Intellectual Property Searches, Watches, and Due Diligence Reviews

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Patentability Searches

Our Grand Rapids intellectual property attorneys are experienced in conducting and reporting on patent searches comparable to those conducted by United States Patent Office examiners in examining patent applications. A patentability search helps to decide the scope of invention and whether or not to file a patent application. If you need a patentability search, contact our Michigan intellectual property lawyers today.

Freedom-to-Operate Searches

Our Michigan intellectual property attorneys are experienced in conducting and reporting on patent infringement searches, which include an extensive search in the United States Patent Office and a detailed study of patents found, in order to minimize the likelihood that a new product will infringe another’s patent. An infringement problem might also be revealed in a patentability search, but an infringement search is a more certain tool for identifying such problems. If you have questions about a patent infringement search, contact our Grand Rapids intellectual property attorneys.

Validity Searches

The Grand Rapids, MI intellectual property attorneys at Gardner Linn are experienced in conducting and reporting on patent validity searches which include extensive searches in the United States Patent Office, foreign patent offices, libraries, or other data collections for patents or publications predating an issued patent and a detailed study of patents or other literature found, in order to thoroughly evaluate the validity of a claim or claims of an issued United States or foreign patent. Such searches are often used if and when a charge of infringement is received from a patent owner, or when litigation under a patent is contemplated. If you need a validity search, please contact our Michigan intellectual property law firm.

State-of-the-Art Searches

The Grand Rapids intellectual property attorneys at Gardner Linn are experienced in conducting and reporting on state-of-the-art patent searches, which provide a representative sampling of patent literature pertinent to a particular type of product, machine, device, process or art area. Such searches are a useful tool during the initial stages of new product or process development. Contact our Michigan intellectual property attorneys if you have questions about state-of-the-art patent searches.

Patentee/Assignee Index Searches

The Michigan intellectual property attorneys at Gardner Linn are experienced in conducting searches in various computer databases using the name of the inventor or likely owner, whether an individual or company, to locate patents of interest for further study.

Trademark Searches

The Grand Rapids, MI intellectual property attorneys at Gardner Linn are experienced in conducting and reporting on both preliminary and extensive U.S. trademark clearance searches. Foreign searches can be conducted via various available computer databases through our worldwide network of associates in other countries. Such trademark searches prior to adoption of a new mark are highly recommended in order to determine if there is any potential conflict with a third-party mark and also will show how unique your mark is. Such searches help make a decision on whether or not to adopt a new trademark. If you have questions about trademark searches, contact our Michigan intellectual property law firm.

Watch Services

If requested, Gardner Linn will monitor the Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and/or international gazettes and/or the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent database to provide information concerning newly issued patents, published patent applications, and published or pending trademark or service mark applications which may be of interest. If want more information about our watch services, please contact our Grand Rapids, MI intellectual property law firm.

Intellectual Property Asset and Due Diligence Reviews and Evaluations

Gardner Linn attorneys are experienced in conducting intellectual property asset and due diligence reviews in conjunction with mergers and acquisitions, sales of companies, bankruptcy, business asset audits, and licensing. Gardner Linn performs searches, including assignee and validity searches, to map a company’s intellectual property assets and determine their relative strengths and weaknesses in support of various business transactions.

Product Label Compliance Review

The Grand Rapids, MI intellectual property attorneys at Gardner Linn can help with review of product labels, signage, brochures and other promotional literature to ensure proper trademark use, both of company owned trademarks and third-party marks, to maintain trademark validity and avoid infringement problems.