- September 27, 2023
- Posted by: admin
- Category: Search Methodology
A Freedom to Operate (FTO) search is crucial if you are planning to launch your product on the market. This kind of search is essential for assessing the position of your product in the technological environment and locating any risks of infringement.
It should be conducted by a leading patent research and analysis service provider at the research and development stage before starting the patent application procedure and is also known as the “right to use” search. It is important to do a Freedom to Operate (FTO) search. Even if you possess a patent, there is no assurance that your product will not infringe upon those already present in the market. An Freedom to Operate (FTO) search helps businesses or inventors find out whether similar technology already exists in the market or not. A Freedom to Operate (FTO) search report is essential for lowering the likelihood of legal problems and the cost associated with litigation
The conventional method for conducting an FTO (Freedom to Operate) search involves the following steps:
Gain a Deep Understanding of Technological Innovation: Start by acquiring a thorough understanding of technological innovation.
Example: “The objective of this project is to conduct a freedom to operate study on Rizatriptan Benzoate and its manufacturing Process to identify US Patents which may stamp down the sale of Client’s products in the USA.”
Identify Key Innovation Features: Identify the key features and aspects of the innovation that are crucial for your analysis.
| Identify Key Innovation | |
| Key feature 1 | Rizatriptan molecule |
| Key feature 2 | Methods/ process for producing Rizatriptan and intermediate compounds |
| Key feature 3 | Crystalline forms, salts or hydrates of Rizatriptan |
| TERM SET | SEARCH STRING |
| Method | method OR process OR procedure OR route OR way OR means OR path OR scheme |
| Rizatriptan | (Rizatriptan OR (Dimethyl near17 triazol* near7 methyl near7 indole near7 (eth*2 adj amin*)) OR Maxalt OR Rizaliv OR Rizalt OR Rizatan OR Rizact OR “5-HT1B/1D ADJ receptor ADJ agonist” OR “5-hydroxytryptamine1B/1D ADJ receptor ADJ agonist” OR “1H-Indole-3-ethanaMine,N,N-diMethyl-5-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylMethyl)-“) |
| Compound | 3-(2-Dimethylamino-ethyl)-5-1,2,4triazol-1-ylmethyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid and N,N-Dimethyl-5-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)-1H-indole-3-ethanamine) |
| Preparation | prepar* or produc* or manufactur* or yield or synthesi* |
| S. NO. | SEARCH STRING |
| 1 | Title, Abstract or Claims Contain: (< Rizatriptan Set >) AND Classes: (< Classes Set A >) |
| 2 | Title, Abstract or Claims Contain: (< Method Set >) SAME (< Preparation Set >)) AND (< Rizatriptan Set >) |
| 3 | Title, Abstract or Claims Contain: (< Method Set >) SAME (< Preparation Set >)) AND (< Rizatriptan Set >) |
| Execute Searches Across Diverse Databases | ||
| Data Sources | Industrial Design Search | Special Databases |
| Thomson Innovation Questel Orbit Patent Insight Pro National Patent Databases of Individual (100+) Countries | Questel Orbit Design Patent Module, Design View National Industrial Design Databases of Individual Countries | SciFinder Patent Lens (Please check the coverage here) EMBL-EBI (EPO, JPO, KIPO and USPTO) NCBI (USPTO, EPO and JPO) |
| Execute Searches Across Diverse Databases | ||
| Data Sources | Industrial Design Search | Special Databases |
| Thomson Innovation Questel Orbit Patent Insight Pro National Patent Databases of Individual (100+) Countries | Questel Orbit Design Patent Module, Design View National Industrial Design Databases of Individual Countries | SciFinder Patent Lens (Please check the coverage here) EMBL-EBI (EPO, JPO, KIPO and USPTO) NCBI (USPTO, EPO and JPO) |
| Non-Patent Literature Databases | ||
| Journal Articles: Thomson Innovation, Dialog, ScienceDirect, Scitation, Springerlink, ACM, PubMed, PubChem, MedLine, PaperChem, Google Scholar, JournalSeek, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Abstracts, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, Biosys, Embase, Compendex, Highwire, Oxford Journal Books: Google Books, Other Online Books Archives Academic Projects/ Thesis: Dissertation Abstracts Online, Stanford University Library, Harvard University Library, 99 Resources, Open Thesis, DeepDyve Conference Proceedings: Inside Conferences, Specific Conference Archives/ Websites by the Technical Domain Product Literature & Standards: Company Websites, Youtube Videos, Product Brochures, Regulatory Submission Databases like FDA, CRDH, etc. Specific sources based on technical domain like National Technical Information Service, Transportation Research Information Services, International Construction Database Foreign Language Databases: Non-patent literature sources of individual countries (example) : China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Data, J-Stage, CiNii); Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) of India | ||
Examine and Confirm Legal Status: Examine and validate the legal status of the identified prior art.
Prepare a Comprehensive Report: Compile all the gathered information and provide a comprehensive report summarizing the findings.
Artificial intelligence advantages in FTO searches
Time-saving: AI has a lot of time-saving benefits. It can analyze enormous amounts of data efficiently and much more quickly than humans.
Enhanced Precision: When conducting searches, AI excels at being precise, especially when detecting specific claims, producing extremely accurate results.
Consistency: AI consistently produces reports that are error-free because it eliminates human error, assuring consistency in each search that is carried out.
Cost-Effectiveness: AI shows itself to be a more affordable alternative to manual searches, leading to significant savings.
Artificial intelligence disadvantages in FTO searches
Technical Restrictions: One of the main issues with AI in FTO searches is that it has a hard time understanding the intricate and technical terminology used in patent disclosures. This restriction frequently leads to unrelated search results.
Dependency on Predefined Algorithms: Predefined algorithms play a significant role in AI-driven FTO searches. When dealing with complex or unique developments, these algorithms could occasionally be unable to select truly relevant findings.
Data Quality: The quality of the input data has a significant impact on the accuracy and dependability of AI-driven FTO searches. The outcomes produced by the AI system are likely to be inaccurate if the input data is of poor quality.
Limited Creativity: Despite its great abilities, AI is still not as creative as human specialists. It may miss critical details or fail to recognize innovative aspects that a human searcher would quickly identify.
Optimizing FTO Results: AI and Human Collaboration
Using AI and human experience together has a distinct benefit when it comes to improving Freedom to Operate (FTO) search results. Human specialists who provide crucial context, analyze intricate details, and provide specific recommendations to improve AI potential for effective data processing and preliminary screening This collaborative synergy enables a thorough, accurate, and flexible FTO analysis, limiting risks and giving you the knowledge you need to make decisions that are in line with your unique goals. This collaboration (AI and Human) is highly beneficial for leading freedom to operate search company
The Freedom-To-Operate (FTO) Search Methodology We Use:
There are many benefits of artificial intelligence, such as time savings, accuracy, consistency, etc.; however, there are some negative aspects as well, such as limited creativity, dependency on algorithms, technical restrictions, etc.
To achieve total efficiency and accuracy in Freedom to Operate searches (FTO). Synoptic IP uses a fresh approach to Freedom to Operate (FTO) searches that goes above and beyond conventional techniques. We give a thorough analysis that not only detects potential legal restrictions but also offers practical ideas to help you successfully navigate the intellectual property landscape by combining the power of AI and human expertise. We are a best in class FTO search firm and have an excellent professional team with a variety of technology experience. To conduct these searches, our team uses both paid patent and non-patent search databases and provides a thorough coverage and analysis report.