• Types of Searches • Available Search Engines • The Process of Searching

1. Advanced Patent Searching
Frisina, LLC
Creating Wealth Through Intellectual Property TM
www.frisinaIP.com
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

2. Introduction
Representative Sectors Our mission is to create wealth for our clients through the
• Chemicals strategic use of intellectual property.
• Polymers
• Pharmaceuticals We understand the challenges facing businesses in today's
• Biotechnology economic environment, and strive to secure and monetize our
• Biomedical clients’ intellectual assets. With nearly 15 years in innovation
• Medical Imaging combined as a patent attorney and scientist, I am uniquely
• Advanced Materials positioned to guide clients through the legal maze of intellectual
• Nanotechnology property strategy facing start-ups and more established ventures.
453 South High Street
Suite 302 • Semiconductors
Akron, OH 44311 • Medical Instruments In addition to legal expertise and an unimpeachable commitment
(330)338-0589 direct
• Medical Tests to quality, we offer our clients unparalleled value and security.
dominic@frisinaIP.com • Liquid Crystals Particularly, we have strategically invested in state-of-the-art
www.frisinaIP.com • Power Generation practice and intellectual property (IP) portfolio management
• Fuel Cells systems. These systems enable us to intelligently analyze
• Software clients’ IP holdings and suggest tactics to exploit strengths,
• Internet Law identify and shore-up weaknesses, and generate income.
• Business Methods
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3. Contents
• Types of Searches
• Available Search Engines
• The Process of Searching
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

4. Types of Searches
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

5. Search Types
• Novelty
– a/k/a Patent Availability or Patentability
• Collection
– a/k/a State of The Art
• Freedom to Operate
– a/k/a Freedom to Practice, or Product Clearance
• Validity/Invalidity
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6. Novelty Searches
•Purpose: Searching a specific invention to determine
whether it is novel
•Search Scope:
• World-wide live/expired patents and applications
• Non patent literature
•Document Review Scope:
• The entire document
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7. Collection Searches
•Purpose: Survey of an area of technology
• Not a search of a specific invention
• Determining the patent landscape of a given space
• Identifying a niche ripe for innovation
•Search Scope:
• world-wide live/expired patents and applications
•Document Review Scope:
• The entire document
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8. Freedom to Operate Searches
•Purpose: Searching for patents that you may infringe
•Search Scope:
• Live patents and applications in a selected jurisdiction
•Document Review Scope:
• centers around the claims
• construction and infringement analysis
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

9. Invalidity Searches
•Purpose: Searching for art to invalidate the patent of
another
•Search Scope:
• World-wide patents and applications having priority dates prior
to the patent at issue
•Document Review Scope:
• The entire document is relevant
• Searching for novelty and obviousness issues
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

10. Available Search Engines
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

11. Available Search Engines
• Free Services
– USPTO (PatFT and AppFT databases)
• Limited to US documents
– Google Patents
• Limited to US documents
– Free Patents Online (www.freepatentsonline.com)
• US, WIPO, EPO, Japanese abstracts, non-patent literature
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

12. Available Search Engines
• Limitations
– Coverage
• Holdings may be limited
• May or may not be published
– Data mining
• Information about you may be sold
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

13. Available Search Engines
• Subscription Services $5-50K per year
Company Product
Thomson-Reuters Aureka
Gridlogics Patent Insight Pro
ScioSphere ScioSphere
Thomson-Reuters Thomson Data Analyzer
LexisNexis TotalPatent
TreParel KMX Patent Analytics
Search Technology VantagePoint
Thomson-Reuters Delphion
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14. The Process of Searching
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15. The Process of Novelty Searching
• Define the invention
– Be specific
– Establish the necessary elements
• Establish International Classifications
– Use http://www.wipo.int/classifications/ipc/ipc8/?lang=en
– US classifications are not generally useful
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16. The Process of Novelty Searching
• Formulate search strings
– Keyword search with IC’s
– Use keywords very cautiously
• Review the relevant art
– Note keyword hits in context
– Review close art in detail
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17. The Process of Novelty Searching
• Refine search strings
– Adjust keywords and IC’s based on reviewed art
– This process of review and refinement repeats until you are
confident with the results
• Search specific elements of the invention
– Disparate art can be combined by examiners
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18. The Process of Novelty Searching
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19. The Process of Novelty Searching
• String Construction (novelty search)
– Identifying relevant IC’s
• Use keywords and use the WIPO manual
– Isolate individual elements of the invention
• Use IC’s, and identify the most relevant keywords
• Use wildcards, proximity searching, and stemming functions
• Define the string broadly
– Combine strings of isolated elements
• A combination of each element is a search of the entire invention
Copyright © 2007-2011 Frisina, LLC

20. Thank You
For Further Information
www.frisinaIP.com
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Contact Me
(330)338-0589 Direct
dominic@frisinaIP.com
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