Freedom to Operate Search (FTO) /
Cardinal can provide a Freedom to Operate Search (FTO) or Clearance Search to identify patents and published applications that may pose an infringement risk to your product or service, as well as expired patents that may indicate that your product or service is in the public domain.
Depending on your needs, the Freedom to Operate Search or Clearance Search scope may be limited to U.S. patents and published applications or expanded to include foreign patent references. Expired patents and public domain evidence can also be considered and the status of each U.S. Patent is provided.
Freedom to Operate Search or
Clearance Search Strategy
- Identification of Best Fit Classes
- Keyword Searching
- Classification-limited keyword searching
- Keyword searching not limited by classifications
Freedom to Operate Search or
Clearance Search References Cited
- U.S. Patents
- Published U.S. Patent Applications
- Safe Harbor References
- Expired U.S. Applications
- Abandoned U.S. Applications
Freedom to Operate Search or
Clearance Search Reference Status
- Status as reported on front page of Public PAIR
(for all U.S. references in report)
Freedom to Operate Search or
Clearance Search Delivery Methods
- PDF version of report (via e-mail)
- IP Dashboard Search Report System (web-based report interface)
- PDF copies of each reference
- Zipped bulk download of all references
Freedom to Operate Search or
Clearance Search
Additional Add-On Services
- Additional Jurisdictions
- USPTO Maintenance Fee Payment Check
- Estimate of Patent Expiration Date¹
- Additional Distinct Features²
Freedom to Operate Search or
Clearance Search Turnaround Time***
- 5-10 Business Days
¹Cardinal uses a mathematical algorithm to determine an estimated patent expiration date.
This is for convenience only and is not a legal determination of the exact expiration date.
²Prices vary with extent and overlap with existing features.
***All turnaround times are approximations and are subject to change.