Disclaimer

No guarantee of outcome

We do not guarantee that an idea is novel, that an application will be granted, that a mark or design will be registered, that a product is free to operate, that no third party will assert rights, or that any commercial result will follow.

Preliminary directions are exploratory

A preliminary invention direction is a starting point for investigation. It is not a prior-art search, a patentability opinion, a validity opinion, or legal advice, and it does not mean the concept is protectable.

Searches have limits

Search results are limited by database coverage, indexing, language, classification practice, search strategy, and publication timing. Most applications publish around eighteen months after their earliest priority date, so recent filings are invisible to any search performed today.

Every search report we deliver states what it did not cover.

Jurisdiction changes the answer

Patentable subject matter, grace periods, disclosure rules, deadlines, term, and enforcement all vary by country and change over time. Advice that is correct in one jurisdiction can be wrong in another.

Deadlines are unforgiving

Publication, sale, and public demonstration can affect rights. Statutory deadlines are generally strict and frequently cannot be extended. Bring your dates early; a missed date can be irreversible.

Roles and qualifications

We provide technical research, analysis, invention development, and drafting support. Filing and representation before patent, trademark, and design offices are carried out by appropriately qualified professionals. Legal opinions — including infringement, validity, and freedom-to-operate opinions — must come from qualified counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.

Third parties decide

Patent offices control examination, objections, and timelines. Courts decide infringement and validity. Neither is within our control or anyone else's.