What is a Patent Application and/or a Patent Search?
A patent application, as generally referred to by practicing patent professionals, denotes a patent specification. In contrast, an application for a patent as filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), generally includes, besides a patent specification: several completed official forms (such as a prior art disclosure or petition-to-make-special), a cover letter, a return postcard (optional, but very important), and copies of foreign references and any technical or related articles or documents that were cited in the specification. In some cases, the "patent application" submitted to the USPTO, can also be accompanied by other pertinent items that may help the patent examiner better understand the invention, such as a video (tape, CD, or DVD) or a model. However, these latter items can be presented to the patent examiner during prosecution of the application, e.g., during an "interview".
Learn more about Patent Applications and How to Write Them
Prior to preparing the specification for a patent application, it is very important to perform a patent search for the invention. In some cases, the inventor may already be familiar with existing technology, or may already have their own collection of relevant documents and, therefore, may choose not to perform a prior art search. In any case, it is important to provide adeaquate information regarding prior art in the Background of the Invention portion of the specification.
Learn more about Patent Searches and How to Conduct Them