Invalidity & validity research
Validity-oriented prior-art research for patents in software, AI/ML, data processing, distributed systems and cloud infrastructure. We locate relevant disclosures, map them to the claim elements in question, and document every source so your team can verify it.
FROM $3,120 · 10 BUSINESS DAYS · FIXED FEE · DETAILS
Software and systems patents are often drafted in functional language that maps onto many implementations. The relevant prior art is scattered across patent literature, academic papers, standards documents, product manuals and archived software releases — frequently described in different vocabulary than the claims use.
Finding it is only half the work. Counsel needs to know exactly where in each reference a limitation is disclosed, how confident that reading is, and whether the document predates the relevant date. That takes technical judgement and careful documentation, not a list of search hits.
What the research covers
We break the claims under investigation into individual limitations and identify the terms and technical concepts that will drive the search.
We record the priority, filing and publication dates of the subject patent and agree the cut-off date that references must predate.
Searches across patent publications using classification, keyword, citation and family-based strategies.
Academic papers, conference proceedings, technical standards, documentation and archived web material, where publicly accessible and in scope.
Promising references are read in full and the passages, figures and columns relevant to each claim element are located and cited.
Elements with weak or no support are reported as such, together with what was searched and where further work could focus.
Workflow
Agree the claims, elements and any claim constructions to investigate, plus the relevant date.
Expand terminology and synonyms, identify classifications and seed references.
Run patent and non-patent searches and screen candidates for technical relevance and date.
Read the strongest candidates closely and locate passages relevant to each element.
Build an element-by-element matrix with pinpoint citations and observations.
Deliver findings, the evidence matrix, search record and stated limitations.
Deliverables
The exact deliverables are agreed in the quotation. A typical report includes:
Every mapped element points to a specific location in a specific document, so findings can be checked quickly.
The matrix and register are structured for counsel and experts to extend into their own work product.
Weak elements are flagged rather than stretched, which saves time later in the matter.
Our work is technical research. Whether a reference qualifies as prior art, and whether a claim is invalid, are legal determinations for qualified counsel.
Price & delivery
A fixed fee for an agreed scope, confirmed in writing before any work starts. No hourly billing. Larger scopes are quoted as a fixed add-on, and the quote is free with no obligation.
What can change the fee
Rush delivery in half the standard time: +50%. 50% on acceptance of the quote, 50% on delivery. Invoiced via Stripe (card or bank transfer). All pricing
FLAGSHIP
from$3,120
Delivered in 10 business days
Each additional independent claim: +$960
Questions
Software and computing broadly: AI and machine learning, data processing and databases, distributed systems, networking, cloud infrastructure, security and related areas. If a matter falls outside that, we will tell you during scoping.
Yes, where it is publicly accessible: academic papers and proceedings, technical standards, documentation, and archived web and software material. The specific sources searched are recorded in the report.
Yes. If you provide constructions, or alternative readings to test, we map evidence against them and state which reading each observation relies on.
No. We report the technical evidence and how it relates to each element. Legal conclusions remain with you.
Yes. A common pattern is a scoped initial search followed by deeper mapping on the most promising references, each quoted separately.
Describe your research objective and we’ll come back with a proposed scope, deliverables and a fixed-fee quotation.