Before applying for an intellectual property right or bringing a product or service to market, it can be advisable to run a search. For example, a novelty search can be conducted to check if a given idea may be patentable, or an availability search can be conducted to check whether there are risks in form of prior designation rights for an envisaged new brand. A “right to market search” (or “freedom to operate search”) can help to assess the risk of conflict before releasing a new technical product. Watching services or patent landscape reports monitor and review relevant intellectual property rights and thereby provide information on competitiors’ filing activities.
We help our clients determine whether a search is appropriate under the specific circumstances, as well as which type of search and searching strategy is the most appropriate, as well analyzing and assessing the search results.