Key Steps in the Freedom to Operate (FTO) Search Process | IIP Search

A Freedom to Operate (FTO) search helps ensure your product doesn’t infringe on existing patents before market launch. This process involves understanding your product, defining target jurisdictions, conducting comprehensive patent searches, verifying legal status, analyzing claims, and delivering a detailed FTO report. Partner with IIP Search for expert, reliable FTO search services that help safeguard your innovation and support confident product commercialization.

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1. 2. Define Jurisdictions
3. Execute the Search
4. Verify Legal Status
5. Analyze Claims
6. Deliver FTO Report
Since patents are territory-specific, identify where you’ll
manufacture or sell your product (e.g., U.S., Europe, Asia).
This ensures full market coverage and minimizes
infringement risks.
Your product’s features are compared against patent
claims through detailed claim charts.
If overlap is found, options like redesign, licensing, or
patent challenge are considered.
The final report includes key findings, risk levels,
and actionable recommendations to support
safe and confident product launches.
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Experts explore global patent databases
(USPTO, EPO, WIPO, etc.) using keywords,
classifications, and citations to find relevant
patents and applications.
Each identified patent is checked for validity,
expiry, or abandonment to focus only on
enforceable rights.
1. Understand the Product
Start by clearly defining your product’s features and
functions.
Analysts work with R&D teams to pinpoint technical areas
that might overlap with existing patents.
KEY STEPS IN THE
FREEDOM TO OPERATE
(FTO) SEARCH PROCESS