search services

Abel & Imray offers a wide variety of patent, trade mark and company search services using official records and many other sources. Searches may be undertaken in a variety of circumstances, with common objectives being to identify matter that may be relevant to the outcome of a possible patent, trade mark or design application, or to identify rights that might be infringed by activities a client may be wishing to commence. Illustrative services offered by us include invention novelty searches, patent infringement searches, trade mark availability searches, and trade mark and/or patent "watch" services.

We advise on the strategy to be employed having regard to the objectives of the search, and search strategies can be designed according to the client's own special needs.

We are able to offer many search services "in-house" but, where appropriate, we use the services of a number of specialist searching organisations. We also offer a service for the checking of the status of foreign rights using local official records.

Additionally, we are familiar with other types of investigative work, where for example we may need to use the services of a professional investigator in order to ascertain information concerning certain IP-related matters such as counterfeiting or infringement.