Check a Patent's Status Across the Adriatic

No. Patents only have legal effect in the specific countries where they (or a family member) were actually filed and granted. A patent existing in one country says nothing on its own about another — but the same underlying invention may also have been separately filed there.

When an inventor wants protection in multiple countries, they typically file a first ("priority") application, then extend to other countries within strict deadlines. All of these related filings — across every country — are collectively called a patent family.

Utility models (common in Germany, China, and elsewhere) protect similar subject matter to patents but have shorter maximum terms — typically 10 years, versus 20 years for a standard patent — and a faster, less rigorously examined registration process.

An active (granted) patent has already been examined and approved — it's fully enforceable. A pending application is still under review, but it can still mature into an enforceable right, so it generally deserves the same caution as a granted one.

Yes. A pending application can still block you once it grants, and in some jurisdictions can even create liability retroactively from its publication date. Pending status is not the same as inactive.

This usually means either a typo, an unpublished or internal reference number, or a right type outside standard patent/utility model formats. Double-check the number, or book a consultation for a manual search.

No. This tool checks only the one specific number you enter. A full FTO analysis searches for rights you don't yet know to look for — which is usually the bigger risk. Think of this as a quick first check, not a substitute for the real thing.

It uses AI-assisted analysis of publicly available patent records, and can make mistakes — particularly with unusual number formats or very recent filings that haven't fully propagated through public databases yet. Always confirm anything you plan to act on via a consultation.

"Designing around" a patent is a real, established strategy — but whether a specific redesign actually clears a specific patent's claims requires expert claim analysis, not a number lookup. Claim scope is often broader or narrower than the product description suggests.

No. Patent infringement is about making, using, selling, or importing the patented invention — it has nothing to do with your code's license. Open source addresses copyright concerns, not patent rights, which is a common point of confusion for developers.

Not necessarily. Utility patents typically protect the underlying technical function described in their claims, not visual appearance — that's what registered designs cover instead. A functionally similar product can still raise questions even with a very different look.

Patents are territorial to where you sell, import, or use the product — not primarily where you manufacture it. Producing overseas doesn't avoid a patent that's active in the country you're selling into.

Patent infringement generally attaches to commercial activity — making, using, selling, or importing — though the exact scope varies by jurisdiction and some allow narrow research/experimental exceptions. Either way, checking before you scale toward commercialization is exactly the right moment, not too early.

Investors increasingly expect IP risk to be addressed as part of technical due diligence. Having proactively looked into a specific concern — even via a preliminary tool like this — is generally viewed as a sign of diligence, not a red flag.