Detailed explanation of patent search process and strategies for Amazon sellers

When operating on the Amazon platform and other cross-border e-commerce platforms, intellectual property protection is an integral part of new product development. In order to avoid getting into trouble due to design infringement, sellers should conduct a thorough patent search in the early stages of product development to avoid potential risks. This article aims to analyze in detail the importance of patent search and its specific implementation steps.

1. The importance of patent search

The regional nature of intellectual property means that even if a patent is obtained in China, it does not mean that it can be sold freely around the world. Therefore, after selecting a target market, you should conduct a search in the local patent database to ensure that you will not infringe on the rights of others.

2. Basic steps of patent search

1. In-depth understanding of technology

First of all, you need to fully grasp the technical details to be retrieved and think about the following questions:

• What is the core concept of this technology?
• What problem does it solve?
• What similar solutions have existed before this? What are their shortcomings?
• How does it work?
• Can it be applied to other scenarios?
• Can it be interpreted from different angles?

Only by thoroughly answering these questions can we better proceed with the next steps.

2. Collect synonyms and terms

Next, collect all possible relevant words and terms, including but not limited to technical terms, industry terms, etc.

3. Keyword filtering and expansion

Gradually expand the search scope from concrete to abstract. Start with specific terms first, then gradually add general concepts to create a complete set of keywords.

4. Establish a technology development timeline

Considering the possibility of technology names changing over time, try to construct a development history covering the past to the present in order to more accurately locate the target information.

5. Check cited documents and legal status

Once you find a patent that is highly relevant to your product, be sure to check its citations and legal status, which will help you evaluate the actual value of the patent.

3. Patent search strategy

In order to improve retrieval efficiency, the following methods can be adopted:

• Core Keywords: Directly enter the product name or descriptive words.
• Assignee: Find companies with similar technology.
• Patent Classification: Use the International Patent Classification (IPC) or Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system.
• Inventor: Find the work of a specific inventor.
• Citations: Analyze citation relationships to track related research.

It is worth noting that due to differences in language and technological development, it is sometimes necessary to creatively imagine more search terms. For example, in addition to “smartphone”, smartphones may also be called “mobile device”, “cell phone”, etc. .

4. Use USPTO platform for patent search

Quick search

• Visit the Patent Public Search page and click the “Quick Search” link in “Basic search”.
• Enter relevant information (such as inventor name, patent number, etc.) in the fields provided and select the appropriate Boolean operator (AND/OR/NOT).

Advanced search

• Enter “Advanced Search”, which supports querying multiple databases at the same time.
• US-PGPUB: includes U.S. unauthorized patent applications after 2001;
• USPAT: supports full-text search of U.S. authorized patents after 1970 and classification search since 1790;
• USOCR: You can search the scanned text of US patents before 1970.

Through the above introduction, I believe that all sellers have mastered basic patent search skills. Remember, before making any business decisions, it is crucial to thoroughly investigate all possible intellectual property issues.