Citation Searches

Do you have any competitors? Who are citing your patents? One way of scanning patent literature is to search the databases to see if anybody cites a particular patent. This indicates that somebody is applying for a patent in the same technical field. Monitoring the patent documents cited in a novelty search helps you keep an eye on your competitors.

Two kinds of citation:
• Older patents and references cited by a specific patent
• New patents citing a specific patent

A citation search provides information on the timing of an invention and the scope of the patent. It can also help to evaluate the strength of a patent. We carry out citation searches for patents on request or as part of an ongoing subscription. A citation search can be the follow-up to an earlier search request or part of an ongoing patent monitoring.