Patentability Searches

This is the most common kind of a search, it seeks to find out if your invention is patentable by identifying any prior art in any form in any location in the world that teaches the same idea as your invention in the same way

Freedom to Use Searches

These searches focus on patent claims. While patentability is blocked by any kind of prior art, freedom to use is inhibited only if the claims of a valid patent which is inforce teach the same idea as your invention. Abandoned patents, Expired patents, and materials in the public domain all are no problem in establishing your freedom to copy an invention. Even if you have no plan to patent your invention you want to be sure that no one else already owns it unless you want a very unpleasant suprise letter from an attorney when the new product is launched is found to infringe another patent

Post Issueance Search

These searches are for patents that have already issued. They are mainly of use to persons who want to establish the strength of a patent such as investors in companies whose patents are collateral for the investment. We can search the patent prosecution records as well as the prior art to see what materials the examiner cited against the patent. What original claims were rejected. We can search similar patents to see what may have issued since the patent that limit the extent of the patent landscape that is covered by the patent. We can identify "white space" areas that might be the subject of future patents. The goal of these searches is to establish the strenth of a patent against potential future challenges

Patent Search Review

Often inventors with a small wallet will purchase inexpensive web based searches. These are often narrow and may miss much prior art that could be a problem if the invention is very challenged either by a patent examiner or by another inventor. We will review these searches and determine what areas were covered what areas of significance might have been omitted and what might have been missed in areas that were searched. We will then perform any additional searching the inventor chooses to authorize

Citation Search

Citation searches are done after a patent has been in force for a few years and show what other patents are using the cited patent as prior art. Often these are useful tools in competitive analysis as they show the strategies of other players in the field. They also are an indication of patent strength and breadth. Important patents are frequently cited by others.

The Alacarte Search Process

The AlaCarte patent search process has been developed over a 6 year period by Business Metamorphosis LLC. The process is very different than the typical patent search which keeps customers in the dark for a lengthy period after which they receive a pile of patents to review and a short report.

AlaCarte keeps the customer in the loop. With our online databases accessible to the customer you are able to follow our progress whenever you want. It is your decisions that drive the process. You decide which prior art you want us to search (US, Europe, Japan) and how deeply.

While we use automated tools the key parts of our search are done by human beings not machines. Patents are screened by humans and those rated “High” are read in detail. A full report with a detailed commentary on every highly ranked patent is supplied to the inventor.

Our clients have found our process to be a substantial improvement over their past experiences.