01
Methodological Rigor
Every project begins with a definitive research plan: the question we answer, the sources we exhaust, and the standard the conclusion must meet.
Patent Research & IP Intelligence · Since 2016
The Research. The Analysis. The Certainty.
In matters of intellectual property, the difference between a thorough search and a defensible conclusion is not technology — it is judgment. 3AIP brings rigorous methodology applied by experts who understand what the findings mean, not just how to find them.
Research coverage
8+ jurisdictions.
One accountable team.
One accountable team.
Trusted by IP teams & counsel at
SkaddenDLA PiperAT&TDinsmoreDuane MorrisFoley & LardnerKing & SpaldingYoung ConawaySterne KesslerMercedes-Benz
10+
Years in practice
Chandigarh Tricity, India
5,000+
Projects completed
1,000+ FTO & invalidity searches
300+
Clients served
law firms & in-house teams
50+
Countries covered
100+ technology domains
100%
Named analyst accountability
on every deliverable
A decade of patent research·Named-analyst accountability on every matter·Q3 2026: 380+ invalidation, 610+ patentability and 320+ FTO searches ·Patent, NPL, standards, product and prosecution sources.
01Start here
01
I need a search done
Prior art, FTO, invalidity or landscape research built around the decision it must support.
02
I need to verify AI output I already have
Send us your AI tool’s results. We assess what is reliable, what is weak and what is missing.
03
I need this to hold up in litigation
Documented reasoning trail, chain of custody and a named analyst who can stand behind the work.
02The layer of judgment
The layer of judgment between data and decision.
Patent data is plentiful; retrieval tools have made it more so. What remains scarce is the layer in between — reading evidence against the specific question, deciding what is genuinely relevant, and building a record the decision can rest on.
02
Litigation-Grade Documentation
Reports built for use, not for filing: every conclusion documented, every source traceable, every finding standing behind a named analyst.
03
Expert Interpretation
Our analysts deliver judgment, not raw findings: what was found, what it means for your question, and what to do about it.
04
Global Reach, Named Accountability
Coverage across major patent jurisdictions, with research plans aligned to the relevant offices, family records and technical sources. Every project is handled by a named analyst and reviewer.
03AI-assisted. Human-accountable.
How we use AI — and where we don’t.
Efficiency in retrieval. Accountability in judgment.
A prior-art search begins with a human. Our analyst reads your invention, understands it, and builds the search strategy from it — the concepts, classification codes and terminology that define where the relevant art will be found.
That strategy, not your disclosure, is what runs against public patent databases and technical literature, where AI-assisted retrieval compresses a vast field of public results and strips out the noise — the broad, redundant and tangential hits that consume time without changing the conclusion.
Your confidential material is never entered into any third-party AI tool.
Our analysts then read what remains against the invention and the claims and decide what is genuinely relevant. AI handles the breadth of public retrieval; a named human owns the judgment — and the confidentiality.
04What we do
Full-service patent research across the IP lifecycle.
01
Prior Art & Novelty Search
Novelty and non-obviousness research across patent and non-patent literature, including standards, academic publications and difficult-to-index sources.
02
Freedom-to-Operate & Clearance
Jurisdiction-specific clearance analysis focused on live claims, prosecution history and practical design-around options.
03
Invalidity & Evidence-of-Use
Litigation-ready research and evidence-of-use analysis supported by claim-level mapping and traceable source documentation.
04
Patent Landscape & White Space
Structured portfolio intelligence that clarifies crowded fields, emerging activity, competitor positions and open technical territory.
05
Claim Charts & Licensing Support
Clear, citation-led claim mapping for licensing, assertion, diligence, prosecution and portfolio review.
06
Patent Illustration
Formal patent drawings prepared for filing requirements across major jurisdictions and coordinated with prosecution teams.
07
AI Output Validation
Send us the output from your AI tool. We independently assess what is reliable, what is weak and what is missing. If you proceed with a comprehensive manual search on the same matter, your validation fee is credited in full against its cost.
05How we work
A pipeline built to make the research defensible.
Retrieval efficiency is only the beginning. Human review, documented reasoning and named sign-off turn findings into a record counsel can use.
01
Human-Built Search Strategy, AI-Assisted Public Retrieval
A named analyst reads the invention and builds the search strategy: concepts, CPC/IPC classifications, keywords and technical equivalents. That strategy runs against public patent databases and non-patent literature, where AI-assisted retrieval compresses a large field of public results. The client’s confidential disclosure is never submitted to any third-party AI tool.
02
Human Expert Review
A named analyst assesses every retrieved reference against the question the research must answer. Where the engagement is claim-focused — such as FTO, evidence-of-use or infringement analysis — the analyst maps the relevant claim elements against the technology or evidence under review. Hallucinated, unsupported or misapplied citations are flagged in every service.
03
Documented Reasoning Trail
Full audit trail: search queries run, databases accessed, relevance rationale for every included and excluded reference. Reproducible and defensible.
04
Named Sign-off
A credentialed analyst and senior reviewer co-sign every deliverable. The opinion is ours, not the algorithm’s. We can testify to the methodology.
06Selected work
Representative matters.
Client identities withheld
Invalidity · Electronics
- Challenge
- Existing vendors failed to find novelty-destroying prior art on a complex pre-AIA opposition.
- Approach
- 15+ days of manual analysis, with technical grounds argued to US patent-law standards.
- Result
- Found the one reference others missed.
“We believe we can challenge the patent’s novelty using the identified prior art. Good start!”
Invalidity · Mechanical
- Challenge
- Prior art for four distinct adjustment mechanisms in a European rolling-mill patent under a tight deadline.
- Approach
- Mechanism-by-mechanism search with steering interim reports.
- Result
- Relevant art for three mechanisms plus context for the fourth, on time.
“Phenomenal work, as always.”
Freedom-to-Operate · Medical Devices
- Challenge
- Prior art disclosing both cutting-teeth shape and side structure of a dental drill, where prior efforts fell short.
- Approach
- Exhaustive design-and-utility search, image-vs-image mapping and all-element analysis.
- Result
- The precise reference needed, market safeguarded.
“It seems your searchers are on the right track!”
Portfolio Analysis · 15,000+ documents
- Challenge
- An entire portfolio benchmarked, 100% manual, with no automation, in a fixed 30-day window.
- Approach
- A dedicated analyst team working by hand, weekly client calls and findings linked to real domain events.
- Result
- Delivered on deadline; led to two further mandates and the client’s FTO programme.
“The analytics linked to historical events made the entire dataset genuinely useful.”
07In their own words
The work, in the client’s words.
Client feedback. Identities withheld by segment and region.
“the art to date has been very good. I agree that the client would prefer stronger arguments over a faster return.”
“Regarding that search: the results were impeccable.”
“As said, I am quite happy with the new format, as it makes cross-checking and commenting quite easy.”
“Your results have been very helpful in assessing our options in the planned opposition proceedings. The documents you identified are relevant in the field.”
“The Korean document is a perfect disclosure — it makes clear this should break before the part is damaged.”
“That looks fantastic. The first prior-art document is a perfect hit — and the second is really good too.”
“The report looks good. We used the references you identified in submitting the third-party submission.”
“The Examiner has accepted the first application. Thank you for your excellent work.”
“Terrific work on these materials. I look forward to working together on further applications.”
“Thanks for the fast turnaround on the project.”
08Technical depth
01Mechanical Engineering
02Electrical & Electronics
03Medical Devices & Life Sciences
04Software & AI/ML
05Chemistry & Materials
06Patent Illustration
07India & Global Prosecution
09An extension of your team
Built around your portfolio.
For teams with recurring search needs.
Beyond individual projects, 3AIP works as an ongoing extension of in-house IP teams and firms — dedicated, credentialed analysts who learn your portfolio and core technology areas, coordinate directly with your attorneys, and work across a time-zone offset so searches progress overnight and results are ready when your day begins. For pre-filing, M&A and venture-diligence matters, confidential material is handled in controlled environments under NDA and is never exposed to third-party AI tools — the efficiency comes from public-source retrieval, the confidentiality from how we draw that line.
10Sample reports
See the standard of the deliverable.
Request a representative sample matched to the service and technical context you are evaluating.
01Medical Devices
Patentability & Novelty Search
Prior-art ranking, novelty assessment and claim-focused analyst opinion.
Download sample (PDF)02Mechanical Systems
Freedom-to-Operate Analysis
Live-claim review, jurisdiction risk matrix and design-around observations.
Download sample (PDF)03NLP / Software
Invalidity Search
Priority-date evidence, element mapping and documented invalidity rationale.
Download sample (PDF)04Connected Products
Evidence-of-Use Claim Chart
Product evidence mapped to claim elements with traceable supporting sources.
Download sample (PDF)05Battery Technology
Patent Landscape & White Space
Portfolio segmentation, filing trends, competitor positions and open territory.
Download sample (PDF)06CMOS / Semiconductors
Licensing Claim Chart
Use-ready claim mapping for licensing review and target prioritisation.
Download sample (PDF)07Mechanical Assembly
Patent Illustration Set
A coordinated drawing set prepared around formal filing requirements.
Download sample (PDF)08Electronics
Prosecution Search
Examiner-citation review, supplemental research and prosecution support analysis.
Download sample (PDF)09Multi-Jurisdiction Prior Art
AI Output Validation
Independent assessment of client-supplied AI results: what is reliable, what is weak and what is missing.
Download sample (PDF)Confidentiality built for pre-filing, M&A and sensitive diligence matters: NDA-first, isolated data environments, full audit trail.
See our security standardsBegin a conversation
Discuss a matter.
A 20-minute scoping call with the analyst who would run your search.