Patents.com
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
Some sections are still being researched2 / 4
Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Patents.com was a free patent search engine company formed in 2007 from the ashes of Patent Monkey, a web-based patent database. Domain holding firm Internet Real Estate Group (IREG) acquired the Patents.com domain for an undisclosed sum speculated above $1 million, bought Patent Monkey's search and index technology, and relaunched it as Patents.com with co-founder Paul Ratcliffe as CEO, backed by Monster Venture Partners. The ad-supported service targeted both the general public and lawyers, offering free patent search instead of the $100–250 monthly fees charged by incumbents like Delphion.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Domain acquired
Internet Real Estate Group acquires the Patents.com domain from law firm Oppedahl & Larson for an undisclosed sum speculated above $1 million.
- Patents.com launched
Patent Monkey's founders sell its search and index assets to IREG and Monster Venture Partners; Patents.com relaunches with Paul Ratcliffe as CEO, aiming at mainstream users and lawyers with free ad-supported patent search.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.