Patent Research
Timely and well-executed patent research allows for the assessment of the feasibility of creating, manufacturing, improving, marketing, using, servicing, and discontinuing technical objects. It also helps identify the most promising directions for development, determine the list of countries for patenting and commercialization, uncover patent risks, and evaluate the investment potential of innovations.
Moreover, patent research is a mandatory component of research and development (R&D) projects.
Patent research is essential for:
- Determining the patentability of industrial property created during new product development;
- Making informed decisions about the appropriateness of patenting;
- Ensuring unobstructed commercialization of industrial products in specific countries and avoiding infringement of third-party rights protected by active patents in those countries (see section “What is patent clearance?”);
- Identifying potential competitors and determining the scope of their activities;
- Choosing your market niche.
NEVA-PATENT conducts all types of patent research, including:
– Technical level analysis – assessing the global state of the art based on patent information for the object under development, which enables choosing development directions, evaluating patentability, and identifying the most effective scientific and technological achievements among recent developments;
– Analysis of technology trends – identifying directions and rates of advancement in a given technology field through targeted improvement of certain properties of technical objects;
– Patentability assessment – verifying whether the technical object meets the patentability requirements specified in Articles 1350, 1351, and 1352 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation;
– Patent clearance (freedom-to-operate) analysis – assessing the possibility of using a technical object (machine, device, equipment, materials, processes, etc.) in a specific country without infringing existing patents on inventions, utility models, or other industrial property rights (e.g., industrial designs, trademarks);
– Patent risk assessment – evaluating risks of weak legal protection due to poor-quality application materials, risk of patent rejection due to lack of compliance with patentability criteria, or insufficient disclosure of technical solutions;
– Identifying ways to develop a patentable technical solution – reviewing patent and other relevant information to determine the scope of prior disclosures and identify features that may be refined to meet patentability criteria;
– Identifying ways to design around existing patents – examining the scope of legal protection granted by active patents in a particular country and identifying features that may be adjusted to allow the applicant to implement a technical solution without infringement;
– Exploring possibilities for invalidating existing protection documents – assessing whether it is possible to challenge the validity of an active patent by proving the claimed solution does not meet patentability requirements;
– and any other types of research necessary to meet the client’s goals.
The procedure for conducting patent research is governed by GOST 15.011–96 “Patent Research. Content and Procedure”, which establishes unified requirements for organizing, conducting, and presenting the results of patent research.
When necessary, the patent research report is prepared in full compliance with GOST requirements.
The GOST-compliant patent research process includes the following stages:
- developing a patent research assignment;
- developing an information search protocol;
- searching for and selecting patent and scientific-technical information;
- analyzing the selected information.
The cost and timeline for patent research are determined on an individual basis.
What is “patent clearance”?
Patent research may include an assessment of “patent clearance.”
Patent clearance refers to the ability to use a technical object (machine, device, equipment, materials, technological processes, etc.) in a specific country without infringing rights under valid patents for inventions, utility models, or other industrial property rights (such as industrial designs and trademarks).
Patent clearance requirements are determined only for specific countries and only on a specific date. This is entirely dependent on the territorial and temporal scope of patent rights.
To request patent research services, please email us at info@nevapatent.ru or call us at: (812) 677 60 63, (812) 677 63 32.