about prior art search

The relevant information that has been made available to the public in any form before the filing date of a patent application is called prior art. Over 80% of the world’s technical knowledge can now be found in patent documents, which also means that simply the fact that an invention is not commercially available does not mean that it is new. Thus, performing a novelty search in patent databases is exceedingly important. 

The purpose of a prior art search is to find out if your idea is new. No technical information already in the public domain can be protected by a new patent. So if an invention has been displayed or sold, or its technical details published, its inventor may not later get patent protection. Therefore, any discussions with technical partners, developers or investors prior to patent filing should take place in strict confidence.

prior art search from pintz & partners

The highly qualified patent professionals of Pintz & Partners perform prior art searches using the European Patent Office’s database, which provides access to over 90 million published patent applications. The prior art search (also known as novelty search) is performed using keywords and international patent classification. After fulfilling the search, you will receive a report containing an accurate evaluation of the most relevant documents, usually 8-10 patent documents. The report will also include a brief summary of the cited documents, as well as a copy of each document. We will also provide you with our patentability opinion. The patentability opinion (included in our service fee) is based on our experience.

Obviously, no search can possibly cover every single publication or use on earth, and therefore it is impossible to prove that an invention is „new”. However, our patent search will give you an indication of whether your invention or idea is new before you commit yourself to the costs associated with a patent application.

The search and the report is performed using the description and drawings (if any) presented by you. You may order a search using the form below. After receiving your order, we will get in touch with you in a short time and provide a safe email address for sending the description.