Patent Searches

Australian Patent Search (AUSPAT): http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/auspat/quickSearch.do
This website is useful to determine what Australian patents are on the register.

New Zealand Patent Search: http://app.iponz.govt.nz/app/Extra/IP/PT/Qbe.aspx?sid=636270856637411583
This website is useful to determine what New Zealand patents are on the register.

European Patent Office search: http://worldwide.espacenet.com/?locale=en_EP
This website is useful to determine what European patents are on the register.  This website also allows you to search patents from a number of other countries including Australia, the United States, Japan and China.  The database allows access to full documents.

United States Patent Office search: https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/static/pages/landing.html
This website is useful to determine what United States patents are on the register.  

Patentscope via the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO): http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en
This website is useful to determine what International patents are on the register.  

Chinese Patent Office (SIPO): http://www.chinatrademarkoffice.com/index.php/ptsearch
This website is useful to determine what Chinese patents are on the register.  

Google patents search: http://www.google.com/patents.
Google Patent site allows searching of United States patents and trade marks.

Trade Mark Searches

Australian Trade Marks database (ATMOSS):  http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/atmoss/falcon.application_start
This website is useful to determine what Australian trade marks are on the register.

New Zealand Trade Mark Search: http://app.iponz.govt.nz/app/Extra/IP/TM/Qbe.aspx?sid=636270860306446140
This website is useful to determine what New Zealand trade marks are on the register.

United States Trademarks Office search (TESS):  http://tess2.uspto.gov
This website is useful to determine what United States trade marks are on the register.

United Kingdom Trade Mark search: https://www.gov.uk/search-for-trademarkThis website is useful to determine what United Kingdom trade marks are on the register.

Madrid Express search via the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO): http://www.wipo.int/romarin/search.xhtml
This website is useful to search the International Register for Trade Marks. 

Design Searches

Australian Design Search (ADDS):   http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/adds2/adds.adds_start.intro
This website is useful to determine what Australian designs are on the register.

New Zealand Design Search: http://app.iponz.govt.nz/app/Extra/IP/DS/Qbe.aspx?sid=636270862801402119
This website is useful to determine what New Zealand designs are on the register.

Domain Searches

Melbourne IT: melbourneit.au

Crazy Domains:  crazydomains.com.au

Enetica: http://www.enetica.com.au/?gclid=CObenc6fq6MCFQszbgod_GXI9g
Search these websites to identify whether a domain name is available.  

WhoIS Lookup:  http://www.whois.com.au/?gclid=CIi1vuWbq6MCFQ7Obgodr1Uo5w
Enter the domain address and search to identify who is listed as the owner of the domain.

ICANN register:  http://www.internic.net/whois.html
The International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is an International Authority that administers the unique identifiers associated with websites which allows you to navigate to a particular website.  ICANN has a WhoIS register search which allows you to search on the owner of a domain name.

European Domain Search:  http://www.eurodns.com
Search this website to identify whether a domain name is available in Europe. 

Company & Business Name Searches

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC):  http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf
This site is used to identify Australian Companies and/or Businesses listed on the ASIC company register.  

Australian Business Register (ABN) ABN Lookup Search:  https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landing/bn/SearchBnRegisters.jspx?_adf.ctrl-state=qh31dzajb_4
Search the national ABN register to identify a company trading name, main business trading location and ABN status information in Australia.