Since you are involved in the innovation process, searching databases containing patent information is essential. There are several ways that you can use patent information:

• Find solutions to technical problems
• Browse the technology area to view current and future trends
• To see what your competitors develop
• To see that the market is protected product or process (not to injure someone right)
• To assess the importance of analyzing patent with patent documentation
• To determine whether an action could hurt existing patent
• To generate ideas for new products or processes.

You can search the database of the National Institute of Industrial Property, the bases of the European Patent Office which is available online (http://ep.espacenet.com and http://www.epoline.org), free and you can find more than 50 million patent applications and patents worldwide.