Discovery Dispatch

An Infringment search is often the first step in due diligence prior to releasing a product for sale.  Companies often consult their attorneys prior to launching a new product and the attorneys contact a search firm to conduct an infringment study.  The attorney submits a description of the product to a searcher and the searcher conducts a patent search limited to active patent art to identify patents having claims which may be enforced against the product should it come to market.  It is often the case that patent owners sue companies for products being sold that infringe their intellectual property.  Checking for infringment prior to introducing a new product is highly advisable.  Deliberately ignoring the prior patent art may result in triple damages because of the lack of effort to diligently search prior to introducing a new product.  Due diligence shows a judge that a reasonable effort was undertaken to avoid infringing anothers intellectual property.