Prior Art

What is Prior Art?
Prior art refers to scientific and technical information that exists before the effective date of a given patent application

Prior art may include:
◼ previous patents
◼ trade journal articles
◼ publications (including data books and catalogs)
◼ public discussions (conference and seminar)
◼ trade shows
◼ brochures
◼ products, devices & equipments

Why Search for Prior Art?

Prior art search will help you to:
◼ understand your competition
◼ avoid patent infringement
◼ write your patent application
◼ learn more about your field of invention
◼ Save the cost of patenting process

Note:
The results of a good patent search should reveal any identical, similar, or partially similar inventions to the one you might patent.

How to Search for Prior Art?
An on-line prior art search can be done by a keyword search

Keyword search
◼ list the keywords that you would use to describe the invention
◼ think of all possible aspects of the invention and choose keyword that describe each aspect

Note:
The quality of a keyword search will depend on the appropriateness of keywords selected

For more information, please contact:

Intellectual Property Division
Putra Science Park
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Tel: 03-9769 1636
E-mel : bhi_sp@upm.edu.my
Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Intellectual Property