Novelty and novelty determination
In order to obtain a patent for your invention, it must meet certain requirements, one of the most important is that the invention is novel (new).
Novelty means that the invention must not have been prior to the submission of your application. It does not matter how, by whom or where it has been made known. The invention is deemed known even if you, yourself, have used or published it.
Databases
In our databases, you can search for already granted patents and public patent applications to get an idea of whether your invention is new or not.
Read more about patentability requirements and how they are assessed in our guidelines: