If you invent something, how do you know no one else has thought of it before? How do you find out if it’s new enough to be patentable, or if someone else already has a patent that could prevent you using it? – You need a patent searcher.
Note that there are also searchers who do a similar job, but analysing trade mark rights instead of patents and inventions. For this work, you would not need a science degree.
Last Updated: November 1, 2024
If you invent something, how do you know no one else has thought of it before? How do you find out if it’s new enough to be patentable, or if someone else already has a patent that could prevent you using it? – You need a patent searcher – also called a patent analyst – to trawl through the patent records and other relevant databases to check no one else has laid claim to the idea first.
As well as checking if an idea is really new or not, a patent analyst can explore the restrictions that might be in place to prevent a client exploiting the idea (this is known as a “freedom to operate search”), whether prior patent claims are valid, how many other patents have been filed in the same area and so on. Then they report their analysis to the client – which may be a business that has IP, or perhaps a patent attorney or IP solicitor. Analytics or landscape reports can also be prepared to illustrate patent filing trends and provide competitive intelligence related to particular companies or technology areas, which helps support data-driven decision making.
Patent analysts work closely with patent attorneys and scientists, often specialising in a particular technical area depending on their own academic background and expertise.
Like the patent attorneys they often work alongside, analysts can work for law firms or in the in-house legal departments of IP-rich companies. They can also work with specialist IP research providers, as freelancers, or even in government departments providing IP research to inform policy.
There are plenty of opportunities for remote working, because a great deal of the work is done online.
Patent analysts are sleuths who report their discoveries through maths when discussing trends and written technical reports when evaluating inventions. So, they need all the tenacity to dig through the databases, but also the judgement, number-crunching and computing skills to analyse, interpret and present their findings in graphs and charts and/or written analytical reports that answer their clients’ questions. They also therefore need to be good at understanding the business issues that lie behind a client’s request for data.
Patents are pretty technical things and to understand them, you need a good level of background knowledge, so a degree in a science area is pretty important. Ideally it should be something like biological sciences, computer science, physics or mechanical engineering – a field where lots of new discoveries are being developed.
Training is done on the job. You will typically follow a training plan, guided by an experienced patent analyst. You will learn to use IP databases, and develop a familiarity with IP law and procedures and the various types of IP research and analytics that are available.
Patent analysts work with the latest ideas and inventions, requiring strict confidentiality. Your insights can deliver real value to clients and inform their decision making.
The patents and the data are very technical and precise. There can often be several deadlines to manage.
Opportunities to join organisations as a patent analyst open up throughout the year and you can typically apply while you’re still at university completing your undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Find out which companies employ analysts, or have a lot of IP, and keep an eye on their websites. We also advise you check university jobs boards, and all the publications and online listings where jobs for STEM graduates are usually advertised.
The role of a patent examiner can be similar to that of a patent analyst, as it involves searching through databases to determine if an invention is new enough to be patentable: check the IPO website for opportunities in that role.