It is advisable to ascertain if the subject matter of an invention is patentable, before strategizing patent protection. In other words, through conducting search the inventors can ensure that the technology invented by him has not already been disclosed or available in public. The prior art search can be performed using the paid or unpaid databases. The unpaid database which can be accessed freely are:
Google Patents;
Indian Patent Office: inPASS;
World Intellectual Property Organization: PatentScope;
United States Patent and Trademark Office: PatFT;
European Patent Office: espacenet;