From Mary Bellis,
Your Guide to Inventors.
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Have you ever gotten a cool toy or seen an interesting gadget and wondered how or who created it? When someone invents a new toy or gadget, they usually get a patent for it. A patent is a way that inventors can protect their ideas.

Would you like to see a real patent? You can! Finding patents is almost like being a detective. Patent searching is something that all inventors have to do before they can patent their invention. It lets inventors find out if anyone else has ever invented the same invention.

Patent searching is also a great way to find out about the history of old inventions.

Different Ways To Look For Inventions

• Searching by Patent Number: This is the easiest way to find out about an invention!
• Searching by Inventor's Name: This sometimes requires a little detective work, but you can do it!
• Searching using Words: This is the most challenging (and fun!) way to look for inventions!