Free Patent Information as a Resource for Policy Analysis

Patents are generally acknowledged as a rich yet little-used source of information. In recent years, several patent offices made some of their databases publicly available on the Internet. While most likely the promoters of free patent information on the Internet may have inventors as potential users in mind, free access to patents may also further the uptake of patent information by probably unintended user groups, such as researchers and policy analysts. This paper describes how one of the free online databases for patents, together with freely available electronic personnel registries of Finnish universities, can provide valuable data for use as a resource for policy-relevant analysis.