PATLIB Centres are Patent Libraries formally recognised by national Patent Offices, which are members of the European Patent Office (EPO). Through PATLIB Centres, users can access patent databases and be assisted by the centre personnel. Database searches can be customised, and provide information and documents pertaining to various subjects. In Italy, there are 19 PatLib Centres, 12 of which are run by the Chambers of Commerce.

The establishment of Patent Information Points (PIPs) was favoured by putting databases online and, in particular, the online EPO database esp@cenet. This allowed smaller investments in terms of infrastructure, thus favouring the spreading of PIPs throughout the national territory. PIPs are exclusively Italian Centres, designed and promoted by UIBM. They enjoyed a great success, and were particularly appreciated by the Chambers of Commerce; in fact, 23 out of the 35 Italian PIPs have been established within the Chambers system. PIPs have two main aims: providing support searching for and interpreting patent-related documents, and increasing the awareness of the general public with respect to patents.


By searching patent databases, one can :

ascertain one’s invention is original and unique;
find solutions for technical problems;
obtain information on the possibility to be granted industrial or intellectual patent rights on design works, graphic work, models, and know-how;
obtain information about technology state of the art in Italy and abroad.

Moreover, by correctly interpreting the information obtained, searching patent databases also allows learning about the latest scientific and technological developments registered in Italy and abroad, market potential, innovation scenarios and the R&D activities carried out by competitors.

PIPs hold various types of databases, with some of them containing references pertaining to national, European and international patent applications, and some allowing access to patent full texts and drawings. Moreover, PATLIBs and PIPs hold databases including national, EU and international trademarks. They can also provide more advanced services, such as real periodical monitoring activities in specific technological and production fields, as well as on patent applications filed by competitors.

The above-mentioned centres are also involved in the promotion of a patent culture, which represents one of the main objectives of the action programmes carried out by the Chambers of Commerce in 2000-2002. Said activities include: the organisation of workshops on matters of topical interest relating to industrial property rights, and territorially relevant fields; the publication of leaflets and handbooks on such subjects; the dissemination of information through the web site www.infobrevettti.camcom.it and some newsletter.