Guides: Intellectual Property and Technology Law: Databases

Introduction

While the primary legal databases, Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg, are the best sources to find controlling primary law and the secondary sources that contextualize it, a legal researcher will often need to go beyond legal documents. Litigating technology cases requires an understanding of the nature of the tech in question. To achieve that kind of understanding, attorneys will need to turn to more subject-specific disciplinary resources. These databases are some of the best entry points to find those resources.

Database List

Walters Kluwer Cybersecurity & Privacy
This practice center brings together treatises, statutes, regulations, and topical news to which any attorney dealing with cybersecurity or privacy regulations would need to refer. Beyond traditional primary and secondary sources, it also includes multimedia guides to compare legal requirements and give practice advance.
Walters Kluwer Trademark Navigator
This practice center helps attorneys navigate complex trademark treatises, find relevant forms, and search trademark case databases.
Walters Kluwer Intellectual Property
Another WK topical practice center, putting the most relevant primary and secondary authority relating to the broader topic of IP law in a single easily accessible location. It is somewhat less robust than the above WK databases in terms of multimedia practice aids.
US Patent and Trademark Office Patent Searching
This page explains and links to the different databases that the PTO maintains that provide full text and image access to every patent granted since 1970.
Google Advanced Patent Search
An alternative to the PTO's official database. Offers the same coverage, generally faster results and an Google-like interface. The amount of search fields is more limited than the PTO databases, however.

IEEE Xplore
The IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL), on the IEEE Xplore platform, provides access to journals, transactions, magazines, conference proceedings, and IEEE Standards in computing, software, engineering, communications, biomedical engineering, information science, and other related areas.
Web of Science Core Collection
Provides access to cited reference searching within a large number of the most prestigious, high impact research journals in the world.
Effective June 30, 2025, this resource is no longer available to DePaul University. Similar alternative resources include Scopus. Visit our Cancellations page to learn more. If you have any questions, please contact John Leeker.