In the dynamic landscape of intellectual property, staying ahead of potential legal obstacles is essential for your business’s success. Maxinov’s Freedom To Operate (FTO) Search service empowers you to make informed decisions by identifying potential infringement risks before launching a new product or service. Our FTO Searches provide you with the freedom to operate confidently and seize opportunities in the market.
- With over 15 years of experience, we have a proven track record of assisting businesses in various industries.
- Our FTO Searches are custom-tailored to your specific needs and industry, ensuring precision and accuracy.
- Our team includes expert analysts who understand the complex demands of IP strategy and business operations.
- We conduct comprehensive searches efficiently, saving you time and resources.
- We leverage both human analysts and cutting-edge AI technology for a deep dive into worldwide patent and non-patent data.
- Count on us to deliver results when you need them most.
Strategic Advantage
Make informed, legally sound decisions, reducing the risk of costly disputes.
Cost-Effective
Our FTO Searches provide thorough research without the high cost typically associated with legal disputes.
Time-Efficient
Leave the FTO Searches to our experts, so you can concentrate on your core business activities.
Client Confidence
Confidently launch new products or services, minimizing infringement risks with our knowledge.
1. Project Initiation
2. Project Evaluation Within 24 Hours
3. Project Kickoff
4. Preliminary Research
5. Data Collection
6. Comprehensive Search
7. Analysis of Findings
8. Interim Report
9. Final Report Preparation
10. Final Report Submission
11. Ongoing Support
An FTO Search is a comprehensive analysis that helps businesses identify potential patent and intellectual property infringement risks before launching new products or services.
FTO Searches allow you to make informed decisions, reduce legal risks, and confidently bring new offerings to the market while ensuring legal compliance.
Maxinov utilizes a combination of expert human analysts and advanced AI technology to conduct exhaustive searches in worldwide patent and non-patent databases.
FTO Searches are valuable for a wide range of industries, including technology, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and many more.
The duration of an FTO Search can vary based on the complexity of the project, but we strive to provide timely results to meet your business needs.
While we provide thorough FTO Searches, we recommend consulting with legal experts to address specific legal issues or challenges.
We typically need information about your product or service, patent filings, market analysis, and other relevant data to initiate the search.
Yes, we have the capability to conduct FTO Searches on a global scale, helping businesses with international expansion plans.
Initiating an FTO Search is simple. You can submit a request on our website, and our team will promptly review and confirm acceptance.
Upon receiving the FTO report, you’ll gain insights into potential infringement risks. You can then use this information to make informed business decisions and consult legal experts as needed.
Validity / Invalidity / Opposition Search
Patent invalidity or patent validity searches are conducted to either validate enforceability of claims of a patent or to invalidate one or more claims of some other patent (mostly of a competitor). It is the first step taken by a company facing a patent infringement lawsuit.
Infringement Searches / Product Searches / Evidence of Use
Protect your interests and preemptively address potential infringements. We meticulously scan for products, services, or publications that might infringe upon your patents, offering a holistic view of potential threats in the market.
Patent Landscape Analysis
Gain a panoramic view of the existing patent environment related to your domain. Our exhaustive research paints a clear picture of current trends, key players, and potential opportunities.
Whitespace Analysis
Identify gaps and untapped potential in the patent domain. With our whitespace analysis, we spotlight areas of opportunity, enabling you to innovate strategically and stay ahead of the competition.
Patentability Assessment
Dive deep into the novelty and inventive steps of your innovation. We provide thorough analyses to gauge the patentability of ideas, ensuring you’re on solid ground before proceeding.
Launching a new product or business? Perhaps you will need an FTO analysis. Whenever a company is planning to develop and launch a new product, particularly in sectors that involve extensive patenting activity, there is a risk that commercialization may be blocked by a competitor who owns a patent for the technology. Many companies therefore seek “freedom to operate,” at an early stage of their business to ensure that the production, marketing and use of their new product or process does not infringe the rights of others.
When should you conduct an FTO search?
An FTO or a freedom to operate search is needed when you are planning to develop and launch a new product in a technology area where there is extensive patenting and there are chances that your product may overlap someone’s patented technology
The objective of an FTO search is to minimize the risks of infringement but it does not give an absolute guarantee of freedom to operate. Minimizing the risks can save your company significant resources.
Maxinov’s FTO search methodology
Our FTO search includes discovery of patent literature that may possibly overlap on product features. The search is focused for particular features of a product in specific countries/jurisdictions where the product is planned to be launched or the business is carried out.
The search includes enforceable patents. It is important to study legal status of the patents.
Our team of scientists, engineers, lawyers, patent agents, and market researchers who work on your projects has more than a decade of experience in patent searches and FTO matters. We will be happy to assist you if you have an FTO requirement. Just drop a note to us and our specialist will reach out to you.