Patent Research

Purpose of Patent Search

The purpose of a patent search is collection of any relevant information regarding a claimed object of intellectual property or its specific features from the entire amount of information corresponding to the request and the selected topic available in the patent databases.

In accordance with the objectives of the patent (informational) research of the claimed object, the subject of the patent search is determined. The determination of the said subject is a key step to identify analogues of the claimed object.

The main objectives of the patent search include:

• checking on patentability of the claimed object;

• detailed analysis of the activities of competing companies and the current market condition;

• assessing the potential risk of infringement of patent rights belonging to third parties.

Patent search is necessary not only for organizations wishing to patent their invention, but also for industrial enterprises that intend to enter the market with their invention in the future.

The main types of patent search

1. Topical patent search is carried out in order to identify information regarding the studied, for example, technical solution in the field of automotive or shipbuilding. This type of search is important for:

   - development of the industry,

   - identification of the professional activities of competing companies,

   - market research in a particular sector of the economy, for

   - search for inventors working with companies or industries that produce a similar product.

2. Topical patent search can be carried out in several countries, for example, in the USA, Russia, China, Korea and European countries.

3. A registered patent search is considered optional and relating to topical patent search. It is aimed at identifying patents of certain individuals or companies. 

4. Numbering search is possible only if there is a number of a patent or application of concern.

5. Classification search is applied in cases of searching for technical solutions of a particular class of the International Patent Classification.