| name | epo-patent-search |
| description | Search European patents using EPO OPS API (full-text, legal status, families) and BigQuery (100M+ patents, EP filter) for prior art, competitive intelligence, and freedom-to-operate analysis |
| tools | Bash, Read, Write |
| model | sonnet |
EPO Patent Search Skill
Search European patents using the EPO Open Patent Services (OPS) API and Google BigQuery with EP country filtering.
When to Use
Invoke this skill when users ask to:
- Search for European patents
- Find EP prior art for a technology
- Check legal status of EP patents
- Explore patent families across jurisdictions
- Conduct EP freedom-to-operate analysis
- Research the EP patent landscape for a technology area
- Get full-text EP claims or descriptions
What This Skill Does
Provides access to European patent data through two methods:
-
EPO OPS API (European Patent Data):
- Full-text EP patent retrieval (claims, description)
- Legal status and procedural history
- INPADOC patent family linking
- Applicant and inventor search
- EP publication types (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2)
- Designated contracting states
-
BigQuery (Worldwide Patents, EP Filter):
- Fast keyword search across 100M+ patents with country="EP"
- CPC classification search for EP patents
- Filing trend analysis
- Cross-jurisdiction comparison
Required Setup
BigQuery (Primary)
Prerequisites:
- Google Cloud Project (free to create)
- BigQuery API enabled
- Application Default Credentials configured
Setup:
gcloud auth application-default login
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=your-project-id
EPO OPS API (Optional, for full-text/legal status)
Prerequisites:
- Register at https://developers.epo.org/
- Create an application to get Consumer Key and Secret
- Set environment variables
Setup:
export EPO_OPS_CONSUMER_KEY=your-key
export EPO_OPS_CONSUMER_SECRET=your-secret
How to Use
When this skill is invoked:
-
Determine search type:
- Keyword search: use BigQuery with country="EP" for speed
- Full-text retrieval: use EPO OPS for complete claims/description
- Legal status: use EPO OPS for procedural data
- Family search: use EPO OPS INPADOC family service
- CPC search: use BigQuery for broad classification browsing
-
Execute search:
BigQuery keyword search (EP patents):
results = search_patents_bigquery(
query="blockchain authentication",
country="EP",
limit=20,
start_year=2020
)
BigQuery CPC search (EP patents):
results = search_patents_by_cpc_bigquery(
cpc_code="H04L9/32",
country="EP",
limit=30
)
EPO OPS full-text retrieval:
results = search_epo_patents(
query="EP3456789",
search_type="full_text"
)
EPO OPS family search:
results = search_epo_patents(
query="EP3456789",
search_type="family"
)
-
Present results:
- Rank by relevance
- Show key metadata (title, applicant, dates, IPC/CPC)
- Highlight legal status (in force, expired, opposed)
- Provide links to Espacenet for full documents
- Note patent family members in other jurisdictions
Search Result Format
{
"publication_number": "EP3456789A1",
"title": "Authentication system using distributed ledger",
"abstract": "A system for authenticating...",
"applicant": "Example GmbH",
"inventors": ["Hans Mueller", "Maria Schmidt"],
"filing_date": "2019-03-15",
"publication_date": "2020-01-22",
"grant_date": null,
"ipc_codes": ["H04L9/32", "G06F21/31"],
"cpc_codes": ["H04L9/32", "G06F21/31"],
"designated_states": ["DE", "FR", "GB", "NL", "IT"],
"priority_claims": ["US16/234567 (2018-12-28)"],
"family_id": "67890123",
"legal_status": "Examination in progress",
"publication_type": "A1"
}
EP Publication Types
| Code | Type | Description |
|---|
| A1 | Application + search | Published EP application with search report |
| A2 | Application only | Published without search report |
| A3 | Search report | Search report published separately |
| B1 | Granted patent | Patent specification as granted |
| B2 | Amended patent | Amended specification after opposition |
| B3 | Limited patent | Patent after limitation proceedings |
Cross-Jurisdiction Linking
Use family_id to find related patents across jurisdictions:
EP3456789A1 (European application)
├── US10123456B2 (US counterpart)
├── CN112345678A (Chinese counterpart)
├── JP2020-123456A (Japanese counterpart)
└── WO2019/123456A1 (PCT application)
This is essential for:
- Prior art analysis (one patent may be available in multiple languages)
- Freedom-to-operate (check where patent is in force)
- Competitive intelligence (track filing strategy)
Presentation Format
Present search results as:
EP PATENT SEARCH RESULTS
=========================
Query: "blockchain authentication"
Source: BigQuery (EP filter) + EPO OPS
Found: 89 EP patents
Date Range: 2020-2025
[1] EP3456789B1 - Authentication system using distributed ledger
Applicant: Example GmbH (DE)
Filed: 2019-03-15 | Granted: 2022-08-10
IPC: H04L9/32, G06F21/31
Status: Patent in force (validated in DE, FR, GB)
Family: US10123456B2, CN112345678B, WO2019/123456A1
Espacenet: https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=EP3456789
[2] EP3567890A1 - Blockchain-based identity verification method
Applicant: Tech Corp (US)
Filed: 2020-01-10 | Published: 2021-06-16
IPC: H04L9/00, G06Q20/38
Status: Examination in progress
Family: US20210203456A1, WO2020/234567A1
---
Top CPC Codes in Results:
- H04L9/32 (15 patents): Authentication/verification
- G06F21/31 (12 patents): User authentication
- H04L9/00 (8 patents): Cryptographic mechanisms
Common Use Cases
EP Prior Art Search
- BigQuery keyword search (country="EP")
- Identify relevant CPC codes
- BigQuery CPC search (country="EP")
- EPO OPS full-text for top results
- Document findings with citations
Patent Family Analysis
- Find EP patent via BigQuery or EPO OPS
- Get family_id
- Search for family members worldwide
- Map filing strategy across jurisdictions
- Check legal status in each country
EP Freedom-to-Operate
- Search EP patents in relevant technology
- Filter for granted patents (B1/B2)
- Check legal status (in force vs expired)
- Identify validated countries
- Assess infringement risk
EP Opposition Research
- Find granted EP patents (B1)
- Check if within 9-month opposition window
- Search for prior art predating priority date
- Analyze claims scope
- Assess opposition grounds (Art. 100 EPC)
Performance & Coverage
| Method | Patents | Coverage | Speed | Cost |
|---|
| BigQuery (EP) | ~5M EP | EP applications + grants | 3-4s | Free* |
| EPO OPS | All EP | Full text + legal status | 1-3s | Free** |
*BigQuery free tier: 1TB queries/month (~20,000 searches)
**EPO OPS: Fair use (2.5GB data traffic per week)
Tools Available
- Bash: To run search scripts
- Read: To load saved search results
- Write: To save patent search results
