art search for an industrial design is a process of verifying whether an industrial design is already protected by an existing patent. This helps determine if an industrial design can be patented and if intellectual property rights are available.
Prior art search process:
- Define the industrial design or model to be patented;
- Search databases: such as the European Patent Office (EPO); the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO);
- Use search tools: such as similarity search algorithms; patent classifications;
- Analyze the results: to determine if an existing patent already protects an industrial design or model;
- Assess the risks: the risks of conflicts with existing patents to decide on continuation or dispossession.
