POLICY

Conflict of Interest & Prior Art Search Work Product

All prior art search reports, findings, and deliverables shall remain the exclusive property of the client who commissioned the search. 
If multiple clients request searches on the same set of patents, each client will receive a unique, independently prepared work product, ensuring exclusivity and integrity. 
No prior art search results shall be shared, repurposed, or reused for any other client or internal use without the explicit written consent of the original client. 
Work product retention policies shall align with client preferences and industry best practices, ensuring secure archival or deletion post the engagement.

All prior art searches shall be conducted by a dedicated team, independent from any prior engagement to maintain impartiality and precision. 
Team members conducting searches shall have no prior involvement in related prior searches involving same patents to maintain objectivity. 
This strict separation guarantees that each delivery is original, client-specific, and free from prior influence.

Every prior art search request and work product shall be treated as strictly confidential, accessible only to authorized individuals. 
State-of-the-art security protocols shall be followed to safeguard client information, ensuring absolute discretion. 
Reusing or discounting prior work for a new engagement not only compromises confidentiality but also breaches professional ethics, which is an unacceptable risk.

Prior to accepting any prior art search request, a comprehensive conflict check shall be conducted to ensure there are no existing engagements with opposing parties. 
If a potential conflict is identified, the firm shall immediately notify the client and take appropriate action, including declining the engagement if necessary. 
If TT Consultants has previously conducted prior searches on all or some of the patents in question, our first step is to reach out to the earlier client without disclosing any details of the later client to seek their guidance on whether we may proceed with the new engagement in line with our internal policy. Once we receive a response, whether permission is granted or denied, we will inform the later client of the outcome, again without revealing the details of the earlier client and determine the appropriate next steps. Our endeavor is to ensure confidentiality, fairness, and compliance, giving all stakeholders confidence in the integrity of our work. For example, if the earlier client advises us not to accept the new case, we will respectfully decline the engagement from the later client on the same set of patents.

AI-driven searches shall be used solely as an enhancement to human expertise, with final results validated by subject-matter experts to ensure accuracy.
AI-generated insights will never compromise the originality, confidentiality, or exclusivity of client work-product.

By commissioning a prior art search with us, the client acknowledges and agrees to the terms of this policy, including the assignment of a new, independent team for subsequent searches on the same patent set, ensuring transparency and ethical compliance.