Location

We carry out an assisted search in your presence at the IPI premises.

Fee

CHF 300 including VAT (IPI Fee Ordinance Art. 3 para. 2, only available in German, French or Italian)

Discounts

You may eligible for a discount if you are participating in a funding programme and/or already have a voucher with a discount code from an innovation promoter.
If this is the case, please let us know in your application.

If the details provided prove to be incorrect, the IPI will invoice the applicant the standard service fee of CHF 300.

Frequency

Every natural or legal person can take advantage of up to two assisted patent searches within any twelve-month period.

Confidentiality

We maintain complete confidentiality regarding all information exchanged between you and the IPI, as well as the results.

Duration

4 hours maximum

8 hours maximum

8 hours maximum

Target group

All natural and legal persons

You are eligible for an Assisted Patent Search for the Promotion of Research and Innovation if:

• You work in a research institute (public higher education institute or university in Switzerland or an institution in the ETH domain); or

• You work in a company or institution that is supported by a promoter of research and innovation with whom we have concluded a framework agreement.

The search must serve a project run by your research institute or a project supported by a promoter of research and innovation.

You are eligible for an Assisted Patent Landscape Analysis if:

• You work in a research institute (public higher education institute or university in Switzerland or an institution in the ETH domain); or

• You work in a company or institution that is supported by a promoter of research and innovation with whom we have concluded a framework agreement.

The analysis must serve a project run by your research institute or a project supported by a promoter of research and innovation.

Scope

We search exclusively in publicly accessible data. We can carry out an initial basic search based on the time and databases available. If you require a more comprehensive overview of the state of the art, we recommend requesting an advanced search.

We can carry out an initial basic analysis based on the time and databases available. If you require a more comprehensive overview of the state of the art, we recommend requesting an advanced search.

We can carry out an initial basic analysis based on the time and databases available. For a more detailed analysis, an Advanced Patent Landscape Analysis is required, particularly for thematic categorisations or if a larger number of documents are to be examined or legal status information included. You can find search service providers on the advanced searches page.

Results

You will receive up to 50 matching patent citations free-of-charge and the associated complete patent document for up to 20 of these citations as a PDF file.

You will receive up to 50 matching patent citations free-of-charge and the associated complete patent document for up to 20 of these citations as a PDF file.

You will receive a report containing the results of the analysis, as well as up to 100 of the matching citations and the associated complete patent document for up to 50 of these citations as a PDF file.

After the search

If you would like to follow-up your search by applying to patent your invention, we recommend seeking advice from a patent attorney. He or she will help you with drafting the application and technical documents. The results of the Assisted Patent Search and our advice have no influence on the examination of your patent application.

If you would like to follow-up your search by applying to patent your invention, we recommend seeking advice from a patent attorney.
He or she will help you with drafting the application and technical documents.
The results of the Assisted Patent Search and our advice have no influence on the examination of your patent application.

If you need further support in evaluating the analysis, we recommend seeking advice from a business consultant or a patent attorney.
They will help you to interpret the results and plan the next steps.