What is a Formal Patent Search of Classification in Canadian patent law?
<p>I am seeking to start patenting something, and have reached out to an organization that claims to be able to help with the patenting process.</p>

<p>They want to do something they call a Formal Patent Search of Classification, and to charge me for it, before starting to work on the patent application itself.</p>

<p>What is this Formal Patent Search of Classification? I haven't been able to find any information on it online. Does it differ from a preliminary patent search (as explained on the <a href="https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/h_wr03652.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CIPO website</a>) in any meaningful way?</p>

<p>Beware invention submission companies in general. However it makes sense to have a professional search for patentability done before drafting an application. Including a search by classification is a hallmark of a professional search.  Rather than just search by keyword, patents and patent applications are searched by a classification system. The various classification systems can be fine grained and can turn up prior art that didn’t happen to use the keywords you expected. For example</p>
<blockquote>
<p>G06K 1/20 .   Simultaneous marking of record carrier and printing-out of data, e.g. printing-punch</p>
</blockquote>
<p>in the CPC system</p>

canada patents