Design Searching Services

Highly qualified and skilled patent attorneys, offering personal and commercially oriented services related to design rights searches, applications and defence

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What Are Design Searching Services?

In Australia and overseas, registered designs are kept in indexed databases that can be searched to determine whether a design already exists and who holds the rights over them. These designs are typically categorised into different fields, and with titles, which allow them to be more easily searchable.

If you are seeking to market a new design, it is essential to perform a detailed design search in that market. This will help to avoid infringing on another’s intellectual property (IP) rights.

If you are planning on registering your own design, in Australia it must be new and distinctive over the prior art. The prior art includes all subject matter that has been used or published in Australia, and all subject matter that has been published outside of Australia. It is useful to carry out a search for prior art to check if the proposed registered design is the same as or close to an existing prior art design.

A complex and often challenging process to navigate, design searching services facilitate in-depth searching of relevant databases in your proposed country of filing, and around the world.

Typically handled by a qualified patent attorney, design searching services represent an investment in the proper filing, approval and protection of your design and its associated rights.
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The Design Search Process

Whether in Australia or overseas, the design search process involves using a variety of tools and research methods to investigate existing designs.

Not only for assessing novelty, Freedom to Operate (FTO) or preparing FTO opinions, design search services can also prove beneficial for tracking a competitor’s design filing activities, which can provide key insights into their research and development activities.

Using a variety of targeted keywords and dedicated databases, internet searches and other related search techniques, it is possible to get a better idea of whether:

- A design is new or novel
- The design shares attributes with an existing design
- Existing design rights have expired
- Filing habits of competing entities and more

Where the search highlights potential issues, these can be mitigated or avoided ahead of time.
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Why Opt For Design Searching Services?

Performing an adequately in-depth and successful design search is a complex and challenging process and one that is difficult to do without prior experience.

Without professional assistance, it can be easy to improperly search existing designs and miss key details. This could see you inadvertently infringing on another's design rights and potentially facing severe financial and legal consequences as a result.

Engaging an expert in this field not only allows you to make informed decisions about registering your design, but also makes your application more likely to succeed. Where FTO is established, it also facilitates a more successful launching of your design into the market.

For these reasons it is strongly recommended to invest in design searching services to save you time, money and unnecessary stress.
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Patent Attorneys & Design Searching Services

A highly skilled and qualified legal expert specialised in patent and design rights - a patent attorney is best placed to offer reliable, detailed design searching services, and to understand the nuances that come with it.

Whether you have already attempted to unsuccessfully undertake a design search yourself or have no idea where to begin, a patent attorney can assist.

Understanding the need for efficient, comprehensive and thorough design searches, a patent attorney expertly manages this process on your behalf.

Facilitating an error-free, streamlined process, they help to provide priceless peace of mind that your design is unique or support you to make modifications as needed for success.
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IP Guardian - Professional Design Search Services

At IP Guardian, our team of patent attorneys offer a wealth of experience and unmatched expertise backed by decades of legal practice. Skilled in all aspects of design rights, we provide you with trusted advice and guidance concerning design searches, applications and more.

Committed to providing affordable and accessible legal advice, our design searching services equip you with the necessary insights to register and monetise your design with no compromises on the quality of service.

Proud supporters of Australian innovation and committed to the protection of your IP, we’re the team you can rely on to expertly deliver unrivalled design search services.
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