Novelty Search Services
Know what already exists before you file.
Novelty search services designed to identify potentially relevant patent and non-patent disclosures before you commit to drafting and filing.
Hashi combines AI-assisted discovery with technical analysis to help identify relevant disclosures and give your patent team clearer evidence before making the next IP decision.
Direct answer
What is a novelty search?
A novelty search examines publicly available patent and other technical disclosures to identify earlier references that may disclose the features of an invention. It is typically used before patent filing to help identify potentially relevant disclosures and inform the next stage of patent strategy.
The commercial case
Before you file, find out what has already been disclosed.
A patent filing decision rarely stands alone. It commits drafting effort, attorney effort, filing cost, R&D investment and commercialization planning. A focused novelty search can help identify potentially relevant earlier disclosures before you move further — so the decision is made on evidence rather than assumption.
A search does not guarantee grant, and a clean result does not guarantee novelty. What it does is surface what is publicly known, so your team can weigh the next step clearly.
- Drafting effort
- Attorney effort
- Filing cost
- R&D investment
- Commercialization planning
Why it matters
Why conduct a novelty search before filing?
Identify earlier disclosures
Surface publicly available patent and technical disclosures that may be relevant to the invention.
Check key technical features
Understand whether the features you consider important have already appeared in the public domain.
Inform drafting
Give the drafting team additional technical context before claims are written.
Decide on deeper analysis
Help determine whether a fuller patentability assessment is warranted.
Reduce avoidable surprises
Encounter relevant references earlier rather than later in the patent process.
Support filing decisions
Move forward on evidence rather than assumption.
Timing
When should you conduct a novelty search?
A novelty search usually sits between technical development and patentability assessment — though the exact sequence can vary depending on the invention and your IP strategy.
- Step 1
Idea / Invention
- Step 2
Technical Development
- Step 3
Novelty Search
- Step 4
Patentability Assessment
- Step 5
Drafting
- Step 6
Filing
Search types compared
Novelty search vs prior art search vs patentability search.
Novelty Search
Primary question
“Has this invention or its relevant features already been disclosed?”
Focused on earlier disclosures relevant to the specific invention.
Prior Art Search
Primary question
“What relevant prior disclosures exist around this invention or technology?”
Broader investigation of the surrounding disclosure landscape.
Explore Prior Art SearchPatentability Search
Primary question
“Does the invention appear to meet novelty and inventive-step requirements based on the identified prior art?”
Adds an assessment layer on top of the identified references.
Explore Patentability SearchThese distinctions describe search scope, not legal conclusions. The precise legal assessment of novelty and inventive step depends on jurisdiction and professional legal analysis.
Search focus
What does a novelty search actually look for?
The objective stays narrow: finding earlier disclosures relevant to the invention's novelty.
- Technical features
- Components
- Functional relationships
- Technical mechanisms
- Alternative terminology
- Earlier patent disclosures
- Patent families
- Citations
- Relevant non-patent literature where appropriate
Beyond keywords
Why keyword-only novelty searches can miss relevant disclosures.
Different technical communities describe the same concept differently. The same mechanism may appear under engineering, product, standards, academic, legacy or competitor terminology — and a keyword-bound query only sees the words it was given.
How the same idea gets described
A modern search strategy may combine
- Semantic search
- Technical concept expansion
- Classifications
- Citations
- Patent families
- Inventor / assignee analysis
AI + expert review
AI can accelerate discovery. Experts interpret the evidence.
AI expands the search. Technical expertise makes the results useful. AI is an accelerator here — not an autonomous legal decision-maker.
AI-assisted discovery
- — Concept discovery
- — Terminology expansion
- — Semantic similarity
- — Document triage
- — Clustering
- — Relationship discovery
Human technical analysis
- — Technical interpretation
- — Relevance assessment
- — Context
- — Feature comparison
- — Evidence review
Our approach
How Hashi approaches novelty search.
- 01
Understand
Understand the invention and its technical objective.
- 02
Decompose
Break the invention into meaningful technical concepts and features.
- 03
Search
Use structured, semantic and classification-aware discovery.
- 04
Evaluate
Review potentially relevant disclosures for technical relevance.
- 05
Report
Present relevant findings in a clear, evidence-oriented format.
What you receive
Evidence you can act on.
Depending on the agreed scope, deliverables may include:
- Search objective and scope
- Search strategy
- Relevant patent references
- Relevant publication information
- Technical relevance commentary
- Key disclosure summaries
- Patent family information where relevant
- Search limitations and scope notes
- Evidence references
- Analyst observations
Who it is for
Who uses novelty search services?
Startups
Evaluate inventions before committing resources to drafting and filing.
R&D Teams
Assess whether a new technical solution warrants deeper IP investigation.
Patent Teams
Obtain focused search evidence before drafting or filing.
Universities & Research Organizations
Evaluate inventions before technology transfer or commercialization.
Technology Companies
Assess technical disclosures around new products and innovations.
IP / Legal Teams
Support broader prior-art and patentability investigations.
Industry applications
Novelty search for technology-driven industries.
Telecommunications
Semiconductors
Automotive & Mobility
AI & Software
Pharma & Life Sciences
Why Hashi
Why use Hashi for novelty search?
Technology-first search
Search strategy starts with understanding the invention and its technical concepts.
AI-assisted discovery
AI expands discovery and helps identify potentially relevant relationships.
Technical interpretation
Results are evaluated in technical context rather than presented as an unfiltered document list.
Evidence-oriented reporting
Findings are presented in a format designed to support the next IP decision.
Novelty search
Before you file, search what came before.
Have an invention you are considering for patent protection? Share the technology and the question you need answered — name, company, email, phone, technology, jurisdiction and the search you need.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about novelty search.
What is a novelty search?+
A novelty search examines publicly available patent and other technical disclosures to identify earlier references that may disclose the features of an invention. It is typically conducted before filing to inform the next stage of patent strategy.
Why should I conduct a novelty search before filing a patent?+
Drafting, attorney time, filing fees and commercialization planning all involve investment. A focused search can help identify potentially relevant earlier disclosures before that investment is made.
What is the difference between novelty search and prior art search?+
A novelty search focuses on whether the invention and its key features appear to have been disclosed earlier. A prior art search is broader and maps the relevant disclosures existing around an invention or technology area.
What is the difference between novelty search and patentability search?+
A novelty search identifies relevant earlier disclosures. A patentability search adds an assessment of whether the invention appears to meet novelty and inventive-step requirements based on the references identified. The precise legal assessment depends on jurisdiction and professional legal analysis.
Can a novelty search determine whether my invention is patentable?+
No. A novelty search helps identify relevant disclosures and informs decision-making. Patentability is a legal determination made by patent offices and requires professional legal analysis.
Does a novelty search include patent databases?+
Yes. Published patent applications, granted patents, patent families and citation relationships across major jurisdictions are typically covered.
Can novelty search include non-patent literature?+
Yes, where relevant to the technology. Journals, conference papers, standards documents and technical publications can be included based on the agreed scope.
Can AI be used for novelty search?+
AI is useful for concept discovery, terminology expansion, semantic similarity and document triage. It accelerates discovery; technical experts interpret the results and assess relevance.
How long does a novelty search take?+
Turnaround depends on the technology, the scope agreed and the jurisdictions in view. We confirm a timeline with you at the scoping stage.
How much does a novelty search cost?+
Cost depends on technical complexity, scope and the depth of analysis required. We provide a scoped quotation after understanding the invention.
What does a novelty search report contain?+
Depending on the agreed scope, a report may include the search objective and scope, search strategy, relevant references, technical relevance commentary, key disclosure summaries, family information, scope notes and analyst observations.
Can Hashi conduct novelty searches for international patent filings?+
Yes. Searches can be scoped across major patent jurisdictions and international publications to support filing strategies including PCT routes.
Related
Related patent search services.
Prior Art Search
Broader investigation of disclosures around an invention or technology.
Patent Search Services
The full patent search practice, from novelty through invalidity.
AI Patent Search & Analytics
Semantic discovery, landscapes and competitive analysis.
Patent Filing
Drafting, filing and prosecution support after the search stage.