Design Search

To ensure that your design has not already been patented, conducting a design patent search is vital, which involves the examination of existing patents. Designs that are unique, innovative, and ornamental may qualify for a design patent, allowing inventors to introduce new product designs. A design patent search protects against infringement on the specific design without impacting the item’s utility patent. The methodology used in conducting the design search includes:

1. Conducting design searches using keyword-based strategies, Locarno class-based search, combinational search, and more on various patent databases like Orbit Design and Derwent Innovation.
2. Conducting Content-based Image Retrieval (CBIR) on different search engines.
3. Searches on databases, including WIPO Global Design Search Screening and analysis of design patents to shortlist relevant references.