How to Cite a Patent

Inventions, intellectual property, and patent filings.

What You'll Need

Patent Title
Inventor(s)
Patent Number
Patent Office
Country/Region
Date Issued

The patent document header contains the patent number, filing date, and issue date. The assignee (owner) may differ from the inventors listed.

Example Citations

APA
Page, L. (2001). Method for Node Ranking in a Linked Database (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent).
In-text (Page, 2001)
MLA Handbook (in-text citations)
Page, Lawrence. Method for Node Ranking in a Linked Database. 4 Sept. 2001.
In-text (Page)
CMOS 17e with Bluebook (notes and bibliography [14.19])
Page, Lawrence. Method for Node Ranking in a Linked Database. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent, issued September 4, 2001.
Footnote Lawrence Page, Method for Node Ranking in a Linked Database, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent, issued September 4, 2001.

Other Source Types

Website Book Journal Article Newspaper Article Book Chapter Thesis/Dissertation Report Video Podcast/Broadcast Magazine Article Software Dataset Legal Case Legislation Bill Regulation Hearing Standard Treaty Conference Paper Manuscript Review Book Review Classic Work Reference Entry Dictionary Entry Encyclopedia Entry Periodical Collection Interview Speech Song Musical Score Graphic Figure Map Performance Event Pamphlet Article Document Post Blog Post Personal Communication