In today’s competitive business climate, new ideas and inventions are critical to the success of a company. However, before you can put that great idea into action, you must be able to establish ownership. The process of patenting your invention is a way to secure your rights and keep others from profiting from your idea without your permission. If you are thinking about patenting an invention or need to conduct a search in order to determine if someone has already patented it, you should begin with a patent search india. A patent search can also help you decide whether or not it’s worth it to file for a patent. There are many different types of patents which may impact the result of your search; however, this guide will help you understand the basics and get started searching for that perfect patent.
What is a Patent Search?
A patent search is an investigation to see if an invention is new or novel, and if there are other inventions that are similar or have overlapping claims to the search subject. When conducting a patent search, you are conducting a basic investigation to see if there are any patents that have already been applied for or issued that cover the same technology or idea as yours. When conducting a Indian patent search, it is crucial that you use as many sources as possible in order to get accurate results. There are many different types of patents which may impact the result of your search; however, this guide will help you understand the basics and get started searching for that perfect patent.
How to Conduct a Basic Manual Search
When conducting a basic manual search, start with a thorough review of all the sources available to you. Manual searches can be conducted using books, journals, and databases that are available from most libraries. Manual searches are most effective when you are searching for something specific that is not widely used. If you are conducting a general search for inventions in your field of interest, an electronic search would be more efficient and effective.
- Books – Patent books are available at all libraries and contain information about all the patents issued since the early 1900s. Today, most books are also available online, including many of the books published before 1950. Books are a good source if you are interested in the history of an industry or want to find earlier patents in your field of interest.
- Journals – Journals often review and summarize new patents issued each week. When conducting a manual search, you may want to begin with a journal that covers your specific field of interest, such as a biochemical journal or a computing journal.
- Databases – You can also search for patents electronically. You can find many full-text databases that are available to the public either online or through a library. Some databases that you may find useful include:
- Patents Online – The official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website allows you to search for patents, including patents issued in the past, pending patents, and experimental patents (such as patents for testing purposes).
- Google Patents – Google Patents is a free online database that includes both published and pending patents. Google Patents is a great source for basic information about a patent, including the title, assignee, inventor, and abstract.
- Patents on Demand – Patents on Demand is an online database that allows you to search patents that are freely available online.
- ## Patents and Trademark Research
Trademark research is very similar to patent research. The main difference is that patents cover inventions while trademarks cover product brands, logos, slogans, and other identifiers such as colour schemes or sounds.
Patent and trademark research is especially important if you have an idea that you want to commercialise or sell. If you find out that someone else has similar rights to yours, then you may need to alter your product or find another way to sell it.
Conclusion
Patents are legal documents that give the owner the exclusive right to use and/or sell an invention for a certain period of time. In order to obtain a patent, an inventor must disclose how to make and use the invention. This disclosure makes it difficult for someone to steal the idea and profit from it, since they would need to reverse engineer the invention.
There are three types of patents: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents. Utility patents cover inventions that solve a problem and are new and useful. Design patents cover the ornamental design of a manufactured item. Plant patents cover the invention of a new and distinct variety of plant.
When conducting a patent search, it is crucial that you use as many sources as possible in order to get accurate results. The more sources you use, the better your chances are of finding relevant patents.