A prior art search is a search conducted by a patent attorney or patent agent to identify any prior art that is publicly available that effectively teaches or suggests your invention. The prior art that is searched includes published patents, patent applications, periodicals and other relevant sources of public information. Prior art searches typically utilize a combination of keyword searching, name searching and searching of art classifications used by the US Patent Office, in combination with other searching techniques, to find relevant prior art. Knowing whether or not something like your invention already exists out in the world can be very informative in your decision to pursue patent protection. The results of a prior art search can confirm whether your invention is novel and non-obvious, and worth protecting. Similarly, even if the prior art search yields some relevant results, these results can be analyzed to help determine the scope of patent protection you should pursue for your invention. A prior art search is a form of due diligence and the results can help you avoid getting a rejection from the Patent Office during the patent application process.