Patent Search - What is It? Why Do It?

What is it?
A patent search is a prudent and cost successful place to start out by uncovering any issued patents or published patent applications associated to your invention. Based on the patent search outcomes, you can decide no matter if your invention is patentable and to what degree it is patentable.

Why carry out one?
When you start your patent search, the initially thing a Patent Office Examiner does when he/she receives your patent application is to carry out a search of prior patents and patent applications associated to your invention to decide if your invention is indeed new. For this reason, you are advised (not mandatory) to conduct a search of issued patents, published patent applications and other published or public details ("prior art") to evaluate whether any part of your invention or thought has been patented, published or disclosed previously.

Moreover
• You can prevent the needless expense of lost time and cash to prepare and file a patent application. If a patent search would have turned up prior art that could preclude your invention from getting issued as a patent.

• Understanding the prior art associated to your invention guides the patent applicant in drafting the patent application (background, figures, and description) required to appropriately disclose applicant's novel invention.

Truth: Presently, there are 7 million issued patents issued by the US Patent & Trademark Workplace (USPTO), which means that there are even more patents in existence than actual products commercially readily available. If you do not see your invention for sale in a store, on the Web, or in the public domain (public disclosure), that does not mean that someone has not pursued protection for the exact same or comparable invention under a patent or disclosed the very same invention in a published post. Your goal is to have a full understanding of the patents and patent applications filed prior to your invention, which may have a bearing on the scope of patent protection accessible for your invention.