Online preliminary examination of the invention
Our latest service is an online preliminary examination of the invention that allows us to quickly pre-examine a technical solution before the novelty search or before submitting a patent or utility model application.
Our examiners conduct the preliminary examination with you on the phone and via a computer. During the phone call you can monitor how the search is progressing on your computer, take part in the search or even influence the search.
The best results are achieved if you are able to actively take part in the search by providing search words describing the invention and by commenting on the patent publications revealed during the search. This service is particularly suitable for those skilled in the art and for inventors working in product development.
You only need a phone, a computer with an internet connection and an email address.
Outcome of the search
The online preliminary examination reveals interesting patent publications and provides a list of terms and patent classes used in the search statements. At the end of the examination we will send the retrieved information to you through a secured connection.
The preliminary examination outcome can be used to:
- evaluate the novelty and inventiveness of an invention
- plan possible further steps in developing or commercialising the product
- draft a patent or utility model application
- carry out further examinations on your own, such as on Espacenet or for ordering a preliminary novelty search.
How long does the search take?
At the very best, we can start the examination immediately on the same day, but generally within a couple of working days.
The time used depends on the issue to be examined and on the results obtained during the examination. The time used may vary and you can stop the examination at any time.
You need
- A telephone: In the preliminary examination the conversation is carried out by phone.
- An email: During the phone call we will send you a link to our computer conference program, which we will initiate to share the computer screen. No separate installation of the program is required.
- A computer: The computer conference program is best on a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen. The minimum resolution possible is 1152 x 768.
These arrangements provide you with the same view as our examiners have, and we can use an indicating arrow when examining various points on the screen.
All contact with us is confidential, and our data security meets all the generally approved requirements. The computer conference program uses AES encryption to protect the data.
Prices
The basic fee for the service is €400 that includes 90 minutes of examination. After 90 minutes the fee is €40 for each 15 minutes of examination. An invoicing fee of €6.50 and VAT (24 %) is added to the invoice. You are responsible for your own equipment costs.
How to order
Call our consulting engineers to order an examination. The number is +358 29 509 5858. You can also send an email to advice.patents(at)prh.fi.
Tell the consulting engineer what your idea, invention proposal or similar is all about. We will choose an examiner who is specialised in the field your invention falls into to carry out the examination. The examiner will contact you to fix a date and time for the examination.