Patents are exclusive rights given for an invention through patents. They are assets for their company as they form the basis of their competitive edge in the market. Searching for patents can be done through various ways to provide entrepreneurs and researchers insight into intellectual property.
A Statista report states that Apple filed 1,310 patent families in 2018. With 1,892 files overall, 2012 saw the highest number of patents submitted. 2018 saw the fewest patent family filings since 2012. The report highlights trends in Apple’s patent activity, suggesting a decrease in the volume of new patents Apple pursued during this period.
The article provides a guide to help you search for patents by company name, outlining each step along the way.
Why Search for Patents by Company Name?
With the various ways available to search for patents, here’s why you would look for patents filled by a particular company
1. Business Intelligence
Analyzing patents gives insight into a company’s research and Development (R&D) focus. The information can help you determine future innovations that can lead to significant evolutions.
A recent study was conducted to show the distribution of pharmaceutical R&D companies worldwide by country or region as of January 2023 and January 2024. The study revealed that as of 2024, 39 percent of all pharmaceutical R&D companies were headquartered in the United States, compared to 43 percent one year before.
2. Licensing options
Entrepreneurs gain insight from patents filled by a particular company, such as where to start if they want to protect their invention. Patent licensing helps researchers and startups leverage their patents to establish themselves in the industry.
3. To Avoid Infringement
One common reason for conducting a patent search is to verify the uniqueness of a concept and to determine what related technology has already been patented. Identifying patented innovations helps prevent the violation of a business’s intellectual property rights.
According to a Statista report, the U.S. International Trade Commission opened 55 new investigations into patent infringement in the United States during the third quarter of 2023. 52 investigations for patent infringement were launched in 2020, while 82 investigations were launched in 2021.
How to Search for Patents by Company Name?
1. Understand Patent Databases
There are different patent databases available with records of patents filled by various patent offices. The first step is to understand these databases and how they work. Commonly used patent databases include:
- The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO):USPTO isin charge of granting patents in the United States and its database stores all the information, on patents ever submitted in the country.
USPTO reports that it receives around 600,000 patent applications annually. Nonprovisional utility patent applications make up the majority of applications submitted to the USPTO.
- The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO):WIPO offers details, on patents, within the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PTC) and provides Patentscope as a patent resource tool.
- The database of the European Patent Office (EPO): EPO houses all patents submitted and granted in European nations. EPO is accessible through Espacenet, a worldwide patent search tool.
- Google patents: Google is the most common patent search tool and provides users with a simple way to search for patents from various countries.
2. Start With the Company Name
After identifying the patent database, the next step should be to search by the company name. In this case, we’ll use USPTO and Google patents, and here’s how to search:
3. Search on Google Patents
Google Patents provide a user-friendly interface that makes searching simpler, especially for beginners. Here’s how to search for patents by company name on Google Patents:
- Go to Google Patents: Navigate to Google Patents.
- Enter the Company Name: Type the name of the company on the search bar. Here, you can use variations of the company name to ensure precise phrasing. For instance, you can type “Apple Inc.” when searching for patents filed by Apple.
- Refine your search: You can refine the search by filtering the results by patent type, inventor, and filing date. With Google, you can also refine the search with an assignee, helping you narrow down results to specific patents owned by the company.
4. Search on the USPTO Database
- Go to USPTO Patent Search: Visit the USPTO Patent Search.
- Select the “Advanced search” option: This option will enable you to search complex queries.
- Use the Assignee Field: Use the assignee field to conduct searches by company name such as ASSIGNEE/” Apple Inc”– the quotes should be included.
- Refine Your Search: Specifying with fields such as patent number and publication date can help refine your search.
Most databases can be accessed the same way by different patent tools with only little variations in their interface.
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Tips For Your Patent Search
1. Narrow Your Search Results
The search results from the company name may be overwhelming, hence the need to narrow down the search. You can achieve this through:
Using keywords
Many databases, such as USPTO, allow filtering by keywords related to the industry, technology, and product of interest. For instance, with Samsung, you can use keywords such as “smartphone” to refine the search.
Specify Data Range
To get more refined results, consider filtering by publication date. With this filter, you can search for patents filed in a particular timeframe, such as “in the last five years”.
Use classifications
Patents are often categorized into specified technologies. Most databases allow filtering by patent classification to get refined results. This helps narrow down the search to exactly what you are looking for. The International Patent Classification (IPC) is the system used to classify patents.
According to EPO, there are around 70,000 IPC codes, each representing a specific technical area. These codes categorize patents into different fields of technology, making it easier to search and organize patents based on their technical content.
2. Analyze Patent Documents
After narrowing down the search to exactly what you need, you can start reviewing the patents, paying attention to these sections:
- Title and Abstract: Focusing on the abstract provides a summary of the patent to help you determine whether the patent document relates to your interests.
- Inventors and Assignees: This is a keen area of interest as you can identify the company that owns the patent you are searching for.
- Claims: The claims section provides the scope of the invention to help you understand the specific features and exactly what rights they enforce.
- Date filed and Published: information on when the patent was filed and published will help you determine the timeline of the invention and whether the rights are still in force or expired.
3. Keep Track of Patents
If you plan on following a company’s patent activity, it is important to keep track of a company’s patents. Many Patent databases, such as Patentscope, allow you to create alerts for specific companies. The email alerts will help you keep up with the trends, of a company’s patent activity.
Searching For Patents Has Strategic Advantage!
Searching for patents by company name offers a strategic advantage in several ways. It provides valuable business intelligence, helping to uncover a company’s R&D priorities and potential future innovations.
For entrepreneurs, it reveals licensing opportunities, guiding them in safeguarding their inventions. Additionally, a thorough search helps avoid patent infringement, ensuring originality.
Utilizing patent databases effectively and refining search parameters aids in obtaining precise and relevant information, making it easier to track a company’s patent activity over time. Firms like Lumenci excel in creating value from your innovation. Their expert strategies and technical insights aid you to win patent cases and protect your IP. Find out more how Lumenci helps to search for patents by company name. Contact us today!
