Prior Art Searching is all of the research needed to find all the products and inventions that are similar to an invention that you want to patent. Prior Art Searches are done to find out whether the invention (or an obvious precursor) is already written about somewhere in the world before you apply for a patent. Documentation of existing patents, patent applications, and non patent literature from around the world is searched for. A professional prior art search can save you a lot of time and money in drafting and filing a patent application.