Patents

Patents disclose to society how an invention is practiced, in return for the exclusive right (during a limited term) to exclude others from manufacturing, selling, offering for sale or using the patented invention without the patentee's permission.

An invention is a solution to a specific technological problem, and may be a product or a process. Patents are a form of intellectual property.

Novelty Search Report

The patentability search (sometimes called a novelty search report) is a report that is prepared by a patent agent before an inventor files a patent application. The novelty search report helps an inventor to determine if the invention is novel before the inventor commits the resources necessary to obtain a patent. The search may include searching in databases of patents, patent applications and other documents such as utility models and in the scientific literature. A search of this type is also conducted by patent examiners during prosecution (examination) of the patent application. The patent office deals with prior art searches in the context of the patent granting procedure.