Patents Search – What is it?  Why do it?

What is it?
A patent search is a prudent and cost effective place to start uncovering any issued patents or published patent applications related to your invention ideas. Based on the patents search results, you can determine whether your invention idea is patentable and to what degree it is patentable.

Why do it?
Once you begin your patents search, the first thing a Patent Office Examiner does when he/she receives your patent application is to perform a search of prior patents and patent applications related to your invention idea to determine if your invention is indeed new. Therefore, you are advised (not mandatory) to conduct a search of issued patents, published patent applications and other published or public information (“prior art”) to evaluate whether any part of your invention idea has been patented, published or disclosed previously.

Moreover, a patent search:
• Avoids the needless expense of lost time and money to prepare and file a patent application. If a search would have turned up prior art that might preclude your invention from being issued as a patent.

• Knowing the prior art related to your invention idea guides the patent applicant in drafting the patent application (background, figures, and description) necessary to properly disclose applicant’s novel invention.

FACT: Currently, there are 7 million issued patents issued by the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), which means that there are more patents in existence than actual products commercially available. If you do not see your invention idea for sale in a store, on the Internet, or in the public domain (public disclosure), that does not mean that someone has not pursued protection for the same or similar invention idea under a patent or disclosed the same invention in a published article. Your goal with a search is to have a full understanding of the patents and patent applications filed prior to your invention idea, which may have a bearing on the scope of patent protection available for your invention.

The Inventor Start Kit ™ shows you a simple, step-by-step procedure on how to perform a patents search, samples of patent searches, and your own ready-to-use patent search forms. You can learn more by clicking on the Inventor Start Kit below: