Validity Search

Do you want to get a competitor’s patent out of your way? Validity searches are searches for prior art. The searches are typically performed in patent publication databases or databases covering scientific publications. Generally, the purpose is to determine the state of the art in view of a granted patent in order to fight or review its validity.

Validity search: searching evidence for invalidity

A validity search is a search tailored to assess the validity of the claims of a granted patent. Typically, the purpose of a validity search is to identify new prior art in order to invalidate one or more claims of other parties’ patent. A validity search therefore often is performed in support of invalidity or opposition proceedings. If you are the defendant, the validity search will help you to assess how vulnerable your patent might be when challenged in an opposition.