Patent Search: Everything You Need to Know

The patent search involves a search of the patent database so as to determine if there are any similar or identical invention registered priors to yours. Patent search is never mandatory but recommended as it saves your time and money.

In order to keep an upper edge, an organisation or an inventor uses patent search as a strategic tool for preventing any future costs.

A patent search is done to validate the following criteria of the invention:

1. Avoid wasteful patent applications

Surveying the market for inventions that already have patent protection is always wise. A good patent search can prevent expenditure on inventions that are not patentable.

2. Improve a patent application

Search provides information about the invention that is useful for drafting a patent application. A patent search will bring a similar invention to light and along with that, the areas that are patentable will be emphasised even though prior art for the patent application is present.

How to Conduct a Patent Search

Anyone can perform a Patent search for free using Quick company's Patent Search tool; this page shows all the patent available in the patent database. Alternatively, you can also conduct the same search on IP India's website.

India, unlike other countries, doesn't provide design registration under patent law it is protected under separate legislation.

Patent Search Tips

• You must have technical as well as patent knowledge when conducting a patent search. If you lack in any one of them, there is a possibility that you might come up with nothing and hence it is always recommended to take help of a professional.
• Conduct a patent search using material like keywords, classification codes and combination,
• Conduct patent search through the method of "query by example", this helps you search for documents by using existing patents that are published and Known.
• Use synonyms and Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) for finding similar patent documents.
• Use the word or instead of and as it is less likely that when using synonym the patent document may contain all the words in that single document.