If you’re looking to strengthen your litigation strategy, sharpen your opposition arguments, or assess the enforceability of a granted patent, you need an invalidity study that leaves nothing to chance. One overlooked piece of prior art or a weakly supported argument can put your entire case at risk, which is why our Patent Invalidity Search is designed to give you the clarity, confidence, and strategic advantage you need.
A patent invalidity search is a deep, methodical investigation conducted after a patent has been granted. Its purpose is to uncover earlier patents or non-patent literature that could challenge the claims of the target patent. At Ingenious, our experts execute this process with exceptional precision, delivering a detailed, reliable, and thoroughly researched invalidity study tailored to your legal and technical needs.
Our process is built around your priorities. We focus on helping you quickly find the most relevant prior art, organizing it in a way that aligns with your exact legal and technical criteria. This gives you clear, actionable insights so you can make smart, timely decisions regarding your intellectual property and confidently strengthen your position.
Deep analysis of the technology uncovers core functionality and innovation. Examine the patent’s claims, embodiments, prosecution history, litigation/opposition records, and client instructions to identify vulnerabilities and define a precise, targeted search strategy.
Break down each claim into key technical features to form the backbone of the feature-mapping strategy. This ensures that prior art searches are aligned with the invention’s critical elements and claim scope.
Distil precise, contextually relevant keywords, synonyms, and Boolean structures derived from the feature and claim analysis. Identify all relevant IPC/CPC classes, US classes, and F-Terms to support multi-jurisdictional and multilingual coverage.
Incorporate technical concepts, emerging terminology, and domain-specific variants to ensure no disclosure path is missed. These elements form the foundation for all subsequent advanced and multi-layered patent and non-patent literature searches.
Execute keyword and class-based searches across global patent and non-patent databases:
• Patent databases: Derwent Innovation, Pat Snap, Questel Orbit, Espacenet, KIPRIS, JPLATPAT, USPTO, INPASS, PatentScope, Google Patents
• Non-patent literature: ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Lens, and other scholarly sources
Perform these searches with precision to uncover all pertinent prior art, including non-English literature. Document all database-specific strategies so the search can be easily replicated or refined as needed.
Perform semantic-based searches using advanced platforms such as Questel Orbit, Amplified AI, and similar tools.
These searches go beyond exact keywords to capture conceptually related prior art, uncovering references that may be missed by traditional keyword or classification searches.
Expand the investigation through refined supplementary searches to uncover prior art that may be missed by primary keyword or classification searches. This includes in-depth exploration of forward and backward citations, patent families, assignee portfolios, inventor histories, similarity indexes, continuity data, and IPC/CPC classifications. These methods reveal hidden prior-art clusters and provide additional dimensions of insight, strengthening the overall invalidity analysis and ensuring a more comprehensive assessment of the target patent.
Present findings in a comprehensive, structured report tailored to client preferences, available in Excel or Word format with embedded macros for efficient dataset review. Include color-coded claim charts mapping each feature against relevant prior art, along with clear comments for better understanding. Provide a concise Key Feature Matrix summarizing identified, partially identified, and not identified (X) features, enabling quick, structured assessment. Additionally, include a detailed summary of relevant patent and non-patent literature to ensure complete visibility and support strategic decision-making.
Tailored pricing models and quick turnaround times to meet every budget and project requirement
Pay only when you're fully satisfied: our commitment to delivering quality you can trust
Experts 300+ PhDs and SMEs with deep technical and legal expertise across ICT, Engineering, and Life Sciences disciplines
Comprehensive Patent and Non-Patent Literature from 100+ Countries in multiple technology areas covered across 15+ databases
Native language capabilities in 25+ countries, including CN, JP, KR, with regional database coverage for accurate native language search results
Interconvertible, easy-to-digest reports with claim element grid mapping to accelerate your decisions
Hybrid search approach Combining Artificial intelligence + Human Intelligence to deliver accurate, relevant results
Search teams in the US and India, supported by established export control compliance processes
Multi-level firewalls and strict access protocols to ensure complete data confidentiality and compliance
Our services are designed to support enterprises within the below mentioned industries and sectors, helping them achieve their strategic goals.
A patent invalidity search (also called an opposition search) is a detailed investigation of prior art, both patent and non patent literature, that predates the filing of a granted patent, with the goal of identifying references that may challenge the patent’s novelty or inventive step. You should consider ordering an invalidity search when you face or anticipate litigation, when you plan a post grant challenge or opposition, or before licensing, acquisition or commercialization to verify the strength and enforceability of a target patent.
A prior art search (e.g. for patentability) typically aims to assess whether a proposed invention is new and patentable before filing. An invalidity search, by contrast, targets an already granted patent to test whether it can stand up to challenge, i.e., whether the claims are truly novel and non-obvious given the full body of existing prior art. Invalidity searches tend to be more comprehensive, covering older literature, non-patent sources, global jurisdictions, and even translations, because the stakes (litigation, enforcement, licensing) are higher.
Ingenious e-Brain combines deep technical expertise, advanced search methodologies, and AI-powered analysis to deliver thorough and actionable patent invalidity insights. Our approach goes beyond standard keyword searches. We leverage semantic, classification-based, and supplementary searches to uncover prior art that could challenge novelty or inventive step. With structured reporting, claim-to-prior-art mapping, and global coverage, we provide a defensible foundation for litigation, post-grant challenges, or strategic decision-making. Choosing Ingenious e-Brain ensures your invalidity search is comprehensive, precise, and tailored to your objectives.
Yes. Our invalidity searches cover 100+ countries across multiple technology areas using 15+ leading patent and non-patent literature databases. With native-language search capabilities in 25+ countries, including China, Japan, and Korea, we ensure accurate, localized results from regional databases. Whether your target patent is in chemicals, electronics, biotech, or software, our global, multilingual approach ensures comprehensive prior art discovery across industries and jurisdictions.
Absolutely. Invalidity searches are fully tailored to your specific requirements, industries, and technologies. Whether the focus is on chemical formulations, mechanical systems, software innovations, or emerging AI solutions, the search scope, depth, and methodology are adapted accordingly. You can opt for broad, in-depth searches for litigation or post-grant challenges, or targeted reviews for licensing, acquisition, or portfolio assessment. This flexibility ensures the results are relevant, precise, and aligned with your strategic and business objectives, delivering maximum value for your investment.
