Here is everything you need to know about Freedom to Operate Analysis

Freedom to operate refers to whether it is commercially safe for you to produce or sell your product in the country without infringing the rights of the third parties. Freedom to Operate or FTO is an essential component when applying for a patent or wants to release a product in a new market.

To be precise, conducting an FTO search is often the best way to minimize the risks of infringing the IP rights. Quite interestingly, an FTO search is also referred to as a patent clearance search. With an FTO search, you would be able to forecast the types of patents encompassing your processes or products. So let’s take a glance at the various aspects of FTO and its importance.

When do you need to opt for an FTO Search?

To be precise, an FTO analysis should be executed promptly in the development cycle of a particular process or product. If you carry out the freedom to operate analysis in the earlier stage, there would be two benefits:

  • You would be able to avoid needless costs and wasteful distribution of resources
  • You would be able to decrease the threat of litigations in the future.

A viable FTO search would provide you with key insights into the developmental phase itself. In other words, there, you can avoid the costly provision of resources. By opting for a professional FTO search, you can also have access to the chance to apply for a patent for current technologies. And in case you own a start-up, the freedom to operate can make potential investors confident of investing in your organization.

A Brief Overview of the FTO Analysis

Note that an FTO analysis is the assessment of the search results, which emphasizes the patent’s claims. And as this process involves thorough analysis, you need to opt for a professional company that can deduce results from the assessment. Note that this is also the reason that FTO search is an expensive process when compared to other patent search methods.

Ensemble IP is your ideal option when the context is about FTO analysis. From helping you choose the proper jurisdictions to the use of non-patent literature, they are one of the most efficient service providers of FTO search. Quite impressively, Ensemble IP provides you with global coverage along with feature mappings which facilitates a risk-free approach.