Thorough patent research is the foundation of a successful patent strategy. We provide specialised research services tailored to different business needs: knock-out novelty searches, patentability analyses, freedom-to-operate analyses, patent invalidity searches, and ongoing patent monitoring.
Each type of research serves a different purpose. A novelty search assesses whether an invention is new before investment in a full application. A freedom-to-operate analysis determines whether a product or process risks infringing existing third-party patents. An invalidity search identifies prior art that could invalidate a competitor's patent. We match the research type to your specific business decision, ensuring that the scope and depth of the search are proportionate to the commercial stakes involved.
Before filing a patent application, a patentability search assesses whether the invention meets the requirements of novelty and inventive step. The search reviews published patents, patent applications, and non-patent literature (scientific publications, conference papers, technical standards) to identify the closest prior art. We use multiple search strategies in parallel: classification-based searching, keyword and concept searches, and citation network analysis to ensure comprehensive coverage.
The output is not a list of documents; it is a structured analysis identifying the most relevant prior art, assessing its impact on the patentability of the invention, and recommending how claims should be drafted to achieve the broadest defensible scope given the prior art landscape. This analysis saves significant cost during prosecution by identifying potential objections before they arise.
A freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis determines whether commercialising a product or process would infringe third-party patents in the target markets. Unlike a patentability search, which looks at all prior art, an FTO analysis focuses specifically on in-force patents in the jurisdictions where the product will be made, used, or sold.
FTO analysis is technically demanding: it requires identifying relevant patents, parsing their claims to determine scope, and assessing whether the intended product falls within those claims. We use a structured knock-out approach, systematically eliminating patents that clearly do not apply before investing deeper analysis in the ones that warrant it. The result is a risk-ranked assessment with actionable recommendations: proceed, design around, licence, or challenge.
Technology landscape analysis maps patent activity in a defined technical field, identifying which organisations are filing, in which sub-fields, at what rate, and with what geographic coverage. This intelligence informs R&D direction, competitor strategy, licensing opportunities, and M&A due diligence. Modern visualisation tools make this data accessible to management, not just IP specialists.
Knock-out novelty searches are typically ready within 3 to 5 business days. Comprehensive patentability analyses require 1 to 2 weeks. Freedom-to-operate analyses for complex technical fields may take 2 to 4 weeks depending on the scope of the claim landscape.
Research results inform filing decisions, claim drafting scope, licensing negotiations, and litigation risk assessments. We provide research outputs with clear strategic recommendations, not just raw data, so your decisions are grounded in actionable intelligence rather than document lists.
We access Espacenet (EPO), Google Patents, USPTO, WIPO PatentScope, and commercial databases including Derwent Innovation for citation analysis and landscape mapping. For FTO analyses, we combine multiple databases to ensure comprehensive coverage across all relevant jurisdictions.
A patentability search reviews all prior art to assess whether an invention is novel and inventive (looking backward). An FTO analysis reviews in-force patents in commercial jurisdictions to assess whether a product can be commercialised without infringement (looking forward). They serve different purposes and use different methodologies.
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