Objective Access to patent information and protection of industrial property are two key issues in the innovation process to gain market share. With its diversity of systems and languages, Europe lags behind its competitors in protecting new ideas. To change this situation, ePatent exploited the opportunities provided by natural language processing tools, the Internet and the worldwide adopted classification standard for patents (IPC).The purpose of the ePatent project was therefore to set up a natural language access in French, English, Spanish and German to patent databases - especially for non-professional users - and to develop a sustainable service.ePatent gathered key actors in this field:- Four national patent offices from: France (INPI), UK (UKPO), Spain (OEPM) and Austria (OEPA). The role of these patent offices was to provide access to patent databases, populate dictionaries (French, Spanish, English, German) and conduct experimentation and validation.- Jouve (France), a multi-services company acting in the field of information treatment and dissemination. As Internet service provider in this project, the role of Jouve was to integrate the results of the ePatent technology in the French portal Plutarque.- Lingway (France), a company specialised in Natural Language Processing tools, provided the different tools:multilingual NL query dictionaries, text analysis, reading aids. Programme(s) IS-ECONTENT - Multiannual Community programme to stimulate the development and use of European digital content on the global networks and to promote linguistic diversity in the Information Society 2001-2005 Topic(s) AL2 - Action Line 2: Enhancing content production in a multilingual and multicultural environment Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme DEM - Demonstration contracts Coordinator Jouve EU contribution No data Address Boulevard de Sébastopol, 11 75027 Paris Cedex 01 France See on map Total cost No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Institut National de la Propriete Industrielle (INPI) France EU contribution No data Address Rue de St Petersbourg, 26bis 75800 Paris Cedex 08 See on map Total cost No data Lingway France EU contribution No data Address Rue Ledru Rollin, 33 - 35 - Bâtiment C 94200 Ivry-sur-Seine See on map Total cost No data Oficina Espanola de Patentes y Marcas (OEPM) Spain EU contribution No data Address c/ Panama, 1 28071 Madrid See on map Total cost No data The Patent Office (UKPO) United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Concept House, Cardiff Road NP10 8QQ Newport See on map Total cost No data Österreichisches Patentamt - Teilrechtsfähigkeit (OEPA) Austria EU contribution No data Address Dresdner Strasse, 87 1200 Vienna See on map Total cost No data