Why would you want to do free patent searches? When you have a great new idea, you will probably want to find a way to turn it into money. The safest way to do that is to get a patent. But how do you know if your idea is patentable? The answer is to do a patent search.
If you ask a patent law firm to do a patent search, it will likely cost you a few hundred dollars. If your idea is not "new and novel" then that is money is wasted. It is therefore advisable to do a preliminary free search first.
Does this mean that you should rely on free searches only? No. When your idea has passed the preliminary free checks, you should then consult a good patent attorney. A more thorough search by an experienced patent searcher may be necessary to verify that there is no "prior art" that invalidates your idea.
