Patent Search

Whether you want to make sure your invention is still patentable, find prior art to invalidate your competitor’s patents, or assess your freedom to operate, IPLodge will provide the right patent search services.

A novelty search is a search in published patent applications and selected scientific and technical publications to determine whether an invention is still “novel”, which is one of the prerequisites to obtain a patent. IPLodge can carry out a novelty search, analyze the results, and advise you on the best way to protect your invention in view of the results.

An invalidation search looks for prior art – published patent applications and other publications predating the priority date of a given patent – that allows you to attack the validity of a competitor’s patent. IPLodge can carry out an invalidation search, analyze the results, and advise you on the best way to invalidate the patent in question. While a patent application is still pending, prior art discovered by a third party may be brought to the attention of the examiners at the patent office by means of “third-party observations”; after grant, the patent may be attacked in proceedings before the patent office, national courts, or the Unified Patent Court (depending on the state/region for which the patent was granted).

A freedom to operate search is a search in pending and granted patents to assess the risk that a certain intended activity would infringe the rights of third parties. IPLodge can carry out a freedom to operate search and advise you on the steps that could be taken to mitigate or avoid the risk of infringing third party patents. If it turns out that certain third-party patents are particularly relevant to the intended activity, IPLodge can represent or assist you in the process of negotiating a license agreement with the patent holder.

A patent landscape report explores the patents existing in a given field of technology, allowing you to identify new technological opportunities. IPLodge can provide a patent landscape report and advise you on the opportunities for patenting new technological developments.