To make sure that do not exist works of intelligence or business names already protected, it should be an obligation for who deposit a question of patent or register a brand of enterprise like moreover it happens in other states of the world, even if in reality only few di this type of inquiry, either for the difficulty and the cost of it, or because often such researches, out of chemical reason, are unfounded. But in our state patents and trademarks are granted without any examination of originality, so from this point of view they do not guarantee in any way the inventor. To do an estimate research we can follow different ways. By some UPICA offices, which are by the Rooms of Commerce in each Province, it is possible to do a research consulting the national data Bank o patents and brands and to develop, with very restrained costs, an inquiry about the existing patents and brands.
This type of inquiry do not offer much security and the minister itself warns some uncertainity of the data that could result incomplete. Also the best hypothesis, a research on the national data Bank does not offer any garancy just because it contained only italian patent and brands, while there aren’t all the patents deposited in the other parts of the world that could remove the originality of the patent or have an effect on the national territory. By some UPICA offices, we can always do a more deepened research consulting the CD-Rom related to the international and european patents which are available for the public.
The mentioned inquiry is the most economical but also the most insecure, both because there aren’t from the files available for the public the data related to the many patents and trademarks, or because the research it is usually planned wrongly. This type of research is based on finding uot the patents that contain in the title one word introduced by the user: so if we wont to see how many vacuum cleaner are patented we can insert in the engine of search the word “U.C.” and it will be given a result with a list of files that contain such word.
It will seem to have finish the research, but in reality it won’t be many patents that simply pertainig vacuum cleaner do not have introduced in the title this word, defining it, for example “electrical household appliance to eliminate dust”. Certainly a research by UPICA it is always better than nothing and in case it results that a patent it is already existant it will let save money and useless time, while, in case won’t result any anteriority won’t sufice to be completely sure. To do a serious and deepened research, at present, the best thing to do is to apply a specialised office like ours that to do such research.
If you need further information, or an estimate of the costs, contact us by E-Mail: info@ufficio-brevetti.it, Phone/Fax: (0039) 0587 734105, or just make an appointment and meet us in our office in order to put your problem. The first consultation is always free!