An inventor can start his or her own Patent Search by accessing the US patent information database at http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html. The U.S.P.T.O. US patent information database may be the most popular means of search that can be used by a layperson.The US patent information database only contains “keyword” searchable patent data from 1975 forward. A US patent information database, publications and journals is also an important step to assure the patentability of the invention. Inventors can make a search of patents already granted in text books, journals and other publications to be sure that someone else has not already invented their idea. They may hire someone to do it for them or may do the search on the US patent information at the Public Search Room of the US Patents and Trademark Office in Arlington, Virginia, on the PTO web page on the Internet, or at one of the US Patents and Trademark Depository Libraries across the country.

Patent database is a collection of information pertaining to patents. It is always good to refer to do patent search in a patent database before investing thousands of dollars in patent application. This way inventors can save money if during the search in patent database they found out that the invention is a ‘prior art’. All is not lost for the inventor though if that happens because he or she can always claims certain elements of the proposed invention to be patentable.