What is a patentability search?
A patentability search, sometimes called a preliminary search or a novelty search, is conducted to determine whether it is likely that an invention can be patented. In the United States, a patentability search most often consists of a search of prior issued United States patents conducted at the US Patent and Trademark Office or via online searches of certain patent databases, or both. A patentability search may also include a search of technical literature in the field of the invention.
