Patent Search
The first important step in developing a new idea is a Patent Search. We explain why below. If you have other questions please look at our frequently asked questions or send us an email by clicking here. The other types of protection available for your idea include Copyright, Registered Designs and Trade Marks. Click here for more about them.
When a patent application is submitted in a country it is eventually published in an online database. This is true for all commercially important countries. We search all these publications worldwide to look for similar ideas. Although this information is publicly available it requires considerable skill to search it effectively. This is because the idea may not be called the same thing or it may be described in quite different ways. Of course many of the patents will be in a foreign language.
Although the description of the idea is important the key part of a patent is the claims for the invention. These describe in technical language how the idea works. The content of these claims is what really matters when an idea is being researched.
It is also important to look at the references quoted by the official patent examiner. These may point to other ideas that are even more relevant to the idea under consideration.
We search the online databases worldwide to try and discover all this information about the idea and report this information back to you. Click here to get one of our Inventor Packs that includes the simple forms to describe your idea.
Why do I need a Patent Search?
A new patent cannot be granted if the idea already exists anywhere in the world. It is therefore very important to try and find out if the idea has already been patented or exists as a product anywhere. If it does then any time and money spent on preparing and submitting a patent application would be wasted.
It is also important to know if patents exist for the idea because if they do you cannot sell a product based on that idea unless you get a licence from the patent holder. So if you are setting up a business or developing a product you risk being sued by the patent holder. Not only will you have wasted a lot of time and money you also risk having to pay damages.
Even if your idea is unique or you already have a patent it is important to know what similar products and patented ideas are already in the market. If there is a very similar patented product that already meets the market need then it may be very difficult and expensive commercially to replace it with a new product. Click here to get one of our Inventor Packs that includes the simple forms to describe your idea.
It may seem an unecessary complication to do a patent search but the consequences of not doing one can be very severe.
How do I get a Patent Search?
Our service includes a worldwide patent search and you can get one by completing the simple forms in our Inventor Pack. We provide the pack as either a document that you can download or as an email attachment that includes your details already filled in. Please click here to get the pack now.
