5. Check the rights of others before filing your application

It may be useful to spend some time searching patent databases to see what is already available with similar technology.

The Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO) can check for you

If you would like the NIPO to check Norwegian and international databases for you, you can order a preliminary search. This is a paid service.

As a patent authority, we use one of the world's fastest and most comprehensive search tools, covering extensive databases of patents and other literature. The databases include documents from many countries such as China, Korea, Germany and the United States, and a wide range of field-specific databases in chemistry, ICT, oil, etc.

It is important to be aware that a preliminary search does not give you an exclusive right. You must still file a patent application to protect your invention.

Read more about our preliminary searches

You can also check yourself

To find out if your invention is new worldwide, we recommend that you search international patent databases such as Espacenet and Google patents. (See the links below).

The NIPO database gives you access to all national patent applications and rights that are publically available.

You should also do internet searches, and check especially scientific and technical information/ articles in your particular field.

Your invention may be known from before, even if you do not find similar technology in an internet search. Searching for prior art can be complicated, especially in patent literature, where special words and expressions are used.

Useful links

Search NIPO's database 
List of international databases