PATENT SEARCH

Invention Gear is dedicated to informing inventors, to help them navigate through the often frustrating challenges associated with inventing, prototyping, patenting, marketing and licensing their invention.

Patent Searches For Your Invention

Prior to filing for a patent, it is important that inventors adequately research their invention by performing a thorough patent search.

Patent searches seek to identify existing issued patents that may be similar or identical to the invention to insure that the inventor has a novel invention.

First Step To Patent Searches

The first step as inventors seek to determine novelty, is for the inventor to do the initial patent search.

There are several websites that provide inventors with patent search tools.

The three most commonly used patent search websites are:

• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

• Google Patent Search

• Delphion Patent Search

The free patent search websites are  USPTO patent search and Google patent search.

The most comprehensive patent search website is Delphion, but there are monthly fees associated with the use of their patent search system.

Next Step to Patent Searches

After the inventor has done his or her own patent searching and concluded that the invention is novel, it is time to have a patent attorney or agent perform a patent search.

The patent attorney can provide the inventor with a legal opinion of patentability once all of the existing relevant patents are identified.