How to Do a Patent Search

If you have an great idea, plan, or invention and wondering if its already been made you may want to do a patent search. Your idea could be new, exciting, and the next big thing. Also owning a patent to an invention entices bigger companies to buy it. Holding a patent could make you a lot of money. First though will need to do some research to see if there is already a patent for it.

Instructions

1. The first thing you will need to do is connect to the internet and open up either mozilla firefox or internet explorer. Next at the top type in http://www.uspto.gov. This is the United States of America Patent Agency.

2. On the website you will be able to search for issued patents as well as published applications. In the search bar you will need to type in any keywords for the type of patent you are looking for. Think about what your invention or idea is. Categories in might fit in, names it would have, what it does. This will help you in the search process. There are a lot of patents out there so try to be as specific as you can in your patent search keywords.

3. Each patent has a distinct number. During your search when you find patents that are related to your idea or invention write the number of the patent down as a reference.

4. If you can't find any inventions even close to your idea or invention your in really good shape. Even if you do find patents for inventions that are close to yours don't worry. That does not automatically disqualify your invention from a patent. Many inventions are very similar to each other.