How does cross-border e-commerce check U.S. appearance patent information

For cross-border e-commerce, if you want to ensure that your products will not infringe the patent rights of others, the first thing you need to do is to query the patent database of the target market to confirm whether the same or similar design has been registered. When it comes to the US market, searching for US appearance patent information has become an important task.

Choose the appropriate patent database

Patents are territorial, meaning inventors typically file patent applications in the country where they want protection. In order to facilitate the search for patent information on a global scale, it is necessary to choose a comprehensive patent database that covers data from multiple countries and regions. The following lists patent search databases from some major countries:

• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): [http://www.wipo.int/portal/en/]
• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): [http://www.uspto.gov/patent]
• European Patent Office (EPO): [http://www.epo.org/]
• Japanese Patent Office (JPO): [http://www.jpo.go.jp/]
• Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO): [http://www.kipo.go.kr/kpo/eng/]
• State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO): [http://www.sipo.gov.cn/]
• German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA): [http://www.dpma.de/]
• European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO): [https://oami.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/]
• IP Australia: [http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/]
• Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO): [http//www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/home]
• UK IPO: [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office]
• Intellectual Property Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HK IPO): [http://www.ipd.gov.hk/]
• Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ): [http://www.iponz.govt.nz/cms]

How to query U.S. design patent information

In the United States, design patents are designed to protect the appearance of an item rather than its functional aspects. There are two ways to search for U.S. design patents:

LexisNexis query

1. Visit the Reedson website, enter the patent area and select the U.S. patent full-text database;
2. Enter keywords or patent numbers in the search box to search, or set filter conditions based on time range and field;
3. Click the search results link to view detailed information and accompanying documents.

U.S. Patent Office official website query

1. Log in to the official website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, enter the patent area, and select the appearance patent search tool;
2. Enter keywords or patent numbers to search, or narrow the scope through time range, field and other options;
3. View search results and click links for more information.

Things to note when searching for US appearance patents

• Choose appropriate search terms: Use item names, appearance feature keywords, similar patterns, etc. as search terms;
• Compare patterns: Use patterns of similar products on the market as a reference;
• Pay attention to the patent technology registration mark: Understand whether the patented technology has been widely used and track the latest technology development.

Analyze patent list

Patent lists usually include patent subject matter, technical description, diagrams, levels and scope of rights. Correct interpretation of this information can help to better understand the value of the patent and its potential risks.

In short, before cross-border e-commerce companies prepare to enter the US market, they should fully understand and use the above resources to conduct detailed patent investigations to avoid unnecessary legal disputes.