subject: How To Conduct A Patent Search - 3 Options [print this page] If you are an inventor, you should always patent it, because if you don't, somebody else may claim it. Not only will that person or corporation get the credit for it, but will be the one to enjoy all the commercial success as well. You can prevent this by patenting your invention.
To patent your work, the first thing you have to do is conduct a patent search. This search will tell you if the invention is already patented or not. This search is essential to determine the likeness of your innovation to previous ones. It is a positive proof that your patent application is well researched and adequately documented for the purpose of granting patent rights in your favor.
Fortunately, this task is now easier with the introduction of an online research database at the US trademark and patent office or the USPTO. Entries posted at the USPTO databank are comprehensive. There are vivid descriptions, and in some instances, actual images of inventions that date back to 1790, or even earlier than this.
Conducting Your Patent Search - The 3 Options
*Remember, you will have to apply some searching techniques to tale full advantage of this. You will have to choose from three different options when you are searching for a patent in the USPTO search database. Out of these three, the simplest one is referred to as the Number Search. As the name suggests, here you will have to do the search through the patent number of the invention. Just enter the number in the Query field, and then press Search. The computer will take a second or so to direct you to the results page. You will find the patent entry against that number here.
*But what happens if you are unaware of the patent number of the invention? There is a solution for this too with the USPTO. However, you have to know the first and last name of the inventor. You are allowed to Search by the inventor's name. This type of search is however not very effective. That's because, some names are quite common, and so, the result you get may not be accurate.
*The last option for you is the Keyword search. The fact is that, most people use this option to do their patent search. Just enter words that can be easily linked to the type of invention. You can narrow down to a word or two that you feel are nearest. This approach is indeed the most effective.
