# European Patent Search Engine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2001, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-patent-search-engine/71570 "2001-07-07T05:52:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-patent-search-engine/71570/1 "2001-07-07T05:52:42Z")
I just got a bunch of patents either issued or processed by the European Patent Office (the papers they sent me are pretty vague). I’m curious to look up the details… Does anyone know of a database of European patents? Similar to [Delphion.com](http://Delphion.com) for US patents. BTW, I know that Delphion will allow searching of European patents for a premium price. I’m hoping for something free or at least reasonable. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-patent-search-engine/71570/2 "2001-07-07T10:59:31Z")
No problem. [The UK Patent Office](http://www.patent.gov.uk/patent/dbase/index.htm) links to the central European patents database. You can also access it directly at [e@space](http://gb.espacenet.com/), but it seems intermittently reliable at the moment. You can also search the [UK Designs Register](http://www.patent.gov.uk/design/dbase/index.htm) and the [Trade Mark Database](http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm/dbase/index.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-patent-search-engine/71570/3 "2001-07-08T09:55:34Z")
Thanks!