Patents and intellectual property play an increasingly central role as intangible assets of industrial corporations. In the technology driven market, they represent an important commodity for the global economy. According to numerous patent authorities, some 60 million patents have been awarded around the world, and the yearly number of new filings is on the rise. Over 250,000 companies worldwide depend on patent data. Professional management of patents and precise retrieval of patent information are thus of essential business importance for industry as well as for innovative SMEs all over the globe.