Q. Companies: Intellectual property and Patents

Go to Orbis and click on Patents. 

Patent databases with free access:

• Espacenet Patent Search.
• European Patent Office.
• Free Patents Online.
• Google Patent Search.
• Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas.
• Patentscope - Patent database by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• U.S. Patent Office. To search by 7-digit specific patent number, use the number search.

Additional resources:

• Computer software can be copyrighted. See the Web site of the U.S. Copyright Office for more information.
• Directory of Intellectual Property Offices 
• Inventors & Entrepreneurs Resources - Designed specifically for independent inventors

See also the FAQ: Patents