An invention is a set of ideas and thoughts to facilitate the way people go about their daily tasks. An inventor can be a company or an individual who has a goal behind the invention. It takes a lot of money to present the invention to the world, so investors who find it interesting finance R&D operations.

The invention process is very broad. There is no set time when an invention turns into useful products. It can take 5, 10 years or even more. The R&D department performs a series of operations one after the other: describing the business vision, creating strategies, describing R&D processes, identifying resources, and writing designs. R&D teams exhaustively study all areas of invention, collect different ideas, which are then combined to build products and services. Therefore, the research for the development of the invention included a wide range of processes, requiring thousands or millions of dollars.

Patent an invention

An invention is patented to prevent others from stealing it. The inventor can restrict individuals and companies from using his invention to make or sell products during his lifetime. When filing a patent application, the inventor must mention a set of claims, which he must choose carefully. Therefore, it is recommended to know market trends, new technologies, applications, etc. when it comes to R&D operations, which will help to get big claims.

An invention can only be patented if it does not contain any of the previously patented technology and meets certain standards of uniqueness. To find out if your invention is already known or not, prior art search It is driven. The innovator can conduct a state-of-the-art search on his own or hire an expert for this purpose.

What is state-of-the-art search?

Prior art searching can be defined as gathering information about the technologies associated with the invention. Its main objective is to know if the invention is patentable or not. Prior art search sources include prior patents, registered patents, scientific reports, research articles, textbooks, newspapers, magazines, and Internet publications. There are many inventions that are never used in products and services, and they must also be considered during the patent application process. A wide range of tools are available on the Internet that can help you efficiently search for the state of the art.

The prior art search can provide details on previous inventions in the field, new products and services, etc. Prevents reinventing existing inventions. With this, the R + D + i department can learn about existing technologies, and focus activities, processes and tasks to innovate or investigate new ones.

Know the market well before conducting a state-of-the-art search

The main objective is to get the invention to be patented with the broadest possible claims. The state-of-the-art search collects existing knowledge in the fields pertaining to the invention. But this is not enough. You must know the market and the companies that are already working on the technologies on which the invention is based, which will help to choose the right areas for R&D.

Filing for a patent is a vast process and a small misstep can turn into a big mistake. Therefore, from planning to execution, each step must be done wisely. Before conducting a state-of-the-art search, it is important to know the markets in which the invention can generate a revolution, the current market trends to focus on, the activities of the competitors, etc. All these details can be obtained through market research. Therefore, it is recommended to do market research first to learn about the technologies that are trending in the market.

Why Market Research?

Market research can help you use all the elements of an invention correctly. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the different markets associated with the invention, the patent environment, and existing and future products. Therefore, market research can add value to research and development operations, making them more advanced.

There are many reasons why the inventor should consider market research before starting R&D operations and seeking prior art. Please check them out.

Detailed information about the markets:

Market research reports not only provide information on the different markets that belong to the invention area, but also report on the main active markets. Suppose that an invention can be used to make products in 10 different industries, of which 7 are in the growth phase. Therefore, it is necessary to spend more time and money to obtain patents in these 7 industries to get the maximum return on investment. Therefore, market research reports can suggest the right industries for you to continue researching and creating products.

Competitor analysis:

To emerge as a leading player in the market, it is necessary to know the activities of the competitors. With market research reports, the inventor can gain a deep understanding of their competitors, the technologies they are working on, and their existing and future products and services. Thus, the R&D department can extend its research to areas that have not been touched by competitors.

Help in drafting patents:

The patent writer is the person who can help you get a patent with great claims. With extensive knowledge of market trends, active industries, and customer needs, you can draft the widest possible patent claims. Therefore, with the market research reports, the patent drafter can prepare a clear and precise patent application, and you can get a patent, which will have a great market value and you can earn a lot from it.

Best Players:

Market research reports provide information on top companies using technologies similar to those of the invention. This makes it easy to know how advanced the invention is, what technologies can be innovated and how to plan R&D processes. After obtaining the patent with important claims, the inventor can contact major companies for trade associations or licenses.