On July 8, 2013, the USPTO announced the launch of a Global Patent Search Network aimed at providing streamlined searching of international patent collections. As a result of a cooperative effort between the USPTO and China's State Intellectual Property Office, the initial launch of the search network features the ability to search and retrieve Chinese patent documentation, which includes patents granted between 2008 and 2011. The database contains both full text Chinese patents and English machine translations, permitting it to be searched in both English and Chinese. The data will be updated periodically. The USPTO anticipates adding more foreign jurisdictions to the search network in the future.

Because the search network is still in early stages, the USPTO welcomes the public to submit comments to [email protected]. Interested parties may access the Global Patent Search Network on the USPTO website.