Patent Searches

We have extensive patent searching experience in Canada, the United States, Japan and Europe.  We provide patent searches for our clients for a variety of reasons, including:

Before Filing a Patent Application
If you have developed a new product or process and are interested in proceeding with a patent application, then you may wish to conduct a preliminary patent search before proceeding.  A preliminary patent search can provide you with an analysis of the “prior art” and thereby give you some idea if it is worth proceeding with a patent application.  We can provide you with a preliminary search of issued patents as well as a legal opinion as to the chances that your invention could be patented.  Our search includes a detailed description of the search conducted, copies of the prior art (i.e. prior patents) that we found during our search and a legal opinion as to the likelihood that your invention can be successfully patented.

Before Bringing a Product to Market
If your company is about to introduce a new product it might be a good idea to conduct a patent search early on.  Such a search may reveal patents which might interfere with the marketing of the new product or even expose your company to legal liability.  A patent search extending back at least 20 years (the lifespan of a patent) may not only reveal potential legal liabilities but it can also help your company design products which would avoid legal liability.  A patent search may also help your company decide if it is worth the effort to protect your new product line with broad patent protection.

Determining Your Competition's Patent Advantage
It is often necessary to perform a patent search in order to determine which patents and technologies your competitor’s own.  This type of information can not only help you to avoid possible legal disputes, but it can also help you decide where to channel your R&D resources by identifying gaps in your competitions patent protection.

Free Online Patent Search with Consultation
When you come in for a consultation with us, we include a quick online patent search to determine whether or not there are patents already in existence which relate to your invention. We also show you how to conduct your own online patent searches so that you can conduct more extensive patent searches on your own. The consultation is strictly confidential and cost $250 (plus GST). Call us at 416-622-4465 to set up a consultation.