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Kupon Patent

Patent Search

SEARCH TYPES

Patent searches tailored to your needs

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Completed in 4 stages

  • Defining the scope: The invention, target countries and search type are clarified.
  • Prior art analysis: The invention’s technical features and distinguishing aspects are reviewed.
  • Searching and evaluation: Relevant databases are searched comprehensively and documents are analysed.
  • Analysis and report: Findings are evaluated technically and legally, then reported.

A clear, transparent report.

  • Araştırmanın amacı ve kapsamı
  • Kullanılan IPC/CPC sınıfları
  • Taranan veri tabanları ve tarih aralığı
  • Tespit edilen ilgili belgelerin listesi
  • Patent aileleri ve hukuki durum bilgileri
  • Bulguların teknik değerlendirmesi
  • Risk analizi ve sonuç bölümü

Reliable sources worldwide

TÜRKPATENT (the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office) records are the primary source for applications and registrations in Türkiye. EPO Espacenet is used to review international patent publications, families and citations; WIPO PATENTSCOPE is used in particular for PCT applications. Depending on the target market, USPTO and other national office records are also searched.

  • TÜRKPATENT: Applications and registrations in Türkiye
  • EPO: Espacenet: publications, families, citations
  • WIPO: PATENTSCOPE: PCT applications
  • USPTO: United States of America

What is a patent search?

A patent search is the systematic review of patent and utility model publications, scientific articles, technical catalogues and other publicly available sources. It is not limited to keyword searching: the technical features of the invention are broken down, the relevant IPC/CPC classes are identified, patent families and citations are followed, and key documents are compared. The geography, date and purpose of the search are decisive in interpreting the results. Depending on the purpose of the search, Kupon Patent provides services to assess technical documents and support decision-making. The fact that an invention is patentable does not mean that it can be used commercially without infringing the rights of third parties.

The difference between a novelty search and FTO

A novelty search addresses the question “Has this technical solution been disclosed before?”, a patentability analysis addresses “Does this solution meet the requirements for a patent?”, and FTO addresses “Which rights could using this product in the target market conflict with?” Adding a new and patentable improvement to a patented base machine does not create a right of commercial use independent of the base machine’s patent. A licence or an alternative design may be needed.

Classification-based searching with IPC and CPC

The International Patent Classification (IPC) and the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) make it easier to find technical documents across different languages and terminology. Relying on a single word or class can narrow the scope. Synonyms, technical functions, applicant names, inventors, citations and patent families should be assessed together.

FTO, claims and legal status

  • Patent family and legal status
  • A patent family may cover applications in different countries for the same or a related invention. A published application is not always a granted or in-force patent. Filing, grant, annual fee, expiry, opposition and invalidation information is assessed country by country. For FTO, the current legal effect of the relevant claims is critical.
  • Why is claim analysis necessary?
  • Patent claims define the limits of legal protection. In FTO, the technical elements of the relevant claim are compared with the features of the product or process. Claim interpretation depends on national law and the specific facts of the case. Issues such as equivalent elements and prosecution history may require detailed legal review.
  • What if an FTO risk is identified?
  • Depending on the risk identified, options such as a design change, licence negotiations, restructuring the product, a separate investigation into the patent’s validity or a change of target market may be considered. The technical, economic and legal consequences of each option should be examined separately. A patent search alone does not grant permission to use.
  • International patent search
  • An FTO analysis carried out for Türkiye does not mean commercial freedom in the United States, Germany or Japan. Rights are territorial; the patents that may be in force in each market and the planned commercial activity must be assessed separately. In an international search, local register records and, where needed, expert opinion on the law of the country concerned are important.

When should a patent search be carried out?

A search can be carried out at the start of R&D to reduce technical duplication; before a patent application to see novelty risks; at the prototype stage to assess design options; before market entry to examine FTO risks; and before exporting to screen the target countries. The work should be updated when the product, the target country or the legal status changes.

Competitor analysis and monitoring

  • Competitor patents and technology mapping
  • Reviewing competitors’ applications, patent families and citation relationships can show developments in a technology field. Patent mapping helps identify the topics where R&D investment is concentrated, technical gaps and potential areas for collaboration. A large number of applications is not, on its own, proof of technological superiority or commercial success.
  • Patent search versus patent monitoring
  • A search is a review directed at a specific question on a defined date. Patent monitoring, by contrast, is the regular tracking of new applications, competitors and changes in legal status in a technology field. Key patent families identified in the initial search can form the basis of a later monitoring programme.

Common mistakes in searching

  • Searching only with Turkish terms
  • Ignoring non-patent literature
  • Looking only at titles
  • Overlooking the patent family
  • Mistaking an application for a granted patent
  • Using a novelty search in place of FTO

How long does a patent search take and what does it cost?

Time and cost depend on the type of search, technical complexity, the volume of documents, the number of countries and the depth of the report. A preliminary novelty screening for a single invention and a claim-based multi-country FTO analysis do not have the same scope of work. Official patent office fees and private consultancy service fees are different. A fixed fee or a turnaround time should not be promised before the specific scope is defined.

Patent search with Kupon Patent

Based on the purpose of the search and the technical features of the invention, Kupon Patent supports the planning of novelty searches, state of the art reviews, preliminary patentability analyses and FTO work. The aim is to present the findings in a sourced, clear form that supports decision-making. Matters requiring specific national law or a detailed infringement opinion are handled separately within the relevant expertise.