Patent research is one of the most advanced market analysis methods in terms of introduction and diffusion of innovations. This is a complex instrument based on a careful analysis of all information sources associated with latest technological and scientific achievements with summary of possibilities and solutions for both legal and technical tasks. Patent research is carried out based on analysis of sources of patent information an involving other types of information depending on the objectives and tasks of research.

Patent research are useful for determining of patentability of items of industrial property and expediency of patenting; choosing a market niche and detection of potential competitor activities; arrangement of conditions of selling of industrial products at the markets of specific country and eliminating the violation of the rights of persons holding patents on their territory.

Patent research sometimes includes a patent novelty check. This is a check for possibility of using a technological item in a specific country without a risk of violating rights of previously issued legally effective patent. The requirements of patent novelty check depend on the country and the date due to the territorial and provisional effect of patents.

The patent research procedure includes several stages such as development of information retrieval schedule; the search for and selection of patent information and other scientific and technical information and its subsequent systematization and analysis and then presentation of the results of research in the form of patent research.

The information retrieval schedule sets out the research tasks and terms of execution, the scope of the search and the reporting forms. The research regulations define the subject of the search and its classification in accordance with the International Patent Classification (IPC), the International Classification of Industrial Designs (INCD).

A list of countries should be compiled where the search will be carried out depending on the purposes of the patent research. Also, when working with sources of patent information, the specialist determines the search depth (retrospective) which depends on the specific tasks of the research. The recommended retrospective should coincide with the generations turnover period (10-15 years).

The result of the patent research is this conclusion about patent novelty and patentability of the innovation subject. It is in fact a detailed information about the possibilities of using innovation without violating the rights of legally effective patents.