Expired patents = free to use
No royalties, no licensing fees. These inventions are in the public domain and ready for commercialization.
Find business-ready ideas from expired patents
Weekly business ideas from expired, dormant, and soon-to-expire patents. Simple idea feed. Short AI summaries. Get AI‑curated top picks and a printable PDF report.
Browse the archive anytime. Buy a deep-dive report only when you want it.
Get Started FREE
No credit card required
1,000+ idea feeds
Loved by founders
100+ deep-dive report
Why Unlocked Patents?
Turn expired innovations into your next business opportunity
Dormant & soon-to-expire
Surface overlooked opportunities early. Get ahead of the competition with patents about to enter public domain.
AI ranking system
Our algorithms score each patent for feasibility, market fit, and complexity. Focus on the highest-potential ideas first.
Actionable PDF reports
Get step-by-step commercialization plans plus competitive landscape analysis.
How it works
From idea to actionable business opportunity in three simple steps
01
Search the database
Browse our growing library of expired, dormant, and soon-to-expire patents collected from trusted global sources.
02
Explore opportunities
Filter by industry, region, or technology and uncover ideas that are already free to use.
03
Get deeper insights
Review ranked results instantly. For high-potential cases, unlock a detailed PDF report with market, feasibility, and commercialization analysis.
Example Top 4 Picks
This is sample content. Real results are generated from your search.
Demo Results · Your personalized picks will be more targeted
Noise-Canceling Sleep Mask
Tags: Mask Noise Sleep
Combines active noise cancellation with blackout eye mask for optimal sleep environment.
Innovation
93%
Market
94%
Commercial
88%
Competition
89%
Complexity
70%
Smart Plant Growth Monitoring
Tags: GardenSmartGrowth
Plant-based packaging that dissolves in water and can be composted within 30 days.
Innovation
72%
Market
87%
Commercial
81%
Competition
73%
Complexity
64%
Biodegradable Food Packaging
Tags: BioFoodPacking
Plant-based packaging that dissolves in water and can be composted within 30 days.
Innovation
91%
Market
87%
Commercial
83%
Competition
82%
Complexity
85%
Ready to discover patents perfect for your specific needs? Want more? The archive unlocks 1000+ ideas.
Simple, transparent pricing
Access expired and dormant patents instantly. Upgrade to get a deep-dive analysis when you need it.
⚡
Starter
$0 forever
For entrepreneurs, makers, and researchers who want ongoing access.
- Unlimited access to our growing expired & dormant patent database
- Smart search & filtering (industry, region, status)
- AI-ranked shortlist of top opportunities
- Basic feasibility & market fit scoring
- Save & export patent lists
- Member newsletter with new additions
⭐
Full access
$97 per year
On-demand expert analysis for your selected patent(s).
- Includes everything in Starter, plus:
- Detailed commercial feasibility study
- Regulatory & legal landscape overview
- Market size & competitor benchmark
- Supply chain & cost considerations
- Risks & challenges identified
- Actionable go-to-market roadmap (PDF)
- Priority email support
What's included in every report
Top opportunities
AI-ranked patent shortlists
AI-ranked patent shortlists
Risk analysis
Legal, market, and technical red flags
Legal, market, and technical red flags
Feasibility notes
Complexity & adoption barriers
Complexity & adoption barriers
Next steps
Recommended path to validation
Recommended path to validation
Market insights
Trends, size, and entry pointsn
Trends, size, and entry pointsn
PDF delivery
Professional, printable format
Professional, printable format
Inspired by communities
Patent intelligence insights
Stay ahead with expert analysis, case studies, and actionable strategies for patent‑based innovation
How to Spot High-Value Patents Before They Expire
Learn the key indicators that separate game-changing expired patents from the duds. Our guide covers market signals, technical feasibility, and competitive landscape analysis.
8 min readRead
Finding Dormant Patents with Untapped Potential
Discover why dormant patents represent some of the biggest opportunities in innovation. We explore case studies of successful dormant patent commercialization.
6 min readRead
Soon-to-expire: timing the opportunity
Master the art of timing patent expiration. Learn how to position yourself for the moment patents enter the public domain and beat the competition.
10 min readRead
Turning Abandoned Patents into Profitable Products
Once a patent is abandoned, it enters the public domain—meaning anyone can use, produce, and sell the invention without paying royalties.
10 min readRead
"Saved us weeks of research. Found a dormant packaging patent that became our core product."
Founder, EcoPackage
"The AI scoring was spot-on. Helped us prioritize which patents were actually worth pursuing."
CTO, InnovateNow
"In 2 weeks we turned an expired patent into a product concept."
hardware founder
"The AI briefs saved us a month of research. Clear steps ..."
ops lead
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about our patent database and analysis reports
Are expired patents free to use?
Yes. Once a patent expires, the invention enters the public domain. Anyone can use, manufacture, or sell it without paying royalties. However, you cannot re-patent the same invention — only improvements or new variations.
What’s the difference between expired, dormant, and soon-to-expire patents?
Expired = free to use right now.
Dormant = active patents not being used/licensed, possible to negotiate or monitor.
Soon-to-expire = active patents nearing expiration, valuable for early positioning.
Dormant = active patents not being used/licensed, possible to negotiate or monitor.
Soon-to-expire = active patents nearing expiration, valuable for early positioning.
What do I get with the Starter plan?
Starter gives you yearly access to our growing database of expired, dormant, and soon-to-expire patents. You can search, filter by industry or region, view AI-ranked shortlists, and save/export results.
What’s included in a Deep Report?
Deep Reports provide a professional PDF analysis with: market size, competitor landscape, feasibility assessment, regulatory and supply chain insights, risks, and a go-to-market roadmap.
How fast will I get results?
Database search results are instant. Deep Reports usually take 1–3 business days depending on complexity. We’ll notify you by email when your report is ready.
Can I search by industry or technology?
Yes. You can filter patents by industry, region, and type (expired, dormant, soon-to-expire). For Deep Reports, you can also request a focus on specific use cases or technologies.
Do you offer team or enterprise access?
Yes. We provide custom team and enterprise packages with multiple user seats, advanced reporting, and priority support. Contact us to learn more.
Do you offer refunds?
We offer a 15-day money-back guarantee for Deep Reports. For Starter membership, refunds are considered within 7 days of purchase if you haven’t used the database extensively.
✉️
Get weekly patent opportunities
Stay ahead with hand‑picked expired patents, market insights, and innovation opportunities delivered to your inbox.
No spam. Get free ideas now + weekly email.