Understand the risks of potential infringement prior to launching a new product or service into the market. Freedom-to-Operate (FTO)/Clearance searches are used to determine the risks of potential patent infringement prior to launching a new product or service in the market. An FTO search identifies patents with claims that may cover a technology.
What Do I Need to Provide for a Freedom-to-Operate/Clearance Search?
A brief description of your product or service, including key features of your product or sevice.
The geographic region(s) for which you require a clearance (i.e., the regions in which you plan to launch and market your product or service).
A list of known competitors, patent holders, and/or patents that may be relevant to your product or service.
Reason for you to Conduct a Freedom-to-Operate Search?
Before launching a product or service in a specific region (i.e., the United States, Canada, etc).
Before finalizing a product design, so that possible workarounds can be engineered.
Prior to developing or launching a product, or investing in a marketing strategy.