Espacenet (http://worldwide.espacenet.com/)
European Patent Office database. Worldwide patent data coverage - over 60 million patents from around 90 countries. e.g. GB patents back to 1890 searchable by name, title or abstract. Comprehensive, easy to use, with explanations, help and tips on each page.

Derwent Innovations Index (http://www.isiknowledge.com/)
Worldwide patents database. Please note that this online database can only be accessed when using the Inventors’ Info Point website at a participating Manchester library.

US Patent Office full text and full page image databases. (http://www.uspto.gov/patft/)
Searchable front page data of US patents from 1976 also text of description and claims. You can search by US patent number back to 1790.

Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT) Patentscope (http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/search/en/search.jsf)
Link to the simple search, other search masks available. As well as PCT publications (WO patents), this has national patents from some countries not on Esp@cenet, e.g. in Central and South America. Very useful for analysis of patents e.g. named companies filing, numbers of patents filed in a year.

Patent status: UK Intellectual Property Office's register (http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-number)
Is a GB patent in force or lapsed? (British, or a granted EP patent designating GB). Can check only under application number or published patent number for a particular patent (e.g. format GB2400000, EP0600000)

International Patent Classification (http://wipo.int/classifications/fulltext/new_ipc/)
IPC7 English version. International classification scheme for patents used by most databases.

British Library Patents Information (http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpsubject/busmanlaw/ip/ippatents/ippatdata/databases.html)
Lists key patent search databases and is aimed at UK based patent searchers.

Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (http://www.cipa.org.uk/)
The professional body for UK patent attorneys.

Institute of Patentees and Inventors (http://www.invent.org.uk/)
A not-for-profit association for inventors.

Intellectual Property Office (http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent.htm)
Patent information

Free online courses to learn about Intellectual property (http://www.bl-elearning.com/)
Courses to take you step by step through the production and development of your idea, provided by the British Library Business and IP Centre and Nelson Croom.