filed patent applications

We will be happy to speak to you in person, so that we can gain a good understanding of what your invention relates to. The advisor of NL Patent Office will assess during the discussion whether an exploratory search will answer your questions. Please contact our public information office for more information: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If you decide to search the patent databases yourself, we will always advise you to start by searching with words. You can then view the classification codes, which can be used for a specific search strategy. If you are unable to determine these for yourself, we will be pleased to help you by providing search assistance.

How do you apply for search assistance?
All patent documents have been subdivided by means of an international classification code, the International Patent Classification (IPC). You can provide a brief description of your idea using the e-mailaddress This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . It is not necessary to state any technical details, as a concise description will often allow us to find the information we require. In the search assistance information that you will be sent by e-mail, we will provide you with the classification codes that you can use to search for inventions that are similar to your own.

Obligation of confidentiality
All employees of NL Patent Office have a duty to observe confidentiality. That means that you may speak freely with them about your idea or invention.