Scraping Patent & Trademark Data:
The Hidden Engineering Costs Behind “Free” Patent & Trademark Databy Kacper Gorski - Head of GTM of Lighthouse IP
Data is the lifeblood of analytics
For companies in competitive intelligence, M&A, or innovation tracking, timely patent and trademark data can mean the difference between spotting a trend early or missing it entirely.
Historically, IP data meant cumbersome batch updates, delivered monthly or quarterly via physical drives or clunky FTP downloads. This delay forced analytics teams into a reactive posture, always playing catch-up. But now, open-data portals and APIs promise instant, cost-free access, an irresistible shortcut for real-time insights. Yet beneath the surface, “free” comes at a price.
Real-world throttling and access constraints
Each IP jurisdiction imposes limits designed to protect their servers from overload:
- EPO OPS: Strict weekly caps (4 GB/week). Cross the line, and your IP address is blacklisted.
- USPTO PatentsView: Rate limits of 45 API calls per minute.
- USPTO TSDR (Trademark): 60 metadata calls per minute; but PDF downloads restricted to just 4 per minute.
- CNIPA & EUIPO: Rapid IP blocks triggered by minimal query bursts, often enforced by CAPTCHA challenges.
Managing these constraints across 50+ global IP offices, each with unique technical nuances, rapidly turns into a complex engineering challenge.
Hidden data engineering costs add up quickly
Scraping isn’t a one-time job. It’s continuous data management, requiring:
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- Scaling infrastructure: Automated crawlers, proxy rotations, downtime management.
- Quality controls: OCR for non-Latin scripts, deduplication of filings, legal-status mapping.
- Maintenance overhead: Frequent format changes break data pipelines overnight.
- Compliance risk: Violations of terms such as EPO’s fair-use or USPTO’s redistribution rules, carry legal risks and data cutoffs.
Our research shows companies spend upwards of €400k annually just keeping these systems stable for major offices, with analysts often forced into maintenance roles instead of insights.
Build or buy? A strategic decision
If your core advantage is sophisticated data engineering, DIY might make sense. But if what you really need is reliable, actionable data, Lighthouse IP offers a simpler route:
- Comprehensive global IP coverage from over 70 jurisdictions.
- Daily-refreshed patent and trademark data, normalized and ready for analytics.
- Fully compliant licensing, with no scraping, no throttling, no compliance headaches.
Your next step
Request a sample feed today. Start using reliable IP signals to drive decisions within hours—not months.
About the author Kacper Gorski - Head of GTM of Lighthouse IP
Kacper Gorski is Head of Go to Market at Lighthouse IP, where he leads commercial strategy and partnerships for the company’s global patent, trademark, and design data. He focuses on turning complex IP information into practical tools and services, working with law firms, corporates, and analytics partners to link IP data to real business decisions. Kacper is currently developing new AI and vector based services that make IP data more accessible and actionable for customers.
