While you are working on your invention, you naturally assume that you are dealing with something new . But it's never too early to keep an eye on the competition's position. A patent search in the database will tell you where you stand - you don't have to reinvent the wheel. However, research can also save you wrong turns, make your invention better and show marketing opportunities.
Patent databases: how do I find information?
The entries in a database are usually provided with information such as date, inventor, title and country. The patents are classified according to an international classification system (IPC - International Patent Classification), which is divided according to application areas. Of course, you can also search for keywords. However, it is not easy to find the protective rights that could cause you problems in a large number of documents. You can get help with the patent search in the information centers of the patent office.
Learning from competitors
If the result of the patent research is that your planned development has unfortunately already been registered as a patent by someone in a very similar way, you know where you stand. You can use the documents to compare: is the other person's solution perhaps better? Or can you think of a way to make it even better and use it to acquire a new patent? You might also be interested in what this patentee made of his invention. From this you can draw conclusions regarding your own plan. Does he market it successfully or has it become a slow seller? What would you do better? And if his patent is not valid in your country, you have a free hand. You don't always have to (completely) reinvent the wheel if you want to get things rolling! It's enough if you give it something do better . For this you should know what is already available.
Always a reason to search for a patent
This first patent search should not be your last. Because it is advisable to keep an eye on competitors and technical developments if you want to exploit your invention in your own company. Searching in the patent databases is helpful on the following occasions:
during inventing, as testing and inspiration
prior to patent application, prior art search
before launching a product ( Freedom to Operate )
to monitor the competition after launching your own product
The prior art search
In order to successfully register your patent, you must be able to prove that your invention does not affect any existing intellectual property rights and that it cannot simply be derived from the state of the art. A state-of-the-art search is therefore absolutely necessary for your argument. This allows you to differentiate your invention from others and explain the differences. The state of the art also includes articles in trade journals or trade fair presentations. If someone has already presented something similar somewhere, your invention is not new and not innovative enough - even if the competitor is based abroad and you didn't know anything about it. The state of the art also includes what you have already published about your own project. If you are planning to apply for a patent, you should not talk too much about your invention beforehand, so as not to jeopardize your own application.
Competitors always in view: competitor research
If your invention has progressed so far that you can bring it to market as part of your own company, you should first conduct thorough competitor research. Founders who think they have no competitors usually just haven't done their research properly. A competitive analysis helps you understand how others have positioned themselves. What prices do they charge for the comparable product? How are sales, marketing and service structured? How successful are they with it? This competitor research saves you from unrealistic expectations and disappointments. You can draw conclusions for your own concept from this. And last but not least, it is helpful to know the technical basis on which the products of the competitors are built: You can read about the details of the inventions in the patent databases.
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Investors convince with a well thought-out concept
Competitive analysis is also an important part of the business plan that you present to banks and investors. They are more likely to be persuaded to give you money if you can show that your concept is well thought out and that your product has a good chance of finding its place in the market . The relationship to the competitors is an important point. What exactly is your unique selling point ? What do you do better than the others and how do you convey that to the customer?
The competition never sleeps
Once your company has started successfully and you are earning money with your invention, you can breathe a sigh of relief. But just as you once came onto the market with a new idea, sooner or later others will try it too – known and new competitors. While your patent gives you up to 20 years of protection for your invention, someone else might come up with a better one. Intellectual property rights do not guarantee a permanent top position. It therefore makes sense to check regularly, in which direction the technical development is going. Inventors' and trade fairs provide an insight into this. Even more thorough is a regular patent search in the class in which your invention is classified, possibly also in related classes. From this you learn which path your competitors are taking and which new competitors you have to reckon with. However, a search in patent classes is quite time-consuming and requires a lot of experience to bring a usable result. If you prefer not to do this yourself, you can hire a patent attorney to do it and save time as well.
Ideas in competition help everyone
There is no such thing as the lonely inventor who creates his idea out of thin air and is not attacked by anyone on the market for decades. Just as you built your invention on the knowledge of others, so do your competitors. From development to commercialization, you are surrounded by others who are also creative and want to make money. It may not be comfortable, but it is no reason for resignation: learn from the others, in order to become better yourself and assert yourself in the market. Maybe that inspires you to come up with a new idea? You can save yourself having to completely reinvent the wheel, and wrong decisions made by others can also be revealing - so that you don't make those yourself. You can be sure that others will in turn build on your invention and observe you to learn from you. Without a competition of ideas there would probably be neither cars nor airplanes and maybe not even suitable light bulbs.
