Beginning the search process
Our suggested first step in the patent process is to have a professional patent search and evaluation conducted by an experienced patent practitioner. The search results should be carefully reviewed by the inventor, and a patent application should be prepared and filed shortly after the search.
Why should I pay $299 for a search?
Before a patent is filed with the U.S.P.T.O, it is helpful for the inventor to know what has previously been filed or invented by others (the prior art). If your invention is discovered in a prior U.S. patent, foreign patent, or other type of printed publication, it could affect the outcome of your patent. It is possible that the prior filed patents could block your attempt to obtain a patent. That is why it is better to pay $299 for your search now, rather than pay thousands of dollars to file a patent application that may never be allowed as a patent.
Other reasons to have a patent search
The bottom line is that knowledge about the inventions of others gives you the power to make an informed decision whether to file for your own patent. There is also a potential benefit to citing related inventions of others when filing your own patent application. The courts have held that some prior art helps to show that your invention does distinguish between what was invented previously and what is being invented now by your patent application. All of these concerns and others can easily be handled by our patent expert.
Performing your patent search
Public libraries throughout the country have collections of patents, and there are databases available on the Internet. You can try to use these libraries or databases to conduct your own search, but knowing how to use these resources effectively and interpret the results requires specialized expertise. Also, the various search databases have their limitations and may not include all the patent information available to the Patent Examiners at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. This is why we recommend that a search be conducted at the Patent & Trademark Office and by a patent law firm such as ours.
