A patent search company can conduct important searches for anyone seeking to register a patent. It's crucial to get as much information as possible to avoid the risk of patent infringement. You also want to turn in a complete and correct application so it's not rejected.

Some companies that do patent searches are listed here, not as an endorsement of their services, but simply as a way of listing a few organizations from various resources.

Planet Patent

Planet Patent uses cutting-edge tools to give clients a competitive edge. The company has an experienced research team that can search over 100 million patents and applications. They look at patents from 130 countries and examine foreign as well as U.S. patents. They also examine prior art.

The company specializes in the following types of patent searches: 

  • Aerospace 
  • Business method 
  • Biomedical 
  • Biotech 
  • Electrical 
  • Chemical 
  • Mechanical 
  • Genetic 
  • Medical Software

It offers the following searches:

  • Collection 
  • Infringement 
  • Novelty 
  • Right-to-use/clearance
  • Validity/invalidity 
  • State-of-the-art

Staff members include Ph.Ds, patent agents, and former patent examiners, all of whom bring ample skill and experience to their roles.

Glen Kotapish is the founder of Planet Patent. As a professional patent researcher, Kotapish has a background in aerospace manufacturing engineering, and he's written articles that have appeared in "Inventors Digest" and "Cafezine." He's also a member of the Patent Information Users Group (PIUG).

CPA Global

CPA Global, as the world leader in Intellectual Property (IP) Management and Technology, connects millions of IP users around the globe every day. It serves over 10,000 customers. The company is comprised of a team of innovators that works to bring more efficient ways to manage IP as well as to minimize risk, using revolutionary technology.

It has a global team of over 2,000 people, with 24 offices across four continents and 12 countries. CPA Global was founded in 1969, and they started out by providing services to their founding law firms.

Their market for IP services has increased over the past four decades, and they've expanded into Asia and throughout the U.S. Since the 1980s, they've provided trademark services. Starting in 2000, the company has provided essential IP software.

Key Players in CPA Global

The CEO is Simon Webster, who joined the company in 2000. In 2003, he was appointed to the Executive Board. He's served as CEO since October 2015 after serving in other positions, namely Chief Business Development Officer and Chief Operations Officer. He came to CPA Global from the financial services sector, where he achieved the following: 

  • Delivered technology transformations 
  • Led business change programs.

The company's COO is Gordon Samson, whose role includes ensuring operational delivery and maximizing efficiency. He's also responsible for overseeing seamless customer experiences in the organization. He brings a wealth of operational experience and senior management from several international businesses.

The Chief Commercial Officer is Patrick Simpson, whose primary responsibilities include pricing execution and driving the commercial strategy. He joined the company in 2009, and since then, he's filled a number of roles across all regions, including Operations, Sales, and Deal Management. Previously, he was part of the Corporate Development team.

Chief Product & Strategy Officer is Toni Nijm, a qualified patent attorney who's responsible for the product and services portfolio. Nijm drives the company's strategy for greater software connectivity and integration.

Chief Technology Officer is Phil Fearnley, whose primary responsibilities include overseeing the development and delivery of new products. A large part of Fearnley's role is to create an exceptional user experience. Therefore, he also focuses on research and development and how to transform emerging technologies into breakthrough products. He's also a digital strategist with 15 years of technical and business consulting experience.

There are many patent search companies you can hire to conduct a thorough search for you. It will cost you upfront, but the rewards are often worth it. This is key for anyone who'd rather spend the time developing his or her creation instead of spending lots of hours going through patent records. Companies that specialize in this area may provide plenty of background information on its key players, so you know you're getting qualified, experienced staff members to do a search for you.

If you need help with patents or searches, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.