Novelty Search

Our patent experts help you assess the patentability of your invention

Does your invention meet the criteria for patentability? Is it novel? Our patent experts can help you to answer this question by conducting a reliable novelty search at a competitive pricing. In a novelty search you are looking for prior art, which means you look for any evidence that your invention is already known to the public, and consequently does not qualify for patenting. Typically, the search is performed using professional patent publication databases or databases covering scientific publications, and the general purpose is to determine the state of the art in view of the invention you intend to protect legally by means of a patent.

Reasons to conduct a professional novelty search prior to filing a patent

No matter the size of your patent portfolio and business, you should always consider letting our patent professionals perform a novelty search for you as a first step prior to patent drafting and filing an application and patent prosecution activities. These are the major benefits:

You will learn as much as possible about the state of the art, as our experienced search experts use advanced tools and can evaluate the results.
You receive a comprehensive report and advice from our patent attorneys based on which you can make informed decisions on how to proceed with your planned patent application.
You minimize the costly pitfall of filing a patent on flawed grounds. If prior art claims emerge at any point, the application risks to be rejected or the granted patent to become subject to opposition or annulment proceedings. Such a patent will not constitute a viable asset in your portfolio.
A novelty search is very similar to the validity search a competitor might perform when attempting to attack your granted patent. If you find potentially damaging prior art, they might do so, too.

Zacco offers you tailor-made searches adapted to your specific needs. We have our own search experts and have access to a wide range of databases of patent publications as well as technical and academic publications. For more information reach out to one of the following people.