Inventors and entrepreneurs can search for patents independently at no cost through patent information banks that are freely available on the internet. It is possible to search for registered patents and patents that are not yet registered, but have already been published. Correct use of these data banks can save on search costs and other patent searching expenses.
Various lists of patents are published and accessible to the general public. One primary search engine is the patent search of the American patent system. Click here to link to the USPTO page. In the search system of the American patent database, patents can be searched according to different criteria, for example according to the name of the patent, or words appearing in the text of the patent, and many more. As referenced above, the patent search page of the American Patent Office is freely available, and this page offers a number of sub-pages with various search options. One of the most accessible and useful pages for the inventor or the entrepreneur is the Quick Search page. After entering the page, under the heading “term 1”, the search words can be entered, for example, enter the word “cap”. After entering the search word, the field in which the word should be searched can be chosen. There are many options where to search for the chosen word, or this option can be left as “All fields”, to allow the system to automatically search for patents in all fields. Then click “search” in order to see all the patents in the database that include the chosen word or words. Each patent appears with its name and number, and can be clicked on to open the page with all the patent details, including a summary of the patent’s main points, to discover whether it is if it is in the desired field. If so, the patent documents and further details can be read in greater depth to compare the patent with the entrepreneur’s own invention.
In general, searching a single term will result in a list of patents hundreds or even thousands of entries long. Adding more words to the search string will shorten the list. It is therefore advisable to enter a number of words in order that the patent database will display more relevant results, such it is possible to enter different relevant words to the same search, and each alteration in the search string may give alternative results. As many different word combinations and phrases as are entered, so it is possible to get more information in the field of the invention.
Finding a similar patent in the same field as your own does not necessarily mean that the patent request will be denied. It is apparent in the patent databases that most registered patents have a list of previous patents in the same field. Therefore, it is usually advisable to print the first page of the patent, and consult a patent attorney who will examine it, and distinguish the existing patent from the new invention for which the patent is being sought. One office that works in this field is Edison patentattorneys, Ltd.
In the current age of the internet, inventors and entrepreneurs can search through registered patents independently, at no cost. The search can include varying directions of the inventor’s thoughts. This tool can help the inventor to focus his invention. The inventor can also learn about solutions that currently exist in the field of his invention, and how he can improve upon them. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the inventor will be exposed to this information personally. This way he can give of himself to improve his invention, and obviously save money by independently searching the many different fields until discovering where he sees fit to promote his invention and to file for his patent.
It is important to consult with a patent attorney office, for all steps after examining the patent databases, to let them examine the new invention and the most effective way possible to protect it.