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Patent Search

Patent search is a search of the patent database to determine if there are any patent application similar or identical to an invention that is to be patented. Patent search can be done to improve the chances of obtaining a patent registration or to find information about new inventions that have patent protection. In this article, we look at the procedure for conducting a patent search in India.

Importance of Patent Search

Before filing a patent application, a patent search can help with different objectives like:

• Determining the probability of having a patent granted to a proposed invention.
• Determining the claims to be filed in the patent application.
• Determining the freedom to operate.
• Determining whether a granted patent can be invalidated.
• Knowing more about similar inventions and status of similar patent filings.

How to do a Patent Search

There is no cost for doing a patent search in India. A patent search can be done through the Patent database of India available at: http://ipindiaservices.gov.in/publicsearch.

Depending on the status of a patent application, a patent search can be done under two publication types: published or granted. The user can choose the desired publication type by clicking on the checkbox. The user can view many categories like

• Application Date
• Title
• Abstract
• Complete Specification
• Application Number
• Patent Number
• Applicant Number
• Patent Number
• Applicant number
• Applicant Name
• Inventor Name
• Inventor Country
• Inventor Address
• Filing office
• PCT Application Number
• PCT Publication number

The entire category has a drop down box from which the user has access to change the category. There is a search box next to every category where the user can enter the keyword of the patent that he wants to view. By entering a query in more than one box, the applicant can run very precise patent searches. Once the required keywords are entered in the respective boxes, there is a captcha code the user has to clear.

Patent Information

Once the code is entered, there are a number of relevant patent results for the patent search query that the user has entered. On selecting an application, the document opens with the Application Number, Title, Application Date and Status. The user can get further details about the patent by clicking on the Application Number, Title, Application Date and Status. Through patent search, the applicant can find the following information about the patent:

• Invention title
• Publication Number
• Publication Date
• Publication Type
• Application Number
• Application Filing Date
• Priority Number
• Priority Country
• Priority Date
• Field of Invention
• Classification
• Inventor Name, Address, Country, Nationality
• Applicant Name, Address, Country, Nationality

Below this are is an Abstract and a complete specification of the Patent.

• Abstract
• Complete Specification

When each column is selected, the patent application’s details about that section can be known by the user. When a user selects application number details like Invention Title, Publication number, date, type, etc. There are separate columns that give the user the inventor’s and the applicant’s Name, Address, Country, and Nationality.

Patent Status

Below this, there is an Abstract column which has a summary of the patent application that the user can view. Under this, there is a complete specification that gives the details about the specification if the user has mentioned any. At the end of this, there is an option through which the user can view the application status. When this is opened, the user can get the application details.