How to do Patent Search Online?

Patents are exclusive rights that are granted to novel inventions with industrial application and can prove to be extremely commercially viable and rewarding for the patent holder. Although the process of applying for patents is distinct, conducting a patent search is essential before applying for its registration. The online process for conducting an Indian patent search is simple yet technical and may prove to be efficacious when done with professional guidance.

What is an Indian Patent Search?

An Indian patent search is a process of checking the patentability of an invention by running through certain databases. Checking the patentability, in simpler words, ensures that there are no identical or similar inventions that have already been patented. It is an important step that comes before the application for a patent for a specific invention. Before patents are granted, they are published in the Indian Patent journal. However, conducting a patent journal search can prove to be tedious. Therefore, checking the patent status and conducting a patent search online is quicker and more efficient.

Why are patent searches important?

• A patent search ensures whether there is a possibility of a new invention being patented or if the same invention already exists.
• It also reduces cost and expenditure in filing patents for inventions that are pre-existing and lack novelty.
• Patent searches help stay updated about new inventions that may also lead to invalidations of existing patents.
• They also help in determining the nature of points that have to be covered in a patent application in the form of claims to enhance registrability.

Indian Patent Search-Online Process

The process for conducting a patent search in India is entirely free of cost and is conducted online through a simplified procedure:

• Patent Database: The user needs to visit the patent database by the Quick Company . It contains all the necessary information about patents that have been granted and patents that have been applied for.
• Determine the Status: The user is required to select which kind of patents they wish to search for. This includes patents published through a patent journal search and patents that the office has granted.
• <Perform the Search: The user will then be faced with a number of categories of patent searches that they may conduct. This includes the abstract, the date of application, the title of the patent, the complete specification of the patent, the application, and patent numbers, respectively, along with other specifications, including applicant and inventor details. The user does not need to fill all these categories but may choose to enter the ones where he wishes to conduct the patent search. However, filling out more categories shall provide the user with more specific patents as compared to wider search results.
• Discovering and Analyzing the Information:Based on the categories that a user fills in a patent search, they shall be presented with a number of patents. They may select the patents they wish to view, and accordingly, shall display the application number, date of application, title of the patent, and the patent status to them. In order to view additional details and information about the patent, the user needs to click on the patent application number. The view opens up the records of the patents, including their priority date, priority country, inventor details, invention field, classification, and other specific information related to the patent. The abstract and the complete specification of the patent are also displayed for the user’s perusal. The user then needs to process and analyze this information that they have extracted to compare with their own invention to find simila

Conducting a patent search is not the end of the process of enhancing the registration of a patent. The applicant needs to thoroughly analyze the extracted information and use it to their own benefit. They may use the information to strategize and come up with a proper plan and accordingly make claims in their application that facilitate the registration of the invention they wish to patent.