Beyond the Obvious: Dr. Srin Achanta Takes the Stage at PIUG 2025 Annual Conference

Presented at the PIUG 2025 Annual Conference | May 6, 2025 (Tuesday)
Speaker: Dr. Srin Achanta, Managing Director, SciTech Patent Art & Chief Operating Officer, LitAgility

We are proud to announce that Dr. Srin Achanta, Managing Director of SciTech Patent Art Services and Chief Operating Officer of LitAgility, was invited to speak at the PIUG 2025 Annual Conference—one of the most prestigious gatherings of patent information professionals worldwide.

His presentation, “Unconventional Invalidity Search Strategies,” offered practical insights into one of the most complex and high-stakes aspects of patent research. Drawing on decades of experience in patent searching and litigation support, Dr. Achanta shared methodologies that help uncover critical prior art often missed by conventional search approaches.

About PIUG

The Patent Information Users Group (PIUG) is the leading international association for patent information professionals. Its mission is to advance the profession through education, networking, advocacy, and the exchange of best practices. The PIUG Annual Conference brings together experts from industry, law firms, government agencies, and academia, making it one of the most respected forums in the global patent information community.

Being selected to present at PIUG is a recognition of both subject-matter expertise and meaningful contributions to the advancement of patent information practice.

The Challenge of Invalidity Searches

Invalidity searches are among the most consequential searches conducted in the patent landscape. When a patent is challenged in litigation or inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, the quality and completeness of the prior art search can significantly influence the outcome.

A single piece of overlooked prior art may determine whether a patent claim survives scrutiny or is invalidated. In technically complex or crowded innovation areas, traditional keyword-based search strategies often fail to uncover the most relevant references, making advanced search methodologies essential.

What the Presentation Covered

Dr. Achanta’s session focused on identifying prior art beyond conventional search pathways and developing search strategies that withstand legal and technical scrutiny.

Key themes included:

• Reframing search scope based on the challenged claims rather than solely on the patentee’s description of the technology.
• Leveraging non-patent literature, including technical standards, product manuals, conference proceedings, and industry publications that are frequently overlooked in traditional workflows.
• Using forward and backward citation analysis to identify clusters of highly relevant prior art that keyword searches may not reveal.
• Exploring the role of AI-assisted search tools in expanding search coverage while maintaining efficiency and cost control.
• Applying litigation-driven insights to develop unconventional invalidity search strategies aligned with the evidentiary standards expected by courts and IPR panels.

The presentation emphasized that effective invalidity searching requires a combination of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and an understanding of how prior art will ultimately be evaluated in legal proceedings.

The Dual Perspective: SciTech Patent Art Services and LitAgility

Dr. Achanta’s presentation reflected the unique perspective gained from his leadership roles at both SciTech Patent Art Services and LitAgility.

As Managing Director of SciTech Patent Art Services—India’s oldest dedicated patent search firm, founded in 2002—he has spent more than two decades helping corporations, law firms, and innovators across the United States, Europe, and Japan navigate complex patent landscapes.

As Chief Operating Officer of LitAgility, he works closely with patent litigation teams, bridging the gap between prior art discovery and litigation strategy. This combination of search expertise and litigation experience provides valuable insight into what makes an invalidity search both comprehensive and defensible.

SciTech’s Commitment to Advancing the Patent Information Profession

Dr. Achanta’s participation at PIUG 2025 reflects SciTech’s longstanding commitment to contributing to the global patent information community.
Over the years, SciTech’s leadership team has actively shared knowledge and best practices through presentations, industry forums, and professional conferences, including IC-SDV and II-SDV. By participating in these platforms, SciTech continues to support the advancement of patent information practices while helping organizations make better-informed intellectual property decisions.

Presenting at PIUG further reinforces our commitment to thought leadership, professional excellence, and the continuous evolution of patent intelligence services.

Looking for Support with Invalidity Searches?

For organizations that implement CTI effectively, Dr. Achanta highlighted several strategic advantages: a clearer view of how technology spaces are evolving over time, early identification of freedom-to-operate risks and potential design-around opportunities, the ability to identify potential partners or acquisition targets based on innovation activity, better utilization of subject matter experts’ time by centralizing intelligence gathering, and a more creative and cross-disciplinary R&D culture when researchers are regularly exposed to the broader innovation landscape.

SciTech’s Growing Global Reach

Whether you are preparing for litigation, an inter partes review, licensing negotiations, or strategic patent assessment, a rigorous and well-executed invalidity search can make a critical difference.

Contact the SciTech Patent Art Services team to learn how our patent search and analysis expertise can support your intellectual property objectives and strengthen your case strategy.