Inventing is a colossal CHALLENGE and can become a colossal mistake if done poorly.  On the other hand, inventing successfully is an AMAZING journey.  What will define the type of experience you have is how many of the commonly encountered, and costly mistakes, you can avoid while trying to get to the ultimate finish line of your product going to market. And that experience should begin with the Comprehensive Independent Patent Search.

What is the First Thing an Inventor Should Pay For?

The first thing an inventor should pay for is a comprehensive, independent patent search. That’s Wise Investment #1. 

The comprehensive, independent patent search needs three critical components to qualift as such. All three are necessary so the inventor has the all the information needed to make the next set of business decisions to the best of their ability.

As mentioned in the previous parts of this topic, using a classification search for the USPTO database search rather than a keyword search, and including a WIPO database search, are both critical as well. But there is one remaining component left to discuss. Both previous parts to this topic can be found in our blog archive: https://www.www.searchquestpatents.com/blog-archive/

What is the Third Critical Component of the Comprehensive Independent Patent Search?

The third component of a good search is that a Product Search needs to be done. After all, if the product is found in the marketplace, a new patent will not be granted.  Also, keep in mind that there is about a two-year blind spot at the USPTO.  A provisional patent application is never made public and lasts one year.  Then a non-provisional is filed, but it is not published for about 18 months.  That blind spot at the USPTO is a legitimate blind spot, but a blind spot nevertheless.  However, many inventors will post a product on social media, start selling online or even put up a website.  The product search is the only way to mitigate the blind spot.  

What is the best way to do a product search? You guessed it: GOOGLE! http://www.google.com

When it comes to inventing, having information sooner rather than later protects inventors (and their wallet) from making bad business decisions.  It is better to know more about what has been filed and/or manufactured before all the money is spent on a patent filing. 

Too many service providers want to make money on the inventor so they prefer to offer less information.  The independent comprehensive patent search should be done by someone who is independent of any attorney or intellectual property office and their only obligation is doing the best search possible.  This guarantees that the report they generate will be unbiased.

Enjoy the challenge and the journey.