Determining the uniqueness or viability of an idea is paramount to any successful business venture. The Kolisch Hartwell team has the breadth of intellectual property experience to conduct patent and trademark searches that provide clients with the ability to make vital business decisions and evaluate risk before launching a product or building a brand.
We bring over 60 years’ knowledge of IP practices, expertise in a wide range of technical and other industries, relationships with professional search agencies around the world, and the capacity to work quickly and cost-effectively as a team to each project.
Our Patent and Trademark Search services include:
- Freedom-to-operate searches Also known as a “right-to-manufacture search,” a freedom-to-operate search serves to evaluate a proposed new product against enforceable patents, to reduce the risk of downstream infringement liability. We can perform a targeted search for competitor patents, or an expansive “scorch the earth” search when competitors are numerous or unknown. If we find patent claims that are too close for comfort, our attorneys can help design around them, search for invalidating prior art, or obtain a license. We also provide in-depth written opinions that can help mitigate potential infringement liability.
- State-of-the-art searches Businesses often need to evaluate a market to decide whether to enter it, review a technology looking for entry points, or calibrate corporate radar to determine the scope of their competition. Our attorneys are adept at review and analysis of patents and other literature to identify industry trends, competitive advantages, and competitor disclosures for our clients.
- Patentability searches A patentability or novelty search may be conducted to determine how much a potentially patentable idea differs from the prior art, aiding in a client’s decision to invest time and financial resources in patent prosecution. The Kolisch Hartwell team undertakes careful review of proposed IP projects to provide clients the background information they need to allocate their IP budget efficiently.
- Validity searches When a patent is asserted or might be asserted against a client, investigating the validity of the patent is of paramount importance. Especially with the proliferation of non-practicing entities (NPEs) and “patent trolls,” in many cases a comprehensive understanding of the prior art may be the best defense to an infringement allegation. We have extensive experience coordinating and evaluating invalidity searches, and can frequently defuse or dramatically devalue a demand from a patent owner.
- Trademark searches We perform comprehensive trademark searches, also known as clearance searches, to determine if a proposed trademark is available for use without violating a third party’s trademark rights, and to predict whether the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is likely to register the mark if a trademark application is filed.
Contact us to learn more about our Patent and Trademark Search services.