A legal status search regards the legal status of an industrial property right.
In a legal status search it is possible to find out whether e.g. a patent has expired early, is still examined or was rejected or granted, whether an opposition or nullity suit is pending or whether the protection has been extended by a complementing protection certificate beyond the normal patent validity of 20 years.
The literature from the examination procedure or an opposition and/ or nullity procedure provides interesting information regarding the strength of a patent.
A legal status search can also help answering questions such as whether a property right has been transferred, which inventors are concerned, whether a license of right can be granted or in which states an European patent has been validated.