Patent/Literature Search

Situations when a patent and non-patent literature search conducted by Feiner Services is useful:

You are quite sure that you have found a commercially usable, new way of solving a technical problem and want to patent your invention.

You are an investor wondering whether to fund an invention.

In both cases a search in the patent and non-patent literature might reveal prior art which will be detrimental to the patentability and industrial applicability of an invention. For the same reason it is advisable to check that the invention is not in conflict with the laws of nature.

You intend to develop and market a new device.

A search in the patent literature might identify patents still in force that are related to your device. This means you are at risk of infringing these patents.

You would like to know which companies are doing the most research and development in a specific technological field.

You are interested in where the research and development efforts of a specific company are centered on.

Using the classification schemes for patents and the query options of public patent databases a search in the patent literature yields the applicants and the inventors as well as the respective number of patents for certain technologies.

You are looking for technical concepts that can be used for free.

Usually, a patent has a lifespan of 20 years from the filing date ("term of patent"). Then it expires and is free to use. An appropriately designed search in the patent literature returns a list patents in the relevant field of technology sorted by the filing dates.

Remark:

The term of a patent can be extended "for various regulated, biologically active agents" or if a patent application wasn't examined in time.

Feiner Services has years of work experience in searching the patent and non-patent literature. Let this experience work for you.

Prior Art and Non-Patent Literature

"Prior art is any evidence that your invention is already known."

The sources of prior art are usually divided into "patent literature" and "non-patent literature". Patent literature can be found in public databases of patent offices like the European Patent Office (EPO) or the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Non-patent literature (NPL) is defined as any "technical document that is neither a patent nor a patent application and that is submitted by a party — such as an applicant, an opponent, or a third party — or cited by an examiner during patent prosecution."

Part of the NPL are scientific and technical articles. In 2015 the number of scientific and technical articles published worldwide was almost 80% of the number of patent applications and nearly double the number of granted patents:

Diagram:

Feiner Services

Data (patent applications):

IP5 Statistics Report 2016 Edition, p. 46, "Fig 3.7"

Data (granted patents):

IP5 Statistics Report 2016 Edition, p. 51, "Fig 3.11"

Data (scientific and technical articles):

The World Bank