epo-patent-search
Search European patents using EPO OPS API (full-text, legal status, families) and BigQuery (100M+ patents, EP filter) for prior art, competitive intelligence, and freedom-to-operate analysis
- Installs
- 60
- Last 24h
- —
- Trending rank
- —
- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator --skill epo-patent-search- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads epo-patent-search automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
EPO Patent Search Skill
Search European patents using the EPO Open Patent Services (OPS) API and Google BigQuery with EP country filtering.
When to Use
Invoke this skill when users ask to:
- Search for European patents
- Find EP prior art for a technology
- Check legal status of EP patents
- Explore patent families across jurisdictions
- Conduct EP freedom-to-operate analysis
- Research the EP patent landscape for a technology area
- Get full-text EP claims or descriptions
What This Skill Does
Provides access to European patent data through two methods:
-
EPO OPS API (European Patent Data):
- Full-text EP patent retrieval (claims, description)
- Legal status and procedural history
- INPADOC patent family linking
- Applicant and inventor search
- EP publication types (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2)
- Designated contracting states
-
BigQuery (Worldwide Patents, EP Filter):
- Fast keyword search across 100M+ patents with country="EP"
- CPC classification search for EP patents
- Filing trend analysis
- Cross-jurisdiction comparison
Required Setup
BigQuery (Primary)
Prerequisites:
- Google Cloud Project (free to create)
- BigQuery API enabled
- Application Default Credentials configured
Setup:
gcloud auth application-default login
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=your-project-id
EPO OPS API (Optional, for full-text/legal status)
Prerequisites:
- Register at https://developers.epo.org/
- Create an application to get Consumer Key and Secret
- Set environment variables
Setup:
export EPO_OPS_CONSUMER_KEY=your-key
export EPO_OPS_CONSUMER_SECRET=your-secret
How to Use
When this skill is invoked:
-
Determine search type:
- Keyword search: use BigQuery with country="EP" for speed
- Full-text retrieval: use EPO OPS for complete claims/description
- Legal status: use EPO OPS for procedural data
- Family search: use EPO OPS INPADOC family service
- CPC search: use BigQuery for broad classification browsing
-
Execute search:
Full-text keyword search (EP patents), falling back to
search_patents_bigquerywith the same arguments if not configured:results = search_patents_google( query="blockchain authentication", country="EP", limit=20, start_year=2020 )BigQuery CPC search (EP patents):
results = search_patents_by_cpc_bigquery( cpc_code="H04L9/32", country="EP", limit=30 )EPO OPS full-text retrieval:
results = search_epo_patents( query="EP3456789", search_type="full_text" )EPO OPS family search:
results = search_epo_patents( query="EP3456789", search_type="family" ) -
Present results:
- Rank by relevance
- Show key metadata (title, applicant, dates, IPC/CPC)
- Highlight legal status (in force, expired, opposed)
- Provide links to Espacenet for full documents
- Note patent family members in other jurisdictions
Search Result Format
{
"publication_number": "EP3456789A1",
"title": "Authentication system using distributed ledger",
"abstract": "A system for authenticating...",
"applicant": "Example GmbH",
"inventors": ["Hans Mueller", "Maria Schmidt"],
"filing_date": "2019-03-15",
"publication_date": "2020-01-22",
"grant_date": null,
"ipc_codes": ["H04L9/32", "G06F21/31"],
"cpc_codes": ["H04L9/32", "G06F21/31"],
"designated_states": ["DE", "FR", "GB", "NL", "IT"],
"priority_claims": ["US16/234567 (2018-12-28)"],
"family_id": "67890123",
"legal_status": "Examination in progress",
"publication_type": "A1"
}
EP Publication Types
| Code | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Application + search | Published EP application with search report |
| A2 | Application only | Published without search report |
| A3 | Search report | Search report published separately |
| B1 | Granted patent | Patent specification as granted |
| B2 | Amended patent | Amended specification after opposition |
| B3 | Limited patent | Patent after limitation proceedings |
Cross-Jurisdiction Linking
Use family_id to find related patents across jurisdictions:
EP3456789A1 (European application)
├── US10123456B2 (US counterpart)
├── CN112345678A (Chinese counterpart)
├── JP2020-123456A (Japanese counterpart)
└── WO2019/123456A1 (PCT application)
This is essential for:
- Prior art analysis (one patent may be available in multiple languages)
- Freedom-to-operate (check where patent is in force)
- Competitive intelligence (track filing strategy)
Presentation Format
Present search results as:
EP PATENT SEARCH RESULTS
=========================
Query: "blockchain authentication"
Source: BigQuery (EP filter) + EPO OPS
Found: 89 EP patents
Date Range: 2020-2025
[1] EP3456789B1 - Authentication system using distributed ledger
Applicant: Example GmbH (DE)
Filed: 2019-03-15 | Granted: 2022-08-10
IPC: H04L9/32, G06F21/31
Status: Patent in force (validated in DE, FR, GB)
Family: US10123456B2, CN112345678B, WO2019/123456A1
Espacenet: https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=EP3456789
[2] EP3567890A1 - Blockchain-based identity verification method
Applicant: Tech Corp (US)
Filed: 2020-01-10 | Published: 2021-06-16
IPC: H04L9/00, G06Q20/38
Status: Examination in progress
Family: US20210203456A1, WO2020/234567A1
---
Top CPC Codes in Results:
- H04L9/32 (15 patents): Authentication/verification
- G06F21/31 (12 patents): User authentication
- H04L9/00 (8 patents): Cryptographic mechanisms
Common Use Cases
EP Prior Art Search
- BigQuery keyword search (country="EP")
- Identify relevant CPC codes
- BigQuery CPC search (country="EP")
- EPO OPS full-text for top results
- Document findings with citations
Patent Family Analysis
- Find EP patent via BigQuery or EPO OPS
- Get family_id
- Search for family members worldwide
- Map filing strategy across jurisdictions
- Check legal status in each country
EP Freedom-to-Operate
- Search EP patents in relevant technology
- Filter for granted patents (B1/B2)
- Check legal status (in force vs expired)
- Identify validated countries
- Assess infringement risk
EP Opposition Research
- Find granted EP patents (B1)
- Check if within 9-month opposition window
- Search for prior art predating priority date
- Analyze claims scope
- Assess opposition grounds (Art. 100 EPC)
Performance & Coverage
| Method | Patents | Coverage | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BigQuery (EP) | ~5M EP | EP applications + grants | 3-4s | Free* |
| EPO OPS | All EP | Full text + legal status | 1-3s | Free** |
*BigQuery free tier: 1TB queries/month (~20,000 searches) **EPO OPS: Fair use (2.5GB data traffic per week)
Tools Available
- Bash: To run search scripts
- Read: To load saved search results
- Write: To save patent search results
FAQ
What does the epo-patent-search skill do?
Search European patents using EPO OPS API (full-text, legal status, families) and BigQuery (100M+ patents, EP filter) for prior art, competitive intelligence, and freedom-to-operate analysis
How do I install epo-patent-search?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator --skill epo-patent-search in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/epo-patent-search/ (personal) or .claude/skills/epo-patent-search/ (project).
Which AI agents can use epo-patent-search?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is epo-patent-search safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains epo-patent-search?
It is published by robthepcguy in robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator. It has 60 recorded installs.
More from robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator
patent-application-creator
robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator
End-to-end patent campaign from ANY raw material ("here is some information; make a patent") to a filing-ready provisional package - invention mining, worth-it economics (design-around cost, detectability), exhaustive adversarial prior art, claims-first drafting, machine-verified compliance, hostile-examiner attack pass, and an honest no-go when nothing clears the bar or the fence is not worth the money
patent-claims-analyzer
robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator
Automated analysis of patent claims for USPTO compliance with 35 USC 112(b) requirements - antecedent basis, definiteness, claim structure
patent-diagram-generator
robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator
Create patent-style technical diagrams including flowcharts, block diagrams, and system architectures using Graphviz with reference numbering
prior-art-search
robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator
Systematic 7-step methodology for comprehensive patent prior art searches and patentability assessments using BigQuery and CPC classification
bigquery-patent-search
robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator
Fast, cloud-based patent searching across 100 million+ worldwide patents using Google BigQuery - keyword search, CPC classification, patent details retrieval
patent-reviewer
robthepcguy/claude-patent-creator
Expert system for reviewing utility patent applications against USPTO MPEP guidelines.
Popular backend & apis skills
find-skills
vercel-labs/skills
Helps users discover and install agent skills when they ask questions like "how do I do X", "find a skill for X", "is there a skill that can...", or express interest in extending capabilities. This skill should be used when the user is looking for functionality that might exist as an installable skill.
entra-app-registration
microsoft/azure-skills
Guides Microsoft Entra ID app registration, OAuth 2.0 authentication, and MSAL integration. USE FOR: create app registration, register Azure AD app, configure OAuth, set up authentication, add API permissions, generate service principal, MSAL example, console app auth, Entra ID setup, Azure AD authentication. DO NOT USE FOR: Key Vault secrets (use azure-keyvault-expiration-audit), general Azure resource security guidance.
google-agents-cli-adk-code
google/agents-cli
This skill should be used when the user wants to "write agent code", "build an agent with ADK", "add a tool", "create a callback", "define an agent", "use state management" — in a project that needs ADK (Agent Development Kit) API patterns and code examples. It provides a quick reference for agent types, tool definitions, orchestration patterns, callbacks, state management, the graph Workflow API, and reference recipes to study. Do NOT use for scaffolding (use google-agents-cli-scaffold) or deployment (use google-agents-cli-deploy).
embedded-captions
heygen-com/hyperframes
Add captions or subtitles to an existing single-subject talking-head video without editing the footage. Use for plain verbatim captions, cinematic captions embedded behind the subject, VFX captions, “炸/特效/酷炫字幕,” or a named identity from the 35-style catalog. Route by visual identity, not by backend engine. The quiet anchor rail is the default; embed every word only when the user explicitly wants a fully cinematic treatment. The workflow runs locally end to end, including transcription and subject matting; split multi-shot footage before applying it.
entra-agent-id
microsoft/azure-skills
Provision Microsoft Entra Agent Identity Blueprints, BlueprintPrincipals, and per-instance Agent Identities via Microsoft Graph, and configure OAuth 2.0 token exchange (fmipath, OBO, cross-tenant) including the Microsoft Entra SDK for AgentID sidecar. USE FOR: Agent Identity Blueprint, BlueprintPrincipal, agent OAuth, fmipath token exchange, agent OBO, Workload Identity Federation for agents, polyglot agent auth, Microsoft.Identity.Web.AgentIdentities. DO NOT USE FOR: standard Entra app registration (use entra-app-registration), Microsoft Foundry agent authoring (use microsoft-foundry).
neon
neondatabase/agent-skills
Overview of Neon, a complete set of cloud backend primitives around Lakebase Postgres: Auth, Object Storage, Functions, the AI Gateway, and Realtime. Start here to choose Neon for undecided login, files, APIs, and LLM calls, set up the CLI or MCP server, and follow the branch-first workflow. Use when building an app or backend on Neon, or when "Neon" or "Lakebase Postgres" is mentioned. Child skill neon-postgres wins for an existing DATABASEURL, SQL, schema, inspect, or search. Child skill neon-auth wins for login, users, sessions, identity routing, and Managed Better Auth setup. Child skill neon-realtime wins for live queries in reactive apps and agents. Also use for object storage, S3, buckets, serverless functions, function triggers, cron, AI gateway, LLM calls, realtime, logs, Loki, Grafana, observability, postgres, database, backend, Claimable Neon, neon.new, or a no-signup database.