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The process of searching for patents in biotechnology can be challenging as the key technical data is not necessarily captured in simple language. A protein, a DNA sequence, an antibody, or a genetic construct can be described in a patent using identifiers, sequence listings, scientific terminology and references throughout related applications. With Patent Sequence Search , scientists are provided with a tool to look at that biological data directly and link it to pertinent patent data. This is important to companies, researchers and law firms in the USA, as biotechnology patents become more specific and competitive. A standard keyword search can be helpful, but is not always enough for an underlying invention that relies on biological sequences. Why Sequence Data Changes the Search Typical patent searches start with words. Research is started with the biological information in sequence. A researcher may need to find a specific sequence of nucleotides, amino acids, a specific variant ...

In patent cases in the USA, it is a seemingly simple question that is often the question at hand: was the invention truly novel at the time of the patent? An invalidity search is a search that assists the legal team and the IP team to answer that question by searching for earlier patents, publications, technical papers, products, and more that may invalidate a patent claim. A good search is not a search for something old. The work is in actually finding something that is materially prior art to the particular claim, knowing when it was published, and whether it has something to offer in terms of a viable legal argument. A Patent Claim Is the Starting Point Patent searching is much more effective when the inventor's claims are used to start the search, rather than the subject of the invention. A patent can contain dozens of technical concepts, but only some of them might be relevant in a patent dispute. An independent claim can be divided into its different critical limitations and...