non patent literature search

Non-Patent literature (NPL) Search

Non-Patent Literature (NPL) Search is essential across a range of search categories, including patentability, validity/invalidity, landscape analysis, and infringement/monetization search. It expands beyond specialized patent databases and encompasses a wide range of literature sources like technical manuals, scientific journals, conference presentations, datasheets, social media platforms, and more. At Promax, we have curated an extensive repository of NPL databases, meticulously organized by technical categories, to streamline the NPL search procedure. Additionally, our in-house language experts enable us to perform searches in six different languages (Japanese, German, French, Taiwanese Mandarin, Korean, and Standard Chinese), ensuring comprehensive coverage across global markets.

Breaking Language Barriers, Accelerating Discoveries : Quick Multilingual Searches

Electrical, Electronics & Communications Industry

Conducting a Non-Patent Literature (NPL) search serves multiple essential purposes:

Discovering Relevant Literature: NPL searches assist in identifying pertinent articles, dissertations, and cited works related to the invention in question, offering valuable references and insights.

Market Analysis: They facilitate the recognition of market trends, product launches, sales figures, mergers and acquisitions, consumer behaviors, application areas, and competitor strategies, aiding strategic decision-making.

Early Access to Information: NPL searches provide access to information before patent/application publication, which can take up to 18 months, enabling proactive preparation and insight.

Legal Support: Information derived from NPL sources proves vital during patent opposition/litigation proceedings, furnishing evidence and reinforcing arguments.

Infringement/Licensing Investigations: NPL searches play a crucial role in identifying patent infringement or licensing opportunities by correlating products with patents, often relying extensively on non-patent literature.

Tailored Exploration: Customized searches, such as due diligence before business decisions or exploring niche areas, benefit from examining literature and products not always covered by patents.

Specialized Inquiry: Certain searches, such as those involving sequence and structure, are conducted on NPL databases due to the availability of standard information such as known sequences and chemical names.

Integration with Patent Searches: NPL searches can be seamlessly integrated with various patent searches, including Landscape Search, Patentability Search, Due Diligence, etc., offering a comprehensive view of the intellectual property landscape.

Who can benefit from NPL Searches

R&D Companies

Research Institutes/Universities

Individual Inventors/Researchers

Secondary Researchers/Analysts

Plaintiffs/Defendants in IP Cases

Non-Practicing Entities

Entities Interested in IP Assets

Why Choose Us for Non-Patent Literature Search

A Scientifically crafted collection of NLP databases, carefully categorized by technical categories to ensure relevant NLP search results.

Multilingual search capabilities for searching and reporting in 7+ languages.

Meticulously crafted tailor-made check-lists for consistent and exceptional quality of each search matter.

Extensive coverage across more than 50+ non-patent databases, encompassing over 100+ jurisdictions.

Robust processes and systematic approach for super prompt delivery for both bulk and single search requests.

Customized pricing tailored to accommodate the individual requirements of diverse clients.

Case Study

How Promax Helped a Leading Company Invalidate Patents Using NPL Searches

A leading company, facing a legal proceeding for patent invalidation, approached Promax with their specific requirement to conduct Non-Patent Literature (NPL) searches, with a focus on software-implemented methods claiming priority in the early 2000s. Usually, in this type of search, Promax proceeds with traditional searches in indexed and non-indexed databases and sources, archived databases, 70+ NPL databases, product searches, in-house datasheet libraries, etc. The client's demand for an NPL search for an almost two-decade-old technology presented a unique challenge. Promax devised a strategy combining indexed old website data and reverse engineering techniques to extract and identify the implemented software methodology from around 450 websites dating from 1996 to 2000. In the final report for this search, Promax provided 11 websites implementing the targeted software method along with their HTML codes. These websites served as the primary prior art for their patent invalidation campaign. The client was impressed by the depth and quality of the research done to uncover the references, expressing their satisfaction with an appreciation call.

Our clients praise us for our great results

“ I have been working with Promax from the past 5 years. They are handling our in-house work which includes prosecution, infringement scan, patentability and portfolio analysis. Promax gets to the point of what their clients really want and need.”

Patent Director

Silicon IP to Software, USA

Hi Aseem, I want to extend to Promax – and in particular to the team – my sincere appreciation for the work that was done on the E-Watch project under difficult circumstances. I especially appreciated the team’s willingness to work long days for two weeks straight so that we could meet our deadline. I know that many people had to make personal sacrifices so that production could be increased and the deadline could be met, and I am very grateful for those sacrifices. Moreover, I want to complement the team and Promax’s process for producing high-quality charts. Your team was able implement the changes suggested by us in an immediate and effective manner, which cut down substantially on the work we had to do after we received the charts. By the last week of the project, the quality of the work coming from the team was so high, I found no errors in the charts that were produced and no changes had to be made on our end. Please pass on my gratitude to the team for their hard work and dedication to the project. Without their commitment to the project we would not have met this difficult deadline. We will be sure to use Promax again. Thank you.

Director of Patents

Silicon Valley Based Semiconductor Company

Aseem Chadha is a Managing Associate at Promax Legal. I first met him at a conference in 2014. He made me a deal I couldn’t refuse and guaranteed he would find better art on a search project that I had already found in an earlier searched done by another firm. Aseem and his team came through. Aseem is a good listener and gets to the point of what his clients really want and need. Like you, Aseem is a very nice person, and I am sure you will enjoy meeting him. While Aseem is based in India, he does travel here from time to time.