Freedom to Operate Searching

Understanding the background, defining terms and objectives; fundamentals of FTO search scope, methods for searching for claimed features, using basic legal status tools to assist valuation, and understanding and reporting the results from an FTO perspective.

A comprehensive one day seminar covering topics such as:-

• Background and motivations to searching freedom-to-operate
• Understanding the background, defining terms and objectives
• Fundamentals of FTO search scope
• Methods for searching for claimed features
• Using basic legal status tools to assist evaluation
• Understanding and reporting the results from an FTO perspective

• All those working in IP or patent information or patent engineer roles either in industry or legal businesses
• R&D scientists and engineers wanting to ensure they are not ‘re-inventing the wheel’
• Customer service and training representatives in the commercial information provider community who want to know more about what their customers do with patent data
• These seminars are ideal for those with some limited experience or self- taught in patent searching wanting to consolidate their skills

Background and motivations to freedom-to-operate searching; extent, timing, caveats

• Understanding the background to a search
• Terminology variation and search objectives

Fundamentals of FTO search scope

• In-force patents
• Other IP rights
• Pending applications
• Recently lapsed rights
• Expired rights
• Non-patent literature
• Analysing the search question; multiple aspects or features
• Understanding the results from an FTO perspective; multiple aspects or features

Methods for searching for claimed features; full text and text segments, extended classifications

• Using basic legal status tools to assist evaluation; finding amended claims
• After the subject search; verifying status of patents

Reporting aspects for an FTO search