Q: where can I search patents
I want to check if anyone has already patented something I designed. I'm not sure if it it falls under patent or industrial design. Can I check in both places?
A:
You may start from Google Patents. You can also search on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website and the European Patent Office website.
Please contact me if you have any additional questions.
A:
This slide set might be helpful as it has some useful tips on patent searching. It was first presented in an October 2016 presentation at the RTP Frontier as part of the lecture series for Triangle TechBreakfast. Teaches entrepreneurs on how to perform searches for relevant patent applications and issued patents. http://bit.ly/Patent_Searching
As the various web sites evolve over time, some of the screen shots may not look exactly like the current screens but the concepts remain.
If you found this answer helpful, you may want to look at my answers to other questions about patent law are available at the bottom of my profile page at
https://lawyers.justia.com/lawyer/kevin-e-flynn-880338
Kevin E Flynn
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