Take the plunge into the world of intellectual property. Find out how to do patentability searches, litigation research, and state-of-the-art-searches.
Patents, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (october 15, 2014)Roger Royse
How does the patent system work? How can you use it to protect your company's intellectual property and safeguard your technology? How valuable are patents and how does your company enforce them (or defend against patent rights)? Have the recent and proposed reforms helped or hurt the startup community? Our panel will discuss these and other cutting edge issues dealing with the patent process and how your company can maximize value.
Patents, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (october 15, 2014)Roger Royse
How does the patent system work? How can you use it to protect your company's intellectual property and safeguard your technology? How valuable are patents and how does your company enforce them (or defend against patent rights)? Have the recent and proposed reforms helped or hurt the startup community? Our panel will discuss these and other cutting edge issues dealing with the patent process and how your company can maximize value.
The propensity and speed of technology licensing: at LUISS Guido Carli Univer...Ian McCarthy
Licensing speed: There has been much research interest in the speed of innovation, although few consistent findings have emerged. In this study, we unpack the innovation process and focus on the commercialization stage to examine two questions: Which licensor and patent characteristics determine the speed of licensing? How does the speed of licensing impact the royalties and lumpsum payments to licensors? We addressed these questions by proposing that licensing speed is influenced by variables for licensor prominence (size and experience), licensor knowledge structuration (technological depth, technological breadth and experience), and patent appeal (forward citations, scope and complexity). We predict and find that these variables work to increase the size, complexity and duration of the licensing-out task, while also allowing licensors to take their time to review, negotiate and select agreements with higher royalty rates. These findings are counter to arguments for a fast-paced innovation strategy, as it suggests that for the commercialization stage of the innovation process the relationship between licensing speed and licensor royalty
rates rewards a ‘less haste, greater payoff approach.
This Presentation teaches on how to search patent using various patent database like Free patent database, Patent database of National Authority and Paid patent database. It also focus on general parts of the patent and why patenting is needed. This presentation was delivered to M.Pharm. student by Mr. Pratik Vora for supporting them in their dissertation topic search. Hope you may find it helpful to you, also.
Are you interested in patenting your invention but don’t know where to start? Then come to Milwaukee Public Library’s free monthly Patent Searching 101 program. Patent searching is the first step in the patent application process; it ensures your invention is new and thus eligible for a patent. Business librarians will explain the seven-step search process and talk about changes in patent law due to the America Invents Act.
Prepare for smooth sailing complying with government requestsIpro Tech
Producing data and working with the government does not need to cause waves.
Whether it’s a routine document production, 2nd request, or investigation, we will walk through everything to alleviate anxiety when working with the government.
Full steam ahead!
This presentation addresses the why, what, and how to protect inventions from the vantage point of the early-stage, pre-financing, start-up company that is interested in patenting its inventions and developing an intellectual property portfolio that maximizes the company's valuation and sets it up for success during the intellectual property due diligence that accompanies financing rounds, corporate partnerships, commercialization, and merger and acquisition.
The propensity and speed of technology licensing: at LUISS Guido Carli Univer...Ian McCarthy
Licensing speed: There has been much research interest in the speed of innovation, although few consistent findings have emerged. In this study, we unpack the innovation process and focus on the commercialization stage to examine two questions: Which licensor and patent characteristics determine the speed of licensing? How does the speed of licensing impact the royalties and lumpsum payments to licensors? We addressed these questions by proposing that licensing speed is influenced by variables for licensor prominence (size and experience), licensor knowledge structuration (technological depth, technological breadth and experience), and patent appeal (forward citations, scope and complexity). We predict and find that these variables work to increase the size, complexity and duration of the licensing-out task, while also allowing licensors to take their time to review, negotiate and select agreements with higher royalty rates. These findings are counter to arguments for a fast-paced innovation strategy, as it suggests that for the commercialization stage of the innovation process the relationship between licensing speed and licensor royalty
rates rewards a ‘less haste, greater payoff approach.
This Presentation teaches on how to search patent using various patent database like Free patent database, Patent database of National Authority and Paid patent database. It also focus on general parts of the patent and why patenting is needed. This presentation was delivered to M.Pharm. student by Mr. Pratik Vora for supporting them in their dissertation topic search. Hope you may find it helpful to you, also.
Are you interested in patenting your invention but don’t know where to start? Then come to Milwaukee Public Library’s free monthly Patent Searching 101 program. Patent searching is the first step in the patent application process; it ensures your invention is new and thus eligible for a patent. Business librarians will explain the seven-step search process and talk about changes in patent law due to the America Invents Act.
Prepare for smooth sailing complying with government requestsIpro Tech
Producing data and working with the government does not need to cause waves.
Whether it’s a routine document production, 2nd request, or investigation, we will walk through everything to alleviate anxiety when working with the government.
Full steam ahead!
This presentation addresses the why, what, and how to protect inventions from the vantage point of the early-stage, pre-financing, start-up company that is interested in patenting its inventions and developing an intellectual property portfolio that maximizes the company's valuation and sets it up for success during the intellectual property due diligence that accompanies financing rounds, corporate partnerships, commercialization, and merger and acquisition.
WTO was born on 1st January 1995 with main objective to improve the welfare of people of member countries.
Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably & freely as possible.
Workshop for Global Entreprenuership Week on advanced tools and topics for patent searching including Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and international patents. Classification searching is covered in depth.
ENT101 Season 3 - IP Management - Norton Rose FulbrightNORCAT
Intellectual property (IP) is the lifeblood of every knowledge-based startup or venture. In “IP Management”, learn how to identify and manage your intellectual property in a strategic way and examine how it fits in with your overall business model. A large part of your competitive advantage will depend on your ability to protect and properly exploit or commercialize your product or service innovations.
It is focused to provide basic knowledge on prior art search for new intellectuals in the field of IPR. It includes Basic knowledge of Prior art, File wrapper analysis, not list preparation, and one of the important law of Prior Art.
Patentability Search or Patent Novelty Search by U.S. Patent Attorney Trained Patent Expert. The patent expert will take into account international patent classification (IPC) and USPC to identify the patent results. The patent researchers can also perform patent Invalidity , patent Landscaping, Freedom-To-Operate, and Invalidity Search.
For an invention to get a patent the potential invention must be new, useful, and non-obvious. A Patentability Search, called a Patent Novelty Search or simply a Novelty Search, is a search of prior art (the body of pre-existing knowledge) conducted on behalf of a potential patent applicant.
From Proof of Concept to Patent: The Nitty Gritty About the Patent ProcessHovey Williams LLP
Overview of the different types of intellectual property, the details of the patent process, common misconceptions and how-tos. Presented by Crissa A. Seymour Cook, Hovey Williams LLP.
Government information is now being made available on the go via smart phone applications. This session will explore creating mobile applications using government information as well as one government library’s experience evaluating mobile applications for use in an agency setting.
Chicago has recently launched major government transparency efforts. Learn more about open data initiatives in the Windy City, particularly the work of the Metro Chicago Information Center.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptxEduSkills OECD
Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
Biological screening of herbal drugs: Introduction and Need for
Phyto-Pharmacological Screening, New Strategies for evaluating
Natural Products, In vitro evaluation techniques for Antioxidants, Antimicrobial and Anticancer drugs. In vivo evaluation techniques
for Anti-inflammatory, Antiulcer, Anticancer, Wound healing, Antidiabetic, Hepatoprotective, Cardio protective, Diuretics and
Antifertility, Toxicity studies as per OECD guidelines
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Honest Reviews of Tim Han LMA Course Program.pptxtimhan337
Personal development courses are widely available today, with each one promising life-changing outcomes. Tim Han’s Life Mastery Achievers (LMA) Course has drawn a lot of interest. In addition to offering my frank assessment of Success Insider’s LMA Course, this piece examines the course’s effects via a variety of Tim Han LMA course reviews and Success Insider comments.
2. Presenters
• Chris Vestal
– Chris Vestal is a Government Consultant with LexisNexis in the Washington DC
area. Before he joined LexisNexis Chris worked as a contractor at the United States
Patent and Trademark office where he conducted nearly 700 prior art searches for
patent examiners. Chris is the current DC/SLA Communications Secretary. Chris can
be reached at Chris.Vestal@lexisnexis.com
• Kristin Whitman
– Kristin Whitman is a reference librarian with Landon IP, a private patent research
firm, and was one of the founding members of Intellogist (www.Intellogist.com), a
free patent searching resource and community. She now serves as a librarian on
Landon IP’s internal Reference Desk, promoting knowledge capture and knowledge
sharing within the organization. Kristin can be reached at Kwhitman@landon-
ip.com
3. Road Map
Defining a patent
Discuss roles for librarians in patent research
Explain parts of a patent
Explore researching techniques for patents
Discuss machine translations
Determine the status of a patent
4. Defining a Patent
What’s a Patent?
What’s the Patent Process?
Why Deny a Patent?
What is Prior Art?
5. What is a patent?
A grant made by a government that confers
upon the creator of an invention the sole right
to make, use, and sell that invention for a
certain amount of time (in the US 20 years
from the date the application is filed)
6. What’s the Patent Process?
• Adjudicated by Patent Examiners
• Time intensive, complex process
• Reviewed at number of levels (individual
examiners, the US PTO, court system)
• Typically includes several office actions from
patent examiner and several amendments
from applicants
8. Two major reasons to deny a patent
102b “Bullseye”
Invention was already patented or described in another
publicly available document more than one year prior
to US application date.
103a “Duh it’s obvious”
Subject matter as a whole would be obvious to a person
having ordinary skill in the art.
In both cases examiners rely on "prior art" to justify their
denial
9. What is Prior Art?
Any information which is used to describe public,
technical knowledge prior to the invention by applicant
or more than one year prior to their application date.
Two distinct types:
Patent literature - previously granted patents or
published applications
Non-patent literature (NPL) - literally anything and
everything that's not a patent
11. Road Map
Defining a patent
Discuss roles for librarians in patent research
Explain parts of a patent
Explore researching techniques for patents
Discuss machine translations
Determine the status of a patent
12. Opportunities for librarians
• Competitive intelligence
• Commercially viable technology
• Locating partners for R/D
• Generating profit for your organization
• Providing legal protection to your organization
• Safeguarding your organization’s intellectual
property
13. Road Map
Defining a patent
Discuss roles for librarians in patent research
Explain parts of a patent
Explore researching techniques for patents
Discuss machine translations
Determine the status of a patent
15. Topics
• Patent Number Basics
• Bibliographic Standards
• Types of Data On the Patent Face
• Numbers and Dates In-Depth
• Patent Families
• Retrieving Patent Information from the Web
16.
17. Patent Numbers: Country Codes
• Every country has their own patent system.
• Every patent number begins with a two-letter
“country code.”
• The country code indicates what country or
regional authority issued the document.
– Examples:
– US – United States
– JP - Japan
– FR – France
18. Country Codes
• Sometimes the country codes derive from the
native language name of the country, e.g.
“Deutschland” for Germany.
– Examples:
– DE – Germany
– GB – UK (Great Britain)
– CH – Switzerland
– HR - Croatia
19. Publication Numbers
• Patents are identified by “publication numbers”
• Challenges:
– Each country has a different numbering format
– Applications and granted patents also have different
numbering (in most countries).
• Examples:
– US 7,541,107 (B2)
– US 2005/031930 (A1)
– EP 1296389 (A2)
– JP 2003100317 (A)
20. Publication Numbers
• Most database systems make you remove the
punctuation, or the search won’t execute
– A granted patent is written US 7,721,889 (B2)
– Search systems want US7721889
21. Kind Codes
• Every patent publication number is followed
by a one or two character “kind code.”
– US 7,721,889 B2
• A kind code can be a single letter, or a letter
followed by a number, e.g. “A,” “A1” “B2”
• The kind codes indicate the publication stage,
where it is in the patenting process.
– Published patent applications aren’t deleted when
granted patents issue! They remain in the db.
22. Kind Codes
• The beginning letter is the most important
– If it is followed by a number, that usually indicates
some secondary information
• The typical meanings of kind code letters:
– A – first published (usually published apps)
– B or C – granted patents
– U – utility models (short-term patents)
– S – design patents
23. Kind Codes
Challenges
• The meaning of kind code differs by country
– Up until 2001, US granted patents had kind code
“A”
• It can also differ based on year of issuance
– After 2001, US grants now have B kind codes
24. Topics
• Patent Number Basics
• Bibliographic Standards
• Types of Data On the Patent Face
• Numbers and Dates In-Depth
• Patent Families
• Retrieving Patent Information from the Web
25. World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) Standards
WIPO creates standards that control the format
of bibliographic data on patent documents.
– Most patent authorities follow these standards
Two-digit "INID" codes in parentheses appear
next to each data element on a patent face.
– e.g (22) denotes "application date"
See Further: Handbook on Industrial Property Information and Documentation, WIPO
ST.9 www.wipo.int/standards/en/pdf/03-09-01.pdf
26. WIPO Codes and Non-US Docs
The WIPO 2-digit codes can help you make
sense of non-English documents.
On the next two slides, you'll see:
- A US patent document with INID codes
- A Japanese (JP) patent doc with INID codes
Both have application date fields labeled (22)
27.
28.
29. Topics
• Patent Number Basics
• Bibliographic Standards
• Types of Data On the Patent Face
• Numbers and Dates In-Depth
• Patent Families
• Retrieving Patent Information from the Web
30. Inventor vs Assignee/Applicant
• Inventor - individual or group of individuals
who created the invention.
– Can be multiple inventors
– Never changes
• Assignee - individual or corporation. Legal
owner who has the right to assert the patent.
– Changes when the patent changes hands
– Change in ownership not reflected on the patent face!
Patent is not re-published to reflect change.
– Outside of the US, the assignee is called the "applicant."
33. Patent Classifications
Specific classification systems for patents
• National Classifications
– The US, Europe and Japan all have their own
system
• US classification system – USPC
• European classification system – ECLA
• Japanese classification systems – F-Index and F-terms
• International Classifications (IPCs)
• All major authorities are required to use International
Patent Classifications, also known as IPCs
34.
35. Patent Classifications
Example from Granted US Patent US 7,541,107 B2
Example below includes IPC and US classes
36. Citations (“References Cited”)
Patent applicants are required to disclose any
known material which might relate to the
patentability of their invention
These citations are published on the patent face
• Citations to other related patents
• Citations to related “non-patent literature”
40. Patent Sections
• Title
• Abstract
• Drawings
– Drawing pages appear directly after the first page
• Description
o Background of Invention
o Drawing Descriptions
o Examples
o Note: the description is sometimes called the patent
“specification.”
41. Patent Sections: Claims
• Claims
– The legally enforceable part of a patent.
• When reading claims, remember:
– Language in claims has specific legal meaning
– Only an attorney can correctly interpret claims.
42. Misunderstandings about Patents
• Published Application US 2009/0244009 A1
• Title: TABLET COMPUTER
• Abstract: A tablet computer is composed of a
tablet component and a keyboard component.
The tablet component houses all the essential
hardware…
• This person really thinks they can patent a
tablet computer??
43. Misunderstandings about Patents
• Read the claims
Claim 1:
A tablet computer comprising… a
counterbalance armature attached to the
keyboard component that extends from the
keyboard component to oppose a moment of
inertia of the tablet computer…
44. Topics
• Patent Number Basics
• Bibliographic Standards
• Types of Data On the Patent Face
• Numbers and Dates In-Depth
• Patent Families
• Retrieving Patent Information from the Web
45. Numbers and Dates
• Publication Number and Date
• Filing or Application Number and Date
• Continuity Information:
• “Related US application data”
• Priority Number and Date
46. Publication Data
A publication date on a published application is
the date of availability to the public.
A publication date on a granted patent indicates
the date that the patent was issued.
- On the face of the granted patent, it will be called
"date of patent."
- In an electronic database, it will be called a
"publication date"
47. Publication Date on Granted Patent
• “Date of Patent” is called “publication date” in
electronic databases
48. Filing/Application Data
A "filing date" or "application date" is when the
paperwork was filed at the patent office.
-In the US it's called a "filing date"
-In other sources it may be "application date"
An application number is an ID number,
assigned at the time of filing, that identifies
the (unpublished) application.
51. Related US Application Data:
Explanation of “Continuations”
• In the US, patent applications can be split into
branches. Each action creates a new application.
• Continuation
– Applicant wants to re-draft the claims of their original
application (but no new inventive material)
• Continuation-in-part
– Applicant has new improvements to the invention
• Divisional
– Examiner splits the application up because it contains
multiple inventions
52. Related US Application Data
Example from Granted US Patent US 7,541,107 B2
1111111111111111
53. Utility of Application Data
Why do we care about application data?
• Related published apps vs. their grants will have:
– Two different publication numbers and dates
• (because they are two different documents)
– The same application data
The application data shows a relationship
between the documents.
– It is now easy for an electronic database to link
the two.
54. The Concept of "Priority”
We have learned:
– Applications don't always go straight to grant
– Inventions can be split into multiple different
applications, and multiple patents are granted
• These patents will all stem from a single initial
application.
• This application data is known as the
"priority.”
• This is a simple explanation – there is more complexity!
55. The Importance of "Priority“:
International Filings
• Applicants can file many other patent
applications around the world
• The concept of priority binds international
patents together via application data
– Again, the “priority” is the first application in the
chain
• Electronic databases can use priority data to
link related international patents together.
56. Topics
• Patent Number Basics
• Bibliographic Standards
• Types of Data On the Patent Face
• Numbers and Dates In-Depth
• Patent Families
• Retrieving Patent Information from the Web
57. Review
• Each nation has its own patenting system.
• Each national patent is only legally
enforceable in the country of issuance.
• When you find a US patent, it is likely that
there are related patents in other countries.
58. Example of a Patent Family
Patent families
include related
patents from all
over the world
Germany,
Bulgaria, Italy,
France, Poland,
Hungary, Austria,
Cuba, Mongolia…
60. Simple Patent Families
• Some family types are small and exclusive, and
all documents are very closely related
• Simple families mean all documents must
share exactly the same priority data
• Branches that have separate priorities (e.g.
from continuations-in-part) will fall off
62. Inpadoc/Extended Families
• Some patent families are broad and inclusive
• These families will contain "branches" off of the
original application
• This approach brings in distantly related inventive
material
• The common broad family type is an called
"Inpadoc" or "extended" family
– each document must share a priority with at least
one other doc in the family
63.
64. Retrieving Patent Families is
Essential
Takeaway:
• If someone asks you to retrieve a patent, you
should research and provide patent family
data.
65. Recommended Sources
• There are many examples of small family files,
many specific to certain for-pay search
products.
• Inpadoc extended family data is widely
available in free products
– Espacenet, a free search service from the
European Patent Office, is one major source
– http://worldwide.espacenet.com
72. Road Map
Defining a patent
Discuss roles for librarians in patent research
Explain parts of a patent
Explore researching techniques for patents
Discuss machine translations
Determine the status of a patent
73. Researching Patents
Search Tools
Search Strategies
Putting the Pieces together
77. Search Tools: EAST
Examiner’s Automated Search Tool
• The major database US Patent Examiners use
• Searches US Pre-grant Publications, US OCR (1920-1979 ), US Patents,
and IBM TDB in full text
• Searches Derwent, JPO, and EPO as abstracts
• Assesses data stored on multiple servers within the US PTO
• A member of the public can register with the US PTO and physically
come to its public search room to use EAST
Pros: best tool for quickly viewing a large number of images, allows some
classification searching
Cons: only available at the US PTO, can’t handle sets of large results like
commercial databases, main focus is US material, US OCR quality is low
79. Search Tools: Defensive Disclosures
Sometimes companies will have an idea they don’t think
is commercially viable so they may decide not to pursue a
patent
To prevent another company obtaining a patent on the
same idea they publish a document that describes their
idea in detail. This is a defensive disclosure.
• IP.com is a major source of defensive disclosures
• IBM is one of the biggest publishers of defensive
disclosures
91. Search Strategies: Keyword
Searching
• Truncation
• Proximity/Adjacency
• Controlled vs. Uncontrolled
• Field Limitation
• Search terms in Specification vs Claims vs NPL
92. Search Strategies: Classification
Searching
US Classification System (retiring soon)
International Patent Classification (IPCs) system
– Strength-most widely used
– Weakness-inconsistently applied
European Classification System (ECLA) - very granular classifications (retiring
soon)
Cooperative Patent Classification (CPCs) - debuting next year, replacing ECLA
and US systems
Derwent Manual Codes - commercial classification system with high degree
of granularity for most subjects
93. Search Strategies: Classification Searching
Codes can be used as synonyms for concepts
– drum OR G10D13/02
Can be combined with keywords to restrict
results to a subject area
– (shell OR body) AND G10D13/02
94. Search Strategies: Inventor
Searching
Inventor Searching = searching on the inventors’
name
– author:(jobs, s* or jobs s*)
Assignee Searching = searching on the name of
current or past assignees
– assignee:(Apple*)
95. Search Strategies: Inventor
Searching Tips
If Assignee is academic institution do a detailed
inventor search in scholarly sources
If Assignee and inventor are the same do a detailed
search in commercial news sources and open source
tools like Google and YouTube
If Assignee is a well known company do a field
limitation search and a free text search on their name
in commercial news sources and patents
96. Search Strategies: Foreign Search
Reports
Report issued by a foreign patent authority which may cite
art impacting patentability of the application
Cites specific documents used for denying a patent or for
background information
May lead directly to prior art or to documents for citation
searching
Sources: EPOline, Espacenet, IpSum, AIPN, kIPO
97.
98. Search Strategies: Semantic Searching
The Siri of patent research! Software tools parse free text,
indexing, or classifications to provide you with “similar”
material to what you already have.
Pro: Fast and not labor intensive, can identify additional
synonyms or classifications, can also provide a starting
point for citation searching
Con: This is very much hit or miss, can lead to frustrating
results
Sources: Ip.com More Like This, LexisNexis Total Patent,
Proquest Dialog, Related Content links
101. Search Strategies: Citation
Searching
If there’s a document that is close to what you’re
looking for and it has an older publication date try
forward citing it to see if you can get exactly what
you’re looking for:
– Using the MAP command in Dialog File 342
– Espacenet citing documents’ link
– Thomson Innovation - hyperlinked citing sections and
citation map
– IEEEXplore’s hyperlinked references and citing documents
section on Abstract Plus
103. Researching Patents
Search Tools
Search Strategies
Putting the Pieces together
104.
105. Putting the Pieces Together
US 20120017746
Title: Tone Control Device for Percussion
Instruments
Filing Date: July 26, 2011
Inventor: Chad Patrick
Assignee: none listed
107. Putting the Pieces Together
Search terms:
(drum or drums or drumshell or drum shell or
drumhead or drum head)
(dampener or dampeners or muffler or muffles
or muffling or muffled or dampened or
dampening or dampens)
(bag or bags or beanbag or beanbags or sac)
108. Putting the Pieces Together
IPC: G10D13/02 - drums or tambourines
Strategy: use as a search term in lieu of drum terms
(dampener or dampeners or muffler or muffles or
muffling or muffled or dampened or dampening or
dampens) AND G10D13/02
109. Putting the Pieces Together
US 20120017746
Title: Tone Control Device for Percussion
Instruments
Filing Date: July 26, 2011
Inventor: Chad Patrick
Assignee: none listed
113. Road Map
Defining a patent
Discuss roles for librarians in patent research
Explain parts of a patent
Explore researching techniques for patents
Discuss machine translations
Determine the status of a patent
115. Challenges
• If you find a non-English patent, you may be asked
to find a machine translation
o English family members are not always present
o Hand translations are expensive; MTs are a good first step
• Machine translation technology is still evolving
o General translation engines can't handle sci/tech
vocabulary well
o Certain language pairs are less developed (for example,
Finnish to English)
116. Tools/Sources
• Some national patent offices provide English MTs -
Japan, Korea, WIPO's Patentscope
• Commercial systems load pre-translated collections
o Can be searched with English keywords
• Questel's Orbit.com and LexisNexis TotalPatent both
contain over 20 full text pre-translated collections
• Regional authorities have multiple official languages
o EPO: English, French and German
o WIPO: 8 official languages, including both latin and non-
latin character sets
117. Road Map
Defining a patent
Discuss roles for librarians in patent research
Explain parts of a patent
Explore researching techniques for patents
Discuss machine translations
Determine the status of a patent
118. Post-Grant Events
• Maintenance fee payments due – is the patent
expired due to non-payment?
• http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/pair/
• Legal status on Espacenet
• Re-assignments – who really owns the patent?
• http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/?db=pat
• Litigation – who is getting sued?
– Search federal district court dockets, not patent
offices!
• PACER http://www.pacer.gov
• CourtLink and Westlaw
119. America Invents Act
• This Act passed in late 2011
o System changed from "first-to-invent" to "first-to-file."
Inventors granted one-year grace period from public disclosure
to filing
o Curtailment of "patent trolls," those who litigate using
patents they have purchased from others
A "troll," or "non-practicing entity," owns IP but does not make
any product related to that IP
The law restricts new patent suits to be filed against one
company at a time, eliminating the shotgun approach
This makes it more costly to file litigation
120. Now you know ...
• What a patent is
• The opportunities that exist for you in patent
research
• The different sections of a patent
• How to search for patents and prior art
• The scoop on machine translations
• How to find the status of a patent