Patent citation generator
Cite any patent or published patent application, in any citation style. Type the patent number to start.
or fill in the details below
How to cite a patent
A patent citation takes three steps.
Step 1
Type the number or paste a link
Type a number like US 6,285,999 and press Enter, or paste a Google Patents link. You can also search by words from the title.
Step 2
Check the inventors and dates
We fill in every inventor, the date it was issued and the date it was filed. Chicago gives both dates.
Step 3
Copy your citation
Add the reference entry to your list and use the in-text citation in your paper.
How to cite a patent in APA
APA gives the inventors, the year the patent was issued, the title in italics, the patent number in parentheses, the patent office and the URL.
Format
Inventor, A. A. (Year). Title of patent (U.S. Patent No. x,xxx,xxx). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. URL
Example
Hiremath, S. C., Kumar, S., Lu, F., & Salehi, A. (2016). Using metaphors to present concepts across different intellectual domains (U.S. Patent No. 9,367,592). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patents.google.com/patent/US9367592B2/en
The patent in APA’s own example.
Another example
Page, L. (2001). Method for node ranking in a linked database (U.S. Patent No. 6,285,999). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patents.google.com/patent/US6285999B1/en
In-text citation
Parenthetical: (Hiremath et al., 2016)
Narrative: Hiremath et al. (2016)
APA cites a patent by its inventors and year, not its number.
How to cite a patent in MLA
MLA gives the inventors, the title, the patent number as the office writes it, the office, the date issued and, online, the database.
Example
Page, Lawrence. Method for node ranking in a linked database. US 6285999 B1, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 4 Sept. 2001. Google Patents, patents.google.com/patent/US6285999B1/en.
How to cite a patent in Chicago
Chicago gives both the date the patent was filed and the date it was issued.
Bibliography
Page, Lawrence. Method for node ranking in a linked database. US Patent 6,285,999, filed January 9, 1998, and issued September 4, 2001. https://patents.google.com/patent/US6285999B1/en.
Footnote
Lawrence Page, Method for node ranking in a linked database, US Patent 6,285,999, filed January 9, 1998, and issued September 4, 2001, https://patents.google.com/patent/US6285999B1/en.
How to cite a patent in IEEE
IEEE puts the title in quotation marks and gives the full date the patent was issued.
Example
[1]L. Page, “Method for node ranking in a linked database,” U.S. Patent 6 285 999 B1, Sep. 04, 2001. [Online]. Available: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6285999B1/en
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite a patent in APA?
Give the inventors, the year it was issued, the title in italics, the number in parentheses like (U.S. Patent No. 6,285,999), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the URL.
Which date do I use for a patent?
The date it was issued. Chicago also gives the date it was filed.
How do I cite a patent application?
Cite it the same way with its publication number, like US 2014/0011876 A1, and the date it was published.
Can I cite a European or international patent?
Yes. Type its number with the country code, like EP 2105153, and we fill in the office that issued it.
Where do I find a patent’s details?
Google Patents shows the inventors, dates and number. Paste its link here and we read them for you.
Is this patent citation generator free?
Yes. It’s free with no signup, and your citations go into the same list as the main Citation Generator.