- 4,000+projects delivered
- 70+clients
- 12+years in practice
- 6 yrsaverage engineer experience
The aim is to find prior art the examiner may have missed during prosecution — which is exactly what makes it useful in litigation and in licensing negotiations, where you need an early read before committing to a full study. If you need the complete version, see our patent invalidity search.
When Businesses Use a Knock-Out Search
Assessing or acquiring a patent portfolio
To assess a portfolio before acquiring it, and to understand what you would actually be buying.
Before launching a licensing campaign
To check the ground before a licensing campaign goes out, rather than after a target pushes back.
Filtering a multi-patent action
Where a patent owner intends to launch an action involving many patents, knock-out searches are run first to establish which of them will stand up.
When budget or time is short
When there is not enough time or budget for a complete validity search, a knock-out search gives you the essential answer quickly.
Client TestimonialsWords From Our Clients
Verified LinkedIn reviews and client correspondence from patent attorneys and in-house IP teams who come back to us project after project.
LinkedIn review ★★★★★I used Synoptic for a validity search and was pleased with the results. The rates were highly competitive, the deliverable was on time, and the results were as good as (if not better than) other searches I’ve used.
Erin J. FoxIntellectual Property Counsel · ITWPublic & verifiedLinkedIn review
★★★★★Ankit did a very thorough and professional job on a claim chart assignment for us. He showed great perseverance when things got difficult and was able to get the job done. I would work with him again.
Eric BrownIP Consultant · Building Viable Licensing ProgramsPublic & verified
Client email ★★★★★Thank you — the search was quite helpful. We’ll have your invoice processed promptly.
QBPatent AttorneyQuarles & Brady · Client since 2018Name withheld
Client email ★★★★★Thank you for your work on this matter. We were pleased with the search and will consider you for future searches.
MGPatent AttorneyMerchant & Gould · Client since 2018Name withheld
Client email ★★★★★We were very pleased with the patentability and FTO report that you produced for us back in November 2024.
FBClient ContactFrontierBio · Client since 2024Name withheld