IPS watches and investigates

• Competitors
• Business areas
• Technical areas
• Specific intellectual property rights

Watches and analyses made by IPS are easy to understand and are tailor-made to suit our clients’ needs.

Let us give you some examples…

Watches of technical area(s)

What patents exist or have been applied for within a certain technical area?

We assemble monthly or quarterly reports of published patents based on the international technical classification systems with their subclasses and add, for example, key search words. We create suitable search profiles in consultation with our clients.

We search databases of patent applications and granted patents from national and international authorities such as the European Patent Office (EPO), the United States office (USPTO), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) and many others. From the results of these searches, for example in the form of short abstracts of patent applications and granted patents, you as client may choose the next step. You may wish to extract a full copy of a patent application, obtain copies of the patent claims or consult with our patent engineers or lawyers.

By simply filling in and returning to us the form included in our reports, we can quickly respond to your wishes.

The reports, regardless of whether you require them monthly or quarterly, will be sent to you for a flat fee. For consultations over and above those included in the flat fee, an additional charge is made.

Arrangements can be made to adjust the reports to suit your company’s special needs.

 Watches of Competitors Patents and Designs

Which patents and pending applications does a particular company have?How advanced are the competitors within our technical field? What trends can be identified? In which countries have our competitors applied for patents? When do they expire? The questions are many and varied depending on your information needs and demands. We monitor technology sectors, but will also focus on specific inventors of particular interest to you as well as named competitors. Our goal is to supply you with the information that is essential to your company in making the most effective decisions and to give you the control that today’s competitive climate demands.

The watch results will be presented either as abstracts or as graphs. Should you require more comprehensive reporting, arranged following consultation to establish the purpose and objectives of the watch and will include input from our patent consultants and lawyers. We can also compile and interpret material supplied by you.

Competitor watches –Trademarks

What trademarks are there within a specific trademark category? Who has applied for which trademarks? Which trademarks have lapsed? What products do my competitors appear to prioritise? Which trademarks belong to a particular company?

Our watches, for example from the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM), can give an early indication of developments, often before the production of newly registered products is under way. The watches give you the potential to acquire intelligence of competitor activities at an early stage. In mergers and acquisitions, it is vital to be fully aware of what is often the most valuable asset category, namely the trademarks.

 The watch results are usually in the form of extracts from databases or, should you so wish, written reports.

Investigation of specific intellectual property rights

Is a certain patent valid? Who has the right to a certain patent or patents? When does it or do they expire? Is a word, shape, or logo protected as a trademark? If so, what goods or services are covered by it? Which designs are registered? Are all systems go for launching a new product? Reports are prepared setting out the information you have requested.