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November - December 2004

 


 

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Monday, 20 December 2004

  • STNews - November/December 2004 Edition Now Available
    In this issue:
    STNews
    Feature - 2004—year in review
    Database News - Database News Articles
    Ask REGgie - Retrieving structure nodes in rings and chains
    Search Tip - Using thesauri on STN
    Power Up - Searching for biomedical engineering information in COMPENDEX
    Patent Interchange - Using the Patent Number Wizard or the Patent Search Assistant

    | STN Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • New Zealand & Australia - IP Co-operation
     The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) has just posted a media release in relation to "TRANS-TASMAN ECONOMIC MARKET: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CO-ORDINATION". It will be of particular interest to both our Australian and New Zealand readers. IP Menu has reproduced the bulk of the media release below, however you may view the full media release here.

    IP Australia’s Director General, Dr Ian Heath, and New Zealand’s Chief Executive of the Ministry of Economic Development, Mr Geoff Dangerfield, today announced a joint work programme on intellectual property (IP) co-ordination between Australia and New Zealand.

    “The work programme will cover the areas of patents, trademarks and plant breeders’ (or plant variety) rights” Dr Heath said. “Our ultimate objective is to provide for a seamless intellectual property rights processing regime in each of these areas” said Mr Dangerfield.

    The government agency heads said that Australia and New Zealand have a strong interest in providing intellectual property rights that promote innovation. “By working together we can lower costs and improve services for businesses seeking IP rights in both Australia and New Zealand. Anything we do will also need to contribute to the development of global co-ordination.”

    The work programme will be carried out by the two government agencies and will examine means to progress co-ordination both within existing laws and by aligning laws where possible. An initial report will be provided to both the Australian and New Zealand Governments in mid-2005. “We are responding to the call from the Australian Treasurer and the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister to develop a seamless trans-Tasman business environment, or “single economic market”, by reducing compliance costs and other regulatory barriers” Mr Dangerfield said.

    This work programme will also fulfil the mandate in the 2000 CER MOU on the Co-ordination of Business Law that the two countries explore “the potential for more closely co-ordinating the granting and recognition of registered intellectual property rights.”

    “Any co-ordination arrangements will need to ensure adequate availability of support services (such as patent attorneys) to business” Dr Heath concluded. “They will also need to be flexible enough to allow each country to pursue specific policy objectives (such as intellectual property issues of interest to Maori in New Zealand), while maintaining the overall thrust towards co-ordination of policies and processes”.

    | IPONZ Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • Patently Silly During the Silly Season
    For those readers who haven't had a chance to visit Daniel Wright's "Patently Silly" website, I strongly recommend it for some interesting and entertaining reading.
     patently silly
    "The holidays upon us. It's time to open our wallets to show our loved ones that we care. But what do they want? In the tradition of great inventions, Patently Silly is here to make your life easier. We've delved through the archives to prepare a collection of some of the hottest, newly-patented gadgets. Unfortunately, most of them are not yet on the market. Bonus points to anyone that can find them for sale" - Daniel Wright.

    | PatentlySilly Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Thursday, 09 December 2004

  • Europe - Seminar on Search and Documentation Working Methods
    The European Patent Office is organising the 17th edition of the Seminar on Search and Documentation Working Methods, to be held from 4 to 7 April 2005 in The Hague.

    "The importance of searching in the field of patents has taken on increasing significance in recent years. The quality of searches carried out in industry is not only important for supporting research but can also have far reaching consequences for business planning and estimating exposure to risk in areas such as financial decision making, public research, new businesses, or investments in new technical domains.

    The EPO is a leader in the field of search and documentation and its working practices are constantly evolving. We are keen to share our knowledge with those in industry engaged in similar activity as well as being eager to hear about the industry perspective.

    We have put together a programme aimed at people carrying out searches in the private sector i.e. industry, firms of patent attorneys, universities etc. The programme starts with lectures on the latest methods in use at the EPO followed by a range of more specialised workshops from which a choice is made. The last day of the Seminar is optional and involves pairing up the participant with an Examiner for a day of hands-on searching in a chosen field.

    The Seminar will be held over four days at the EPO in The Hague from 4 to 7 April 2005 and there is no fee for attendance. Full registration details are available at the EPO Seminar website here.  Details of the proposed program are available here.



    | EPO Website | EPO Seminar Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • WIPO Magazine - November/December 2004
     The latest edition of the WIPO Magazine for November/December 2004 has been published on the WIPO website. In this issue:

    2 Results of the Fortieth WIPO Assemblies
    6 Creativity by Children – A Chinese Experience
    8 Intellectual Property as a Lever for Economic Growth - The Asian and Pacific Region Experience (Part II)
    13 IP & Business - The ‘Outsourcing Offshore’ Conundrum: An IP Perspective
    17 Establishing IP Institutions in the LDCs (Part III)
    21 Republic of Korea Creates Fund-In-Trust to Enhance Cooperation
    22 Public Outreach - Turkish Patent Institute: Promoting Partnerships
    24 Conference on Accession of European Community to Madrid System
    25 African Technology and Intellectual Property Day

    | WIPO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • PatentCafe - Intellectual Property Law Magazine Launched
    PatentCafe have announced the launch of a new magazine focusing on Intellectual Property law.

    "The focus of the new IPFrontline Intellectual Property and Technology Magazine is on news, trends, technologies, patent and trademark laws, policy and social issues related to discovery, protection, exploitation, and enforcement of patents. IPFrontline is the newest entrant into mainstream intellectual property law publications, offering proprietary content not available elsewhere, including the IP200 directory of the top 200 rankings of patent and IP law firms and corporations receiving issued patents and published patent applications.

    The new IPFrontline magazine also publishes weekly-updated Patent Indices Reports covering 14 key industry segments, and charts 10 year pendency trends, and 52 week data on issued US patents and published applications. Reported industries include: Aerospace & Defense; Auto & Transportation; Banking and Financial Services; Chemicals; Computer Software; Computer Hardware; Electronics; Energy & Utilities; Health Care; Manufacturing; Media, Entertainment; Metals & Mining; Pharmaceuticals; Telecommunications".
     National Case Law, IP Blogs, Patent Leader Board & Patent Analytics

    | IPFrontline Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Wednesday, 08 December 2004

  • Canada - Technical Amendments to the Patent Act
     A new Bill has been introduced which proposes two "technical" amendments to the Patent Act.

    The first amendment will provide relief to patent holders and applicants affected by the 2003 decision of the Federal Court of Appeal in Dutch Industries Ltd. v. The Commissioner of Patents, Barton No-Till Disk Inc. and Flexi-Coil Ltd. The Bill will provide a one-year time limit for innocent parties, who incorrectly paid their patent fees at the lower small entity fee level instead of at the higher large entity fee level, to make the necessary payments to secure their patents.

    The second amendment ensures the Senate equal participation in assessing and recommending eligible candidates for an expert advisory committee to the government to be established under the Jean Chrétien Pledge to Africa.

    To find out more, visit the CIPO website here.

    | CIPO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 07 December 2004

  • Europe - News from the European Patent Organisation
     Lithuania is now the 30th member of the European Patent Convention.

    Bosnia and Herzegovina - the EPO now allows applicants to extend their patent applications and patents to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has observer status in the Organisation.

    Latvia, Malta and Norway are due to also join the European Patent Organisation in the foreseeable future.

    | EPO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • USA - Advance Notice Regarding Changes to Patent Fees
    The USPTO is reporting proposed changes (increases) to patent fees. "If enacted in its present form, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (Consolidated Appropriations Act), will revise patent fees in general, including maintenance fees, and will provide for a search fee and examination fee that are separate from the filing fee, during fiscal years 2005 and 2006. This notice provides advance notice to the public of the changes to patent fees in the Consolidated Appropriations Act. In particular, with respect to maintenance fees, this notice advises the public to remain vigilant as to the effective date of the Consolidated Appropriations Act and to consider paying maintenance fees early or taking other appropriate steps to ensure that their patents remain in force".

    To read more, click here.

    | USPTO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • IP MENU Update
    IP MENU has updated the following Intellectual Property Resources:  

    IP Firms - Barbados - Z. Vanessa Kodinye
    "Established since 1999, VANESSA KODILINYE is an Attorney-at-Law (Barbados) and also a Solicitor of the Supreme Court (England and Wales), (non-practising). Her practice includes contract and commercial law, land law and conveyancing, wills, probate and succession, intellectual property, company law, and matters pertaining to international business companies. A highly professional service and individual attention to clients is the hallmark of this practice."

    IP Firms - India - BLS Detectives
    "We are a professionally managed and highly motivated organization providing Investigation & Detection Services and having information gathering skills in wide range of fields, with resources drawn from Premier Investigating Agencies in India."

    IP Firms - Romania - NOWPATENT s.r.l.
    "Intellectual Property Agency."

    IP Firms - Turkey - Pusula Patent Intellectual Property Services Ltd.
    "Pusula Patent Intellectual Property Services Ltd. serves to his local clients and foreign associates covering almost all aspects of Intellectual Property comprising filings and prosecution of patents, trademarks, industrial designs as well as their litigation. The IP branch of the firm works together with the legal branch in PusulaPatent and advise and represent in all areas of industrial property law within Turkey. Online filing of EPO and PCT applications is also available within Pusula Patent by way of a secure and integrated means of electronic communication provided by related offices. Online filing of EPO and PCT applications is also available within Pusula Patent by way of a secure and integrated means of electronic communication provided by related offices."

    Drafting and Electronic Filing Resources - Ed Perez
    "We are a Patent and Technical Illustration firm. We have over 20 years experience in the illustration field across divers industries. Our commitment is the peace of mind of our customer. Peace of mind is achieved when a client knows that he or she will receive the best possible service, in a quick and professional manner, during a crucial time in business."

    IP Firms - Spain - ABG Patents, S.L.
    "European and Spanish Patent Attorneys and Consultants."

    Posted by Scott Ly and Matthew Downing

Monday, 06 December 2004

  • Delphion - Derwent Enhancement
     Delphion has just announced that users can now use Derwent World Patents Index® (DWPI®) data, along with full-text patent office data, in their intellectual property workflows through enhancements made to Delphion productivity and analysis tools.

    "Combining DWPI records and original patent office records in the same Work File enhances the value of Delphion for both patent attorneys and inventors," said Roy Zimmermann, Principal Patent Information Specialist, Medtronic. "I can combine results of several full text and DWPI searches into a Work File, which I can then share with a project team. The scientists appreciate the clearer, briefer presentation of an invention in a DWPI record, while the attorneys have access to the claims."

    This is a significant enhancement to the Delphion system and full details are available here.

    | Delphion Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 30 November 2004

  • Questel·Orbit - QPAT Enhancements
     Some good news for those Questel·Orbit QPAT users or those people considering this service. Questel·Orbit has announced a number of enhancements to QPAT. Thanks to David Dickens (Director of Patent Business at Questel-Orbit) for the information.

    The existing TXT and RTF exports have been enhanced making them more user-friendly than before. Also, new exports including PDF, XML, and Excel have been added. All of these exports are available at no extra cost.

    A new Front-page export format is now available. This includes an easy-to-read PDF file with a table of contents, with Patent Number, Title, and Assignee information, along with hypertext link navigation to a “front-page” like document display. This is also available at no extra cost.

    Now Export to PatentExaminer and PatReader

    The new QPAT release also includes the ability to directly export to our new patent productivity tools, PatentExaminer and PatReader.

    PatentExaminer is our new patent portfolio management system with unique analysis and organizing capabilities, and data encryption for secure data transmission and access. Groupware features provide corporate-wide access to collective knowledge making it the ideal tool for collaborative activity in innovative companies. Exporting to PatentExaminer will incur a per-record charge, unless you are also a PatentExaminer subscriber.

    PatReader is also one of our new patent productivity tools used for quick and accurate scanning of full-text patents. It creates easy-to-read reports using the latest linguistic technology to extract and synthesize all relevant information.

    *Exporting to PatReader will be free for the next six months for all QPAT subscribers.

    | Questel·Orbit Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • Australia - Consideration of Excluding Plant and Animal Subject Material from the Innovation Patent Report
     The Australian "Innovation Patent" is intended to provide applicants a relatively inexpensive patent right, which is quick and easy to obtain. This relatively new form of patent in Australia provides a similar scope of protection as a standard patent, however it involves a lower inventive threshold than that required for a "Standard Patent".

    Immediately prior to the innovation patent legislation going before parliament, concerns were raised over the potential implications of innovation patents to cover innovations relating to plant and animal subject matter. To enable Australians to have timely access to the new patent system, the Government chose to proceed with the legislation, but to exclude plant and animal subject matter. As a consequence, innovation patents are now available for the same type of subject matter as inventions currently covered by standard patents, but with the exception that they are not available for plants and animals, or biological processes for the generation of plants and animals (this exclusion does not apply if the invention is a microbiological process or a product of such a process.)

    The Advisory Council on Intellectual Property (ACIP) released an issues paper last year and sought written comments from interested parties. ACIP recently presented its report to the Government. The report was released on 27 November 2004. The report and media release are now available.

    | ACIP Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • IP MENU Update
    IP MENU has updated the following Intellectual Property Resources:  

    IP Firms - Canada - Law Offices of Tapas Pain
    "A sole practitioner offering a full range of intellectual property law services - registered patent and trademark agent, licensed barrister and solicitor. Most services electronic instead of paper, eliminating huge overhead,with savings passed on to clients."

    IP Firms - Chile - IURIS Lawyers - Bulnes Lira & Montt S.A.
    "A full service law firm that covers all the range of Law Practice. We provide reliable, professional and unreserved services to clients, individuals and companies, both domestically and abroad."

    IP Firms - Germany - Blumbach Zinngrebe

    IP Firms - Jordan -
    "The firm is pledged to provide professional legal services to the local, international, private and public clients who seek reliable and sound legal advice. The Firm offers wide scope of legal services, particularly in the commercial and civil laws, intellectual property laws and related legal issues and contracts"

    IP Firms - Pakistan - PIPS
    "PIPS is uniquely poised to protect your trademarks, patents, logos, designs, copyrights, trade secrets, and proprietary information, carry out complex consulting and investigative projects in numerous locations and provinces simultaneously and enforce your intellectual property rights wherever you, your competitors or counterfeiters operate on a national level."

    IP Firms - Turkey - Acar Patent & Trademark Ltd
    "Acar Patent & Trademark Ltd. has been serving clients globally in association with patent & Trademark firms all over the world. Providing quality legal counsel and assistance, ACAR has grown into a leading patent & trademark firm in Turkey and has a good reputation for its professionalism and capabilities.Our goal is customer's satisfaction."

    IP Firms - USA - Florida - Ed Perez
    "We are a Patent and Technical Illustration firm. We have over 20 years experience in the illustration field across divers industries. Our commitment is the peace of mind of our customer. Peace of mind is achieved when a client knows that he or she will receive the best possible service, in a quick and professional manner, during a crucial time in business."

    IP Firms - USA - North Carolina - Global Patent Graphics
    "With over 25 years of experience Global Patent Graphics offers beautiful patent and trademark drawings at extremely competitive prices, with exceptional customer service."

    IP Firms - Vietnam - Gintasset Intellectual Property Law Firm
    "Gintasset is an intellectual property law firm specializing in the following activities in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia: Preparation and prosecution of patent, trademark and copyright applications. Consultancy services in the field of licensing, technology transfer, infringement litigation and anti-unfair competition and intellectual property."

     CENTREDOC (new link) - IP Software page
     CENTREDOC is a Swiss company specialising in broking information relating to technological, competing and strategic surveys in particular the search for patent, literature information and marketing.

     BIZ  (New Link) - New Zealand Country Page
    This site has been developed by the New Zealand Government to provide business information online. It provides information across a range of government agencies and departments.

    Posted by Scott Ly and Matthew Downing

Friday, 26 November 2004

  • Recent Changes to esp@cenet
    There have been a few recent changes to esp@cenet that are worth reporting.

    (A) Bibliographic information for non-patent literature (XP documents) is now available
    "esp@cenet now provides access to the bibliographic information of non-patent literature retrieved either through a search performed in the Worldwide database or for documents cited in a search report produced by the European Patent Office and made available either in esp@cenet or the Online Register. It should be noted however, that it is not possible to retrieve documents through a search in the title of an article, or with author names for example, rather a classification symbol or already known XP number must be used". Thanks to Steven van Dulken of The British Library for the info!



    (B) New maximised view for original documents
    "In response to user feedback, the display of and navigation in original documents in maximised view has been refined, with particular focus on making it easier to save and print pages, and also to provide support for a wider range of browsers and operating systems". This is a welcome improvement.

    (C) New esp@cenet assistance feature added
    "A new E-learning based "esp@cenet assistance" has been developed to provide help and support for users of the service. The assistant will provide valuable information about how to make better use of esp@cenet, and includes such items as a guided tour, and a crash course in the esp@cenet databases as well as providing context specific information for all the major functions of the service".

    (D) Patent ordering now possible for some countries
    "The possibility to order patent documents online from My Patents List has been added. Note that this feature is only available for users accessing esp@cenet via countries that support this". Unfortunately, esp@cenet have not indicated which these "countries" may be!

    | EPO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • IPI-Confex - Best Practices in Patent Information Management and Searching
     The early registration for the IPI-Confex - Best Practices in Patent Information Management and Searching - which will be held from 6-9 March 2005 in Benalmadena, Southern Spain, closes on 30 November 2004.

    "IPI-ConfEx enjoyed great success in its debut year in 2004 and is returning by popular demand. The 2005 programme is based on feedback received from  delegates and is designed to be especially relevant to both managers and users of patent information alike. In particular, the conference will  feature presentations from patent information professionals from leading companies as they share their knowledge in the following areas: 1) Expert  Patent Searching; 2) Current & Strategic Issues; and 3) Patent Analysis Techniques and Tools for 2005 and Beyond". Trudi Jones from IPI-Confex

    For more information on IPI-ConfEx 2005, visit the conference website

    | IPI-Confex Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Thursday, 25 November 2004

Wednesday, 24 November 2004

  • Europe - New Look for EPOLINE
     The European Patent Office "EPOLINE" website has undergone a facelift. "epoline®" is the name given to the range of online products and services designed by the European Patent Office (EPO) to allow patent applicants, attorneys and other users to conduct their business with the EPO electronically in a state-of-the-art secure environment.

    There appears to be a new feature called "Register Plus". It appears from a first glance to pull together many of the important piece of information relating to European applications. Worth an investigation if you use European information regularly.





    | EPO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • WIPO - Protection of Broadcasting Organizations
    WIPO has reported that member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have advanced towards development of a treaty to update intellectual property standards for broadcasters in the "digital age". The Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) meeting which was held recently in Geneva made progress in "narrowing differences on key issues contained in a Revised Consolidated Text of treaty proposals and member states called for accelerated progress towards conclusion of the Treaty". To find out more on this please read the full "Press Release" from WIPO here.

    | WIPO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 23 November 2004

  • GetIPDL - New Version 2.14.6 Now Available
     getipdl-1.jpg (12607 bytes)GetIPDL have released another update to their Patent Downloading software.   Version 2.14.6 is a Shareware program, however there is a freeware versions with certain limitations.    These limiations are removed when you register the product.  The cost is US$89.00 to get the registered version.

    "GetIPDL downloads patent documents from JPO, USPTO, esp@cenet, DEPATISnet and other free patent document delivery sites. It can download texts and images. You can automatically get documents from the national IP servers in AU, CA, CN, DE, EP, HU, JP, TH, US, WO from the official IP servers. Of course, it works to get the other region's documents. And more, so GetIPDL supports automatic computer translation site of Patent & Utility Model Gazette DB in JPO, you can read recent Japanese patent documents in English from GetIPDL."

    To find out more, please visit the GetIPDL website here.

    | Get IPDL Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • US - The US Senate Confirms Jon Dudas as head of the USPTO
     On 22 November 2004, the US Senate unanimously confirmed Jon Dudas as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Dudas was nominated by President George W. Bush as Under Secretary and Director in March 2004 and was appointed on July 30, 2004. He served as Acting Under Secretary and Director from January 2004 until assuming his current position. Mr. Dudas was Deputy Under Secretary and Deputy Director from January 2002 until he became the Acting Under Secretary.

    | USPTO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Monday, 22 November 2004

  • MicroPatent - Aureka Update
    MicroPatent has announced the release of Version 9.2 of their enterprise-wide IP management and analysis platform, called Aureka.

    Aureka 9.2 allows users to:
    - More effectively communicate with one another via its messaging and annotation enhancements
    - More accurately manage their IP portfolio with the use of customer-definable proprietary fields, including information such as technology codes, relevancy rankings, attorney details, and more (this data can then be searched and used in the creation of Aureka's patent visualizations)
    - Get the latest competitive information and track technology trends with Aureka's new alerts
    - Easily identify critical documents within a ThemeScape map or citation tree using Aureka's expanded sub-search functionality

    | MicroPatent Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Friday, 19 November 2004

  • FreshPatents.com
     A new free database service for US Patent Applications has been launched called "FreshPatents.com". The database allows you to search and monitor newly published US Patent Applications based on keywords in the title or abstract. It also allows you to monitor applications based on location, industry, inventors and agents. The database is simple to use and registration is free. To find out more visit FreshPatents.com.

    | FreshPatents.com Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Thursday, 18 November 2004

  • European Patent Office
     Slightly off strict Intellectual Property research matters, but nevertheless quite relevant for our European IP readers. Despite the bureaucratic wording, it is great news to see that the European Patent Office will recognises same-sex marriage whenever it is validly contracted in one of the member states. No doubt the Canadian Intellectual Property Office already does this.

    Munich, 17 November 2004 - The European Patent Organisation has come to a conclusion on the recognition of same-sex marriage whenever validly contracted in one of the member states.

    In view of the difficulties inherent in this issue, the European Patent Office saw a need to initiate a consultation process with its member states. “On 28 October, EPO President Alain Pompidou received the position of the member states. The consultation process was already welcomed by the delegations", said Roland Grossenbacher, Chairman of the EPO's Administrative Council, its governing body.

    The Administrative Council had urged the European Patent Office to treat
    same-sex marriages that have been validly contracted in one of the member states in the same way as it does heterosexual marriages.

    The Office has committed itself, when interpreting the Service Regulations, to adopt the view expressed by the Administrative Council as soon as possible.

    | EPO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Wednesday, 17 November 2004

  • PIUG 2005 Annual Conference - Call for Papers
    The PIUG 2005 Annual Conference (An International Conference for Patent Information Professionals) is to be held on Saturday, May 21 to Thursday, May 26, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, VA, USA.

    PIUG are particularly interested to hear from information users within corporations, patent offices, patent offices, law firms, or universities who are able to discuss one of the following topics:

    Post Processing Tools, Techniques and Philosophies
    - Examples of software (BizInt, STN Express, etc.) used to format results
    - Macros or programs you have written to format results, write reports or just make our jobs easier
    - Philosophies on screening, analysis, report writing
    - Comparison of search output/reports for different clients, types of search
    - Tips and techniques
    - Case studies
    - Applying software tools, e.g. patent mapping software, to enhance or visualize search results

    New and future technology - - Patent Analysis Tools and Techniques in 2005+
    - New technologies adapted for patent analysis, text mining
    - Primer on database technology
    - Introduction to XML and why it matters
    - Chemistry without structures
    - Data exchange between different analysis tools
    - Comparison of new tools for claims analysis

    Paperless Patent Offices
    - Searching for patent examiners or lawyers; how the search is used
    - Patent examiners and the paperless patent office
    - Challenges for the mechanical arts - searching images
    - Primer/glossary of IP terminology

    Hot Topics
    - Practical challenges facing the patent analyst
    - Retrospective information - incorporating older data into the commercial databases - comparison of vendors; examples or case studies
    - Classification systems - when to use, comparisons, examples or case studies

    Patent Office Updates
    - Impact of EPO's chemical registration project
    - USPTO early publication - the first 5 years
    - What's happening with IPC Reform
    - Reform of the PCT and Substantive Patent Law Treaty

    Papers on other topics are also desirable, for example, papers highlighting specific tips and techniques for doing patent / literature research or analysis, or else papers falling in one or more of the following general categories:

    - Expert Patent Searching
    - Strategic Issues
    - Business Impact of Patent Information
    - Case Studies

    If these or related themes fall into your area of expertise then PIUG would like to hear from you! To find out more visit the PIUG website here.

    | PIUG Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 16 November 2004

  • IP MENU Update
    IP MENU has updated the following Intellectual Property Resources:  

    Morningside Translation Services (IP Translation)
    "Morningside Translation Services, a division of Morningside Evaluations and Consulting, stands at the forefront of the Translation Services industry. Our translations are routinely submitted to Government organizations such as the Department of Justice, the U.S. Customs Service, and the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Furthermore, our portfolio of clients reflects international corporations, conglomerates, and law firms. Innovations in technology have fueled a demand for a sophisticated translation response, which we have effectively streamlined. Our translation process is the industry's most efficient. Our clients reliably receive accurate translations that are grammatically and colloquially correct."

    Global Patent Graphics (IP Drafting page)
    "Global Patent Graphics is a full-service patent illustration company, with over 25 years of experience in the field. We are dedicated to maintaining only the highest quality of standard in our drawing and in the services we provide to our clients across the US and abroad."

    IPtoGO (IP Software page)
    "IPtoGO is offering PatentPleeze. With this software (US$45 per year) you can download full patent documents from most countries. You can merge all document in a single PDF. Also included: Display text and image side by side, search facility of local database, notes on PDF, One click email of selected patents, ranking according to keywords + free utilities. (21 days trial)"

    USLegalJobs.com (IP Employment page)
    "We have been successfully building relationships with leaders in the IP community since 1986. We are exclusively in the business of helping law firms and corporate legal departments build exceptional teams, while helping IP Attorneys and Patent Agents achieve their long term objectives."
    Posted by Scott Ly and Matthew Downing

Wednesday, 10 November 2004

  • ipMAGNET - New Patent Search and Download Software
    I have just discovered a new program called ipMAGNET by MayaMiya Technologies. The ipMAGNET software provides a system for searching and downloading patents from 4 major services, namely USPTO, ESP@CENET, DEPATIS and CIPO. The software has a comprehensive interface which allows a user extremely good control over searching and downloading parameters. This software is an excellent example of how this area is continually improving and responding to users actual needs. IP Menu are always very pleased to see products like this emerge. You can visit the ipMAGNET website here and they do have a trial version available which will give you an idea of the scope of this software.

    Some of the features of ipMAGNET:
    --------------------------------------------------------
    -Search for patents using familiar layout and search terms, without visiting the Patent Office Website.
    -Narrow the search based on publication, application and priority numbers, ipc and epc classifications etc.
    -Multiple, Unlimited patent downloads with a single operation.
    -Download patents by specific sections (claims, drawings, descriptions, specifications, abstract etc) or in full .
    -Download both HTML abstract and facsimile/image data with a single operation.
    -Intuitive progress messages during the search and download process.
    -Automatically merge all patent pages into one convenient single file.
    -Automatic patent viewing after download (if appropriate viewers installed).
    -Download Equivalent patents at EPO, when available.
    -Browse between various Patent Office search results with ease.



    | ipMAGNET Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • Dialog - November/December Chronolog
    Dialog's November/December 2004 issue of the Chronolog is now available for download. Click here for the HTML version or here for the PDF version. Highlights of this latest issue include:

    Dialog Live News — Real-Time, Streaming News Directly to Your Desktop
    New Beilstein Databases on Dialog
    DialogLink 4.01 with Enhancements Now Available for Download
    Dialog DataStar Adds Enhancements

    | Dialog Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 09 November 2004

  • Europe - EPIDOS Annual Conference 2004 - Discussion Forums
    EPIDOS has replaced the EPIDOS workshops held in previous years with new conference Discussion Forums. According to EPIDOS they "are your chance to get involved in discussions and help the EPO to set its priorities for European patent information in future".

    The majority of the the discussions took place on 25 October 2004. To find out more on any of the topics listed below, visit the EPIDOS website here.


    Discussion Forum A: Classification searching on esp@cenet
    Of the types of search possible in esp@cenet, classification searching is possibly the most challenging, but potentially the most rewarding. This Discussion Forum will include some hints on more effective classification searching. It will also be an opportunity for users to exchange information on their experiences and for a discussion about how the IPC reform should affect the esp@cenet search interface.

    Discussion Forum B: XML
    Extensible Markup Language (XML) was originally envisaged as a tool for electronic publishing, but is increasingly becoming the format of choice for exchanging data on the web and elsewhere. At the beginning of 2005, much of EPO's data will move to XML formatting, in line with the co-ordinated strategy of the trilateral patent offices (EPO, JPO, USPTO), and WIPO. This seminar will address such issues as:
    what will this new format look like ?
    what possibilities does this new format offer? and
    how should the EPO develop its services in future to take full advantage of XML?
     
    Discussion Forum C: e-learning - the virtual classroom
    The EPO is currently focussing its training activities on virtual classroom solutions and web-based training (e-learning). The EPO held its first ever “virtual classroom” seminar in March 2004, with participants sitting at their computers across the globe. Additionally, a series of e-learning modules has been developed for learning about the esp@cenet service. This Discussion Forum will cover these areas; participants will be encouraged to express their views on directions the EPO should take with regard to the training it offers.
     
    Discussion Forum D: INPADOC data content
    The INPADOC patent family and legal status databases continue to be important tools for patent information users. This Discussion Forum will tackle issues of data format, content, quality, coverage and timeliness. It will be an opportunity to learn more about three projects under consideration: statistical tools for evaluating legal status data; database of legal status examples; and a re-classification service for IPC version 8. It will also be an occasion for experienced users to talk to each other, and to the EPO, about any INPADOC-related issues they wish to raise.

    Discussion Forum E: "The oriental perspective" - Patent information from Japan and other south-east Asian countries
    Japanese patent information is traditionally difficult to obtain, and to interpret. At the same time, other south-east Asian countries are gaining importance for patent searchers. The EPO's experts will present the latest developments in patent information from Japan, and discuss the developments that are taking place to expand the EPO's services to China, Korea and other countries in the region. The Discussion Group will also address the issue of patent information from the member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

    Discussion Forum F: IPC reform
    The eighth, substantially reformed edition of the International Patent Classification (IPC) system will enter into force on 1 January 2006. New concepts such as the core and advanced levels, frequent revisions, and full back-log reclassifications will have a profound effect on patent information databases. The Discussion Forum will be the place for users to learn more, and to express their wishes and concerns about the forthcoming changes in this area.

    Discussion Forum G: Case study on esp@cenet
    How do the free databases on the internet shape up when compared to professional tools? An EPO search examiner uses a case study to test out various search tools and reports his findings for open discussion in this Discussion Forum.

    Discussion Forum H: WebRegMT
    The Online European Patent Register and Online File Inspection are two services that are part of the EPO's epoline® project, giving users detailed information on the EPO procedure for any particular European patent application. They include one important professional tool: WebRegMT, aimed at helping users keep track of patent applications as they proceed through the European system. This service will be presented in detail and users will be asked to comment on it in this Discussion Forum.

    | EPO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Monday, 08 November 2004

  • Australia - Plant Breeder's Rights Joins IP Australia
     IP Australia (the Australian Patent Office) announced late last week that the government agency that administers patents, trade marks and designs will now be responsible the Plant Breeder’s Rights Scheme (PBR). As a consequence, the Plant Breeder’s Rights Office (PBRO) will be transferred to IP Australia from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry.

    "The Government’s decision to transfer PBR reflects a desire to bring together registered intellectual property (IP) rights into a single organisation to provide a more strategic and coordinated approach to IP policy development in Australia. The move will also provide an opportunity for improved coordination of IP processing for users of the IP systems. The PBRO currently receives around 350 applications a year, each one seeking to protect a variety of
    plant, fungi, or algae".

    | IP Australia Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Friday, 05 November 2004

  • PIUG - 2005 Conference Update
    Adrienne Shanler from PIUG has provided this updated on the PIUG 2005 Annual Conference.

    The PIUG 2005 Annual Conference --An International Conference for Patent Information Professionals will take place on Saturday, May 21 to Thursday, May 26, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, USA 22202 ((703) 418-1234; www.crystalcity.hyatt.com ).

    There will be vendor workshops and training sessions before and after the meeting. Those vendors and database providers who want to hold workshops or training sessions need to contact me for scheduling and room assignment. Include your preferred date and time. The following rooms with capacity using 18 in. tables in schoolroom formation are available: Saturday May 21, 2005 Washington A 50 people available 7 am-6pm Washington B 50 people available 7 am-6pm

    Sunday May 22, 2005
    Washington A 50 people 7 am-noon
    Washington B 50 people 7 am-noon
    Conference theater 75 people 7am-6pm
    Washington Rm 140 people 1pm-8pm

    Thursday May 26, 2005
    Roosevelt 40 people 8am-5pm
    Lincoln 40 people 8am-5pm
    Jefferson 40 people 8am-5pm

    To find out more visit the PIUG website here.

    | PIUG Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise

Thursday, 04 November 2004

  • USA - Electronic Trademark Forms Now Available for Madrid Protocol Filings
    The USPTO website is reporting that they are now providing electronic forms for submitting Madrid Protocol related documents. The Protocol is a treaty that facilitates the protection of U.S. trademark rights throughout the world. The United States began accepting applications under the Madrid Protocol last November.

    "Now, a U.S. trademark owner may file a single online application with the USPTO in English, based on an existing U.S. trademark application or registration, pay the fees in U.S. dollars and potentially obtain registration for the mark in any or all of the 65 member countries of the Madrid Protocol. Before the electronic application, trademark owners filed on paper and paid their Protocol related fees to the World Intellectual Property Organization in Swiss francs.

    “Increasingly, U.S. trademark holders have interest in protecting their intellectual property globally,” noted Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Jon Dudas. “Electronic filing of Madrid Protocol documents is one more way for American businesses to speed the process of seeking brand protection in foreign markets.”

    Today, 73% of all trademark applications are filed electronically. This level of electronic filing, coupled with Madrid filings, furthers the agency’s commitment to a fully electronic trademark operation".

    Click here for more information.

    | USPTO Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Wednesday, 03 November 2004

  • Iceland - European Patent Convention
     On 1 November 2004, the European Patent Convention (EPC) entered into force in Iceland. Iceland also became a member of the European Patent Organisation.

    "The European Patent Office is one of the three leading patent offices in the world, the other two being the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Japanese Patent Office (JPO). EPO receives about one in five applications for patents in the world. The institution works efficiently at making search and examination of patent applications more reliable, thereby improving services for its clients as well as becoming a leading force in the world to synchronize patent legislation and make the process for applications simpler. With Iceland now as a member, the number of member states has grown to 29. Of those 29, 22 of the 25 European Union states are members. The other 7 states include 3 of the 4 EFTA-states, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Swiss. Lithuania will become a member on December 1st and Latvia and Malta will presumably follow next year".

    | Iceland Patent Office |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Monday, 01 November 2004

  • Australia - Changes to the PatSearch Database
     You may recall our earlier story on the nature of the ongoing disgrace of the Australian patent database PatSearch. Well, over the weekend IP Australia introduced some changes to the PatSearch database. Whilst they are welcome changes they do not correct the problems, merely make it easier for you to determine where the problems are. Whilst we must thank IP Australia for making these changes, it is still far from an acceptable state of affairs for a Patent Office that once had a respected patent database system.

    It is worth quoting in detail from IP Australia's release on the changes.

    Templates to display only appropriate fields
    Currently in Patsearch the full list of fields is displayed for each type of record i.e. innovation, standard or provisional. This has meant that Patsearch users have had no choice but to print lengthy lists of details. A new set of templates has been developed so that only the relevant fields for each type will be displayed. This can cut down the view considerably. Please Note: The first time you view each of the three types of records there will be a delay, subsequent viewings will be much quicker.

    Information about blank fields
    At this stage there are often blank fields in a Patsearch record, and this can be for one of a couple of reasons: there may be no data available because an action of this type has not occurred, or Patsearch may not have access to the data at this stage. There are two different messages that you will see in Patsearch records after the release corresponding to these:

    “No data in system” means the action has not occurred for this application

    “Field not populated” means Patsearch is unable to display the field – the action may or may not have occurred.

    A new view
    Following on from the changes described above, there are now two alternative “All Details” views which replace the former Full Details view. “All Details” provides a full list fields including those where no data is available “All Details with values” lists all the fields containing values (note that the full list of headings is listed at this stage)

    There are print friendly versions of each of these views. Note that while the dark blue title bars are displayed on screen, they don’t print out.

    Other Fixes:

    Display in browsers other than Internet Explorer
    An error was being displayed when users attempted to search Patsearch in Mozilla. This has been corrected and Patsearch has now been tested on several different browsers

    Name searching on two letters preceded by a space
    This was delivering an incorrect result and has been fixed for this release

    Incorrect lapsed date being displayed in Patsearch
    Patsearch was displaying the date the system lapsed the record, not the actual lapsing date. This has been corrected.

    | IP Australia Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  • Compu-Mark Trademarks - Translations for the Central European databases
    Compu-Mark has announced in their recent Saegis Newsletter that they are now providing translation for central European language trademark database.

    For the West European databases we already provide English translations of the list of goods and services. We are very pleased to advise you that English translations of the goods and services are now also available for the following Central European databases:
    - Czech Republic
    - Hungary
    - Lithuania
    - Poland
    - Slovak Republic

    These translations are automatically included free of charge.

    | Compu-Mark Website |

    Posted by Rodney Cruise.