If you tell inventors that they need to spend $5,000 to $10,000 to do a search then no search will be done at all. A patent search may be either for "clearance" search or a "prior art" search.

Navigating the USPTO website requires a bit of skill. A couple of notes: However, if you have the budget for it, seeking professional assistance or using patent search software is always an excellent option for a more detailed search result. Before you hire someone you found using the Patent Practitioner Search function, search that person's status with your state bar as well. Use it to gather general information about older patents.

If you hit a brick wall with USPTO, then log onto Free Patents online to continue your search. But, there is one important aspect of the search that you must remember. U.S. government agency responsible for registering and protecting patents and trademarks Always remember to try various search terms to make sure you are covering all possible descriptions of the invention. The guide is extensive and includes information regarding patent retrieval and review, the application process, and the Patent classification system. When looking at this particular invention in the first instance how many would have thought that this invention would best be described as a light source support and/or as an invention related to illumination? Therefore, you need to do a patent search prior applying for a patent or making a product using someone else's patented invention. United States Patent and Trademark Office Far more overall practical prior art impact than the AIA “first inventor to file” changes, since no Rule 131 declaration in many years has survived a challenge in patent litigation. The USPTO recovers all patents dating back to 1976. A thorough search will reveal thousands of patents. By How to search patents yourself; Choose a search tool.

If you actually read the article I do provide a link to various search pages on the USPTO website. This article has been viewed 50,404 times. You will have to use free and paid search tools to retrieve adequate results. Since the USPC is now a static collection, searchers need to navigate the Cooperative Patent Classification scheme to find the newest patent and application prior art. Foreign language is just the tip of that iceberg. The fact that you can only search going back to 1976 can be extremely detrimental if you have a mechanical invention or gadget. I’ve done searches  myself using keywords in the past and haven’t been able to find anything when I knew there should be a universe of prior art to find.

So while you might not find everything, while it is difficult to specifically narrow your search, you still really need to check yourself using the Google database to see if there are old references that might be on point.

Make sure you record your search process as you move along.

It is also important that you keep a record of all search results and terminology. U.S. government agency responsible for registering and protecting patents and trademarks

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Free Patents Online is also normally much faster than the USPTO site as well. If they are able to help, set up an appointment to meet with a representative at the PTRC. The USPTO has put together a comprehensive guide to help individual patent searchers. [1]

Although conducting your own search is a reasonable idea, you must be cautious. This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. These include: The Lens The Lens1 - covers patent documents from most countries around the world, and so is useful for both prior art and Freedom to Operate searches. This is one of the drawbacks of doing an individual search. Kevin has over 15 years of experience working with inventors to obtain patents, now numbering over 1,400 granted patents in the United States. If it turns out that your invention has never been addressed in a patent, it may be the right time for you to register for a patent. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.