Crimson Insights provides prior art search and patent search services for inventors, companies, patent attorneys, and IP teams evaluating the novelty and patentability of inventions.
Our searches are designed to identify relevant technical disclosures across patent and non-patent literature, understand the state of the art, and help clients make better-informed patent prosecution and IP strategy decisions.
Request a quote for a prior art search.
Prior Art Search Services
A prior art search seeks technical disclosures that existed before a relevant date and may affect the novelty or non-obviousness of an invention. Relevant prior art can come from many different sources, including patents, patent applications, technical papers, standards, product documentation, conference publications, manuals, books, theses, archived web pages, and other publicly available technical information.
Our search approach is not limited to finding documents that use the same terminology as the invention. We first understand the underlying technical concept and then search using alternative terminology, classifications, citations, inventors, assignees, products, researchers, standards, and other relevant search paths.
Patent Search Firm for Patentability and Novelty Searches
A patentability or novelty search is typically conducted before filing a patent application, during prosecution, or when evaluating whether further patent investment is justified.
The objective is to identify earlier disclosures that may be relevant to the features of the proposed invention. The results can help patent counsel and inventors understand the existing technical landscape and refine prosecution or filing strategy.
Our Prior Art Search Methodology
1. Understand the Invention
We begin by understanding the invention, its key technical concepts, the features believed to be novel, and the context in which the technology operates.
2. Develop Search Concepts
We identify alternative terminology, synonyms, historical terminology, technical classifications, related technologies, products, standards, inventors, assignees, researchers, and other concepts that can lead to relevant prior art.
3. Search Patent Literature
We search U.S. and international patent literature using multiple strategies, which may include keyword searching, classification searching, citation searching, inventor and assignee searching, patent-family analysis, and similarity-based searching.
4. Search Non-Patent Literature
Depending on the technology and engagement scope, we also search non-patent literature (NPL) such as academic papers, conference publications, technical standards, product manuals, datasheets, books, theses, technical reports, archived websites, and other public technical disclosures.
5. Follow Search Leads Iteratively
Relevant references often reveal new terminology, citations, researchers, companies, products, classifications, or technical concepts. These leads are used to refine and expand subsequent search iterations.
Global Prior Art Search
Prior art is not limited to U.S. patent databases. Depending on the subject matter, relevant references may be found in patent and technical literature from Europe, Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and other jurisdictions.
We use patent families, classifications, citations, machine-translated patent text, applicant information, technical terminology, and other search tools to identify potentially relevant international references.
Patent Literature and Non-Patent Literature
A comprehensive search may include both patent and non-patent sources. Depending on the technology and scope, these may include:
- U.S. and international patents and patent applications
- Patent families and related applications
- Forward and backward patent citations
- Academic and scientific publications
- IEEE and other technical publications
- Industry standards and standards-development materials
- Product manuals, datasheets, and technical documentation
- Conference papers and presentations
- Books, theses, dissertations, and technical reports
- Archived websites and historical product information
- Relevant foreign-language technical literature
What You Receive
The scope and deliverables can be tailored to the engagement. Depending on the project, results may include:
- Relevant prior art references
- Patent publication and priority information
- Relevant technical passages or figures
- Observations explaining why particular references may be relevant
- Patent-family and citation information
- Additional search leads identified during the search
- Search summaries or structured reports where requested
Prior Art Search vs. Patent Invalidity Search
A patentability or prior art search generally evaluates an invention before or during patent prosecution. An invalidity search is typically directed to issued or asserted patent claims in a litigation, licensing, or validity-challenge context.
If you are looking for prior art against an issued or asserted patent, see our Patent Invalidity Search and Validity Search service.
When Is a Prior Art Search Useful?
Prior art searches may be useful when:
- Evaluating an invention before filing a patent application
- Assessing novelty or patentability
- Preparing or refining patent claims
- Responding to prior art raised during prosecution
- Evaluating whether additional patent investment is justified
- Understanding the existing technical landscape
- Supporting technology or IP due diligence
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in a prior art search?
The scope depends on the technology and objective. A search may include patent literature, patent families, citations, classifications, academic papers, technical standards, product documentation, conference publications, and other relevant technical sources.
Do you search non-patent literature?
Yes, where appropriate. Non-patent literature may include academic papers, technical standards, product manuals, conference materials, theses, books, archived websites, and other publicly available technical disclosures.
Do you conduct global prior art searches?
Yes. Searches can cover U.S. and international patent collections and relevant technical literature from multiple jurisdictions.
Can you search Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or other Asian prior art?
Yes. Relevant Asian patent collections can be included in the search. Patent-family data, classifications, citations, machine-translated text, and other search tools can be used to identify promising foreign-language references.
Is a prior art search the same as an invalidity search?
No. Both involve prior art, but their objectives are different. A patentability search usually evaluates an invention before or during prosecution, while an invalidity search is generally directed to the validity of issued or asserted patent claims.
Can the search focus on specific technical features?
Yes. The search scope can be tailored around particular invention features, technical concepts, claims, or other client-defined priorities.
Request a Prior Art Search
To request a quote, send us a description of the invention or relevant patent material, the objective of the search, any known references, and your preferred timeline.