In the United States, patent applications may also be public. As a result, publicly available patent information can provide you competitive business intelligence regarding your competitors. The default rule in the U.S. is that patent applications are published 18 months after the earliest filing date.
How do I search to see if something is patented?
To find out if an invention has already been patented, you can search the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) patent database. The USPTO is the federal agency responsible for reviewing patent applications and determining whether an invention is unique enough to issue a one.
How do I do a patent search on Google?
- Open the URL: www.google.com/patents.
- Type the name of the idea or some brief bit of text about the idea.
- Click Search.
Are patents public record?
Therefore the content of a patent is publicly available information. In the United States, patent applications may also be public. The default rule in the U.S. is that patent applications are published 18 months after the earliest filing date. However, there are exceptions to this rule.
What is the best patent search engine?
- Google Patents. Google Patents is our top recommendation among the free patent search engines.
- Lens.
- Espacenet.
- PATENTSCOPE.
- USPTO.
How do I do a patent search on my own?
Start at uspto.gov/patft. Next, under the heading Related USPTO Services, click on Tools to Help Searching by Patent Classification. You can now start searching. Patent searches may also be done at google.com/patents and at a number of other free sites.
How much does it cost to do a patent search?
Patent Search: What Is It? A patent search cost can be anywhere from $100 to $3,000 depending on the complexity of your invention and covers research into existing patents and patent applications. You can use free online tools to do your own search, but an attorney can help you dig deeper.
What is needed for a patent search?
In order for your invention to qualify for patent eligibility, it must cover subject matter that Congress has defined as patentable. The USPTO defines patentable subject matter as any "new and useful" process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter. The invention must be "novel," or new.
Is patents Google reliable?
For business owners who don't have the budget to hire a firm to perform patent searches for them, Google Patents is a good option. Google Patents' Advanced Search provides a number of impressive filters, especially helpful for searchers who are astute and well-versed in Google's database and features.