IP Authority, LLC provides technically rigorous patent research services to help clients evaluate patentability, assess patent risk, identify prior art, and support prosecution, licensing, freedom-to-operate research, invalidity, and Inter Partes Review projects.
Our research approach combines disciplined search strategy, technical analysis, patent database searching, non-patent literature research, and practical understanding of patent prosecution and claim interpretation. We work closely with clients to understand the technology, the claim scope, the relevant priority dates, and the business or procedural objective of the search.
We have experience conducting searches across a broad range of technologies, including software, wireless communications, 3G/4G/5G systems, semiconductor devices, consumer electronics, IoT devices, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, medical systems, mechanical systems, chemical technologies, and electromechanical devices.
Our patent research services include:
- Patentability and novelty searches
- Validity and invalidity searches
- Freedom-to-operate research support
- Infringement-related technical research support
- State-of-the-art searches
- Collection searches
- Landscape studies
- Competitive patent research
- Prior-art searches for accelerated examination petitions
- Non-patent literature searching
- Inter Partes Review and post-grant research support
- Standard-essential patent and wireless standards research
IP Authority has assisted with numerous Inter Partes Review, invalidity, validity, and related prior-art research projects across a broad range of technologies. Our work includes identifying patent literature, non-patent literature, technical papers, standards materials, product documentation, manuals, archived technical disclosures, and other references that may be relevant to challenged patent claims.
We work to understand the claim scope, the relevant priority dates, and the procedural context of each matter so that search strategies are focused and results are presented in a format that supports client decision-making.
Many important prior-art references are not found in standard patent databases. IP Authority specializes in searching for hard-to-find non-patent literature, including technical publications, conference papers, journal articles, standards documents, archived web materials, product manuals, technical specifications, dissertations, library materials, and other difficult-to-locate sources.
Where appropriate, our research may include database searching, standards-body research, academic literature searching, product documentation research, archive searching, and library-based research.
Patent research is most effective when the searcher understands both the technology and the patent objective. IP Authority's research process is designed to identify relevant references, analyze them against the claim features or search objectives, and present results in a clear and practical format.
Our research work is grounded in:
- Technical understanding of complex inventions
- Search strategies tailored to claim language and priority dates
- Experience with patent and non-patent literature databases
- Familiarity with prosecution, invalidity, IPR, and prior-art issues
- Clear reporting designed to support client decision-making
| Search Type | Professional Fee |
|---|---|
| U.S. patents and published patent applications | $750 |
| U.S. and foreign patents and published patent applications | $1,000 |
| U.S. and foreign patents, published patent applications, and non-patent literature | $1,300 |
| Search Type | Professional Fee |
|---|---|
| U.S. patents, U.S. publications, foreign patents, foreign publications, and non-patent literature | $3,000 minimum |
| Library searching, including National Library of Medicine, university libraries, and other physical or specialized collections | $1,000 additional minimum |
| Search Type | Professional Fee |
|---|---|
| U.S. patents and published patent applications | $2,200 minimum |
| U.S. and foreign patents and published patent applications | $2,500 minimum |
| Search Type | Professional Fee |
|---|---|
| U.S. patents and published patent applications | $2,500 minimum |
| U.S. and foreign patents and published patent applications | $3,000 minimum |
| Search Type | Professional Fee |
|---|---|
| U.S. patents and published patent applications | $2,500 minimum |
| U.S. and foreign patents and published patent applications | $3,000 minimum |
- Please allow a normal turnaround time of 2 to 3 weeks for completion of searches.
- Search costs exclude disbursements, including patent copy charges, mailing costs, database charges, literature costs, transportation costs for library searching, and other third-party costs.
- Fees are estimates and may vary depending on technology complexity, number of claims, scope of search, priority date issues, foreign-language materials, standards materials, and non-patent literature requirements.
- Freedom-to-operate, clearance, and infringement-related services are research support services and do not constitute a legal opinion unless separately provided by qualified counsel.
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Contact us to discuss your patent research needs.