What is the primary purpose of a search during patent examination?

The primary purpose of a search during patent examination is to identify relevant prior art after the examiner has read and understood the specification and claims. As stated in MPEP 704.01: “After reading the specification and claims, the examiner searches the prior art.” This search helps determine the novelty and non-obviousness of the claimed invention.

To learn more:

• patent examination
• prior art search
• patent prosecution