Question 1

What is InPASS and how can I use it for patent search in India?

Accepted Answer

InPASS (Indian Patent Advanced Search System) is the official IP India search portal at iprsearch.ipindia.gov.in. It lets you search all Indian patent applications by keyword, applicant, inventor, classification (IPC), or application number. PatentLab integrates with InPASS directly — every search result has a 'Check InPASS' button that pre-fills your query on the official portal for instant cross-reference.

Question 2

How do I do a prior art search in India before filing a patent?

Accepted Answer

A prior art search before filing should cover: (1) IP India / InPASS for Indian applications, (2) USPTO for US patents, (3) Espacenet/EPO for European patents, (4) Lens.org for PCT international applications (covers the full WIPO corpus), and (5) scientific literature (PubMed, arXiv, IEEE). PatentLab searches all these databases simultaneously and ranks results by AI-assessed relevance to your invention.

Question 3

What is IPC (International Patent Classification) and how should I use it?

Accepted Answer

IPC is the global classification system for patents, organised into sections (A–H), classes, subclasses, groups and subgroups. For example, G06F relates to electric digital data processing; A61K covers medicinal preparations. Using the correct IPC class in your search narrows results dramatically. PatentLab auto-suggests IPC codes based on your search query.

Question 4

Can I search patents by applicant name or company in India?

Accepted Answer

Yes. PatentLab supports applicant-name search across Indian Patent Office records and global databases. You can search by exact name or partial match. For Indian applications, results show the application number, filing date, title, and current prosecution status — including whether a FER has been issued and the response deadline.

Question 5

What is the difference between a patent application and a granted patent?

Accepted Answer

A patent application is a pending filing that has been published (18 months after priority date) but not yet examined or granted. A granted patent has passed examination, the applicant has responded to FER objections, and the Indian Patent Office has issued a Certificate of Grant. Only granted patents give enforceable exclusive rights. PatentLab's search clearly labels each result as 'Application', 'Examined', or 'Granted'.

Question 6

How many patents can I search at once on PatentLab?

Accepted Answer

PatentLab searches across 100M+ global patents in parallel — Indian Patent Office (InPASS), USPTO, EPO OPS, Lens.org (including full PCT/WIPO corpus), and Google Patents — in a single query. AI ranking surfaces the most relevant results at the top. Free users get 2 searches; Pro users get unlimited searches with advanced filters and AI landscape analysis.

AI Patent Search — Prior Art Search India & Global Databases