Patent Search Services

Our Search Department carries out prior art searches to identify documents relevant to a particular field of technology and patent infringement searches to determine existing patent protection.

Search information is reviewed by a patent attorney knowledgeable in the specific area of technology and a report on potential infringement, validity issues and other relevant matters will be provided.

Prior Art Searches
Prior art searches can be performed to assess the patentability of new inventions or to determine the validity of a third party's patent. The searches can cover patent records from around the world and can be performed by applicant or inventor name, or by subject-matter.

Infringement Searches
Infringement searches identify the patent rights of third parties and can help to ensure that the launch of a new product or the implementation of a new process does not infringe those rights. These searches can be adjusted to suit geographical requirements.

Other Searches
Our Search personnel also carry out the following patent searches:

• Status checks on pending applications and granted patents
• Inspection and review of the prosecution history of pending applications and granted patents

Patent Watching Services

Our Search Department undertakes the following regular patent watches:

Patents Status Checks
This type of watching service can be used to monitor of the status of pending applications in the UK and Europe, monitor granted UK patents to check for payment of renewal fees or any registration of changes in title, or monitor European patent applications to ensure that oppositions are filed in a timely fashion.

The requirements, frequency and period for the watching service is tailored to individual requirements.

Competitor Watch
Competitor watching services are generally carried out on a monthly or quarterly basis. This service can check for newly published UK, European or International patent applications filed in the name of a particular applicant and can be extended to cover other territories on request.

Subject Matter Watch
This watch is similar to a competitor watch, but by subject matter using International Patent Classification (IPC) headings or keywords, or both.

Costs
Costs vary according to the nature of the watch and the time taken to analyse and report the results. We are pleased to provide estimates for specific watches.

Trade Mark Search Services

Our Search Department uses the latest computer technology and is able to access databases around the world as well as employing more traditional methods.

Search information is reviewed by one of our trade mark attorneys and a report on potential infringement, validity issues and other relevant matters will be provided.

The following trade mark searches are available:

Trade Mark Register Searches
These searches highlight registered marks which might bar registration and will ensure that a new name does not infringe the registered trade mark rights of third parties. After the search has been carried out a trade mark attorney will report on potential conflicts and advise on any infringement risks revealed.

Full Clearance Searches
A Full Clearance Search should be carried out before any new trade mark is adopted. This type of search will include not only searches of the trade mark registers, but also the company name register and top level domain names.

Trade mark searches include UK Trade Mark registrations, Community Trade Mark registrations and international registrations effective in the UK. This will reveal whether the use of a new trade mark - or of an existing mark on new products or services - could infringe an existing trade mark registration and will reveal whether an application to register a new mark will be blocked by registrations or earlier applications. Searches of the Companies House register will identify names which are identical or similar to the new trade mark. A domain name search concerning a name identical to the new trade mark can be carried out and will cover generic top level and country-code second level domain names.

UK Common-Law Searches
Even unregistered rights may act as a block to a new trade mark. Searches for these common-law rights combine a brand name search, a trading name and registered company name search to provide a report containing information on common-law rights which may conflict with the proposed use of a new trade mark.

Other Searches
We also offer searches separately for conflicting trade marks, company names and domain names, undertake searches for trade marks in the name of a particular competitor and carry out status checks on identified trade marks.

Costs
Costs vary according to the nature of the search and the time taken to analyse and report the results. We are pleased to provide estimates of search costs.

Trade Mark Watching Services

A watching service can help trade mark owners to protect their trade marks and their rights. A watch on a trade mark, company name and/or domain name will alert owners to applications or registrations for confusingly similar trade marks, company names or domain names in most countries and give a company the opportunity to object to the application or registration.

The vast majority of countries now have opposition procedures - at least in respect of trade mark applications - and action can be taken against applications before they reach registration.

Watching services can be offered as a combined package or separately.

Full Watching Service
Our Search Department offers a Full Watching Service which includes a trade mark watching service together with a company name watch and a domain name watch.

The trade mark watching service offers a full range of options for each trade mark watched, from coverage of the UK in a single class of goods or services, to worldwide coverage for all classes of goods and services.
The company name watch covers companies registered in England and Wales and involves a monthly check of the Companies House Register for newly filed company names. The domain name watching services are also conducted on a monthly basis.

Competitor Watches
Our Search personnel also undertake competitor watches which, again, are carried out on a monthly basis. This service checks for trade mark applications filed in a particular name in the United Kingdom, in the European Union (Community Trade Mark) or designating the United Kingdom through a Madrid Protocol (International) Registration. This service can be extended to other countries on request.

Domain Name Watches
Watches can be carried out on most Generic Top Level & Country-Code Second Level domain names.

Costs
Costs vary according to the nature of the watch and the time taken to analyse and report the results. We are pleased to provide estimates for specific watches.