Content

DEPATISnet

Finger on touchscreen using "Search"

The electronic document archive of the DPMA

Directly to the database

DEPATISnet offers you the opportunity to carry out searches in the DPMA's electronic document archive online and free of charge. It includes more than 150 million patent publications from around the world. DEPATISnet is particularly suited to state-of-the-art and freedom-to-operate searches.

There are five different search types available to you:

  • Smart: You can enter publication numbers, owner and inventor names and search terms in the search field in the header area.
  • Basic: Select the Basic mode if you are a newcomer or have little searching experience. It has an easy-to-use intuitive search interface.
  • Advanced: The Advanced search allows you to search in different search fields and to combine the selected fields according to your needs.
  • Expert: The Expert mode is recommended for users experienced in patent searches. This mode allows to create more complex search queries.
  • Ikofax: The IKOFAX mode is suitable for users proficient in the fields of IKOFAX syntax and the DEPATIS database system.


The help section of DEPATISnet provides you with detailed information and explanations on the use of the various search options, the available documents and the latest database updates.

English translations of Asian patent specifications and tree representation for claims

Since March 6, 2023, DEPATISnet offers English translations of Chinese, Japanese and Korean patent specifications. This makes searching considerably easier and faster. Full text search is possible in the translated text. The translations are carried out using WIPO Translate, an AI-supported machine translation. Please note that this does not achieve the quality of a professional translation and may contain errors. No liability is assumed.

In addition, claims of German patents and utility models (from December 2, 2021) can be displayed in tree view. The option is available via the bibliographic data in the action menu. If there are no dependencies or the number of claims is too high, the tree view may not make sense.

A variety of options

Information material on DEPATISnet


  • The service disposes of both German and English user interfaces
  • Via DEPATISnet you can also search in the International Patent Classification (IPC) and the corresponding catchword index


There are various options available for viewing the bibliographical data and documents found by your search of relevant documents in DEPATISnet.

  • Configurable result lists allow you to display not only bibliographical data available, but also the original document in PDF format.
  • You can browse through individual pages of a document or jump directly to certain parts of the document ("subdocuments").
  • The documents can be printed on a page-by-page basis or in full.
  • The result lists can be exported in various formats for further processing afterwards.
  • DEPATISnet is provided by the DPMA free of charge. Data on the latest German documents are available on the respective official publication day (generally on a Thursday).

The following support is available for your searches:

  • the database hotline for search support (Phone: +49 89 2195-3435) provides answers to your queries and gives tips on research methods
  • the Central Customer Care and Services of the DPMA (Phone: +49 89 2195-1000)
  • experts working in the DPMA search rooms in Munich and Berlin provide you with support - now also by using online-supported research via Webex.
  • over 20 regional patent information centres patent information centres throughout Germany offer detailed information on industrial property protection. The patent information centres also carry out research on your behalf for a fee
  • patent attorneys and lawyers, industrial information brokers and patent rapporteurs, too, offer search services and can be found via most common online search engines

Picture: iStock.com/MücahiddinSentürk

Last updated: 20 February 2025