Latest Intellectual Property Resources News

• PIUG 2002 Annual Conference Website Update
  The details of the PIUG 2002 Annual Conference have been updated on the PIUG web page. Visit PIUG here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• SurfIP Update 1 - IPC Searching
  Some good news from SurfIP. You can now search for patents across multiple patent databases by International Patent Classification (IPC) using the SurfIP IPC Search tool. Simply register and logon to SurfIP and click on "Research". There are now four search functions on SurfIP: Simple, Structured, Patent Number Search and IPC Search. For further information visit the SurfIP website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• SurfIP Update 2 - New Patent Sources
  SurfIP Research has expanded its aggregated search capabilities to include patents from China and Korea. You can now search these databases of patents on all three options: Simple Search, Structured Search and Patent Number Search.
  
  "The China Patent Info Search searches the Jiansuo site (http://www.jiansuo.com) and translates your English query to Chinese when searching. The simple search for a patent on this database is an English to Chinese cross-lingual search by title only. A more detailed search can be done on the Structured Search option (e.g. search by Title, Abstract, Assignee and Inventor Name) and Patent Number Search. Translation services are available on SurfIP at the point your search results are shown. The Korean IPO Search searches the KIPO site (http://www.kipo.go.kr) and searches their English-translated patents". For more information on these great new additions, visit the SurfIP Website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Update - DOLPHIN - Free workshop at the PIUG Annual Meeting
  Peter Steele has advised me that unfortunately at this time this workshop will not be able to be held at the scheduled time.  We will keep you informed of any further developments.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Sydney - Australia - Patent Searching Position Available
  Hollie Nolan from A.S.K. Solutions Group has advised me of a new patent searcher position available in Sydney, Australia. Please see the following details.
  
  · Sydney based
  · In-house role
  · Chemistry/Biotechnology Background
  
  "We are currently seeking a patent searcher with a minimum of 2 years patent searching experience, who must have a background in Chemistry or Biotechnology.
  
  You will be working autonomously, conducting novelty, infringement and scientific and technical searches, for a variety of internal and external clients. You will have had experience in a similar patent searching role, either in-house or with a university. There may also be some mechanical and electrical engineering search work involved.
  
  If this sounds like you and would like to be considered for the opportunity please e-mail your resume and a cover letter to hollie.nolan@ask.com.au. Please note only short listed candidates will be contacted".
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Chemcial Abstracts Services Training Update - PIUG 2002
  Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) has announced the availability of additional training classes in conjunction with the PIUG 2002 Annual Conference at the Radisson Berkeley Marina, Berkeley, CA:
  
  Thursday, April 25, 2001, 9:00-12:00 am
  CAS/STN Training: "Structure Search Refresher and Advanced Search Techniques"
  
  Go beyond the basics of substructure searching in the REGISTRY file in this seminar. Find out how to
  
  - Use STN Express tools to more precisely define variables in a structure;
  - Control the number of substituents in the query;
  - Search using structure fragments and defined G-groups;
  - Use ring system data for subset structure searching.
  
  Thursday, April 25, 2001 - 1:00-4:00 pm
  CAS/STN Training: "Searching MARPAT for Elusive Patents"
  
  This session will look at structure search techniques for searching the MARPAT file to retrieve compounds described generically in a patent. Approaches to modifying the structure query and its effect on retrieval will be discussed.
  
  Registration Information: There is no fee, although pre-registration is required, as
  classroom size is limited to 50. Email: wksp@cas.org or phone: 1-800-848-6538 x3549 or visit the website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - USA - Nebraska, IP Firms - USA - Maine and IP Firms - USA - Louisiana
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Wednesday, 27 February 2002

• MicroPatent Announces New Worksheets for Patent FullText
  MicroPatent has just announced a new "workspace" for subscribers to PatSearch FullText subscribers. This "workspace" is called "Worksheets". The "Worksheets" allow you to:
  
  - Import and analyze up to 20,000 search results at a time
  - Flip from one record to the next via the convenient pop-up window by clicking on the red arrow, otherwise known as the MPLink, in front of each record
  - Sort your hitlist by issue/publication date, international class, assignee/applicant, or one of two family sorting options
  - View the complete family report of your results, showing a representative abstract for each family
  - Choose from various two and three dimensional graphs or charts for analysis
  - Graph and analyze results by family (not by total patents) to eliminate the distortion caused by counting the same invention in multiple countries
  - Check, uncheck, or delete records easily by way of the respective buttons at the top of the hitlist
  - Export your hitlist into a delimited file and review, categorize, sort, analyze, and manipulate the information based on your specific needs
  - See your hitlist in any of several different report formats
  - Execute functions quickly with the new "Go" button
  
  During MicroPatent's introductory period the are allowing subscribers to try the graphing feature for free.
  
  MicroPatent have some sample screen dumps of the new "Worksheets" and you can view them at the MicroPatent website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• DOLPHIN - Free workshop at the PIUG Annual Meeting, Berkeley, CA, April 20th
  If you are going to PIUG Annual Meeting in April and you have an interest in pharmaceutical patent information then Current Patents Ltd introductory workshop on DOLPHIN, the Database of all Pharmaceutical Inventions, could be for you. Peter Steele, the MD from Current Patents Ltd has advised that this workshop will take place on the Saturday evening at 5.30pm, April 20th, and will be followed by a reception.
  
  "The workshop will include the following presentations, each lasting about 10 minutes and followed by demonstrations and discussion:
  - DOLPHIN - the concept and implementation (Peter Steele, Managing Director)
  - Drug Patents and Expiry Dates (Gareth White, Patent Analyst)
  - Company profiles, Licensing and Litigation (Sheetal Parmar, Customer Support
  Executive)
  - Patents in IDdb, and the Strategic Drug Database (Brian Clark, Current Drugs
  Sales Executive)"
  
  There is no charge for this workshop, but places are limited and pre-registration is essential. To register please contact Truc Tran, CP Marketing Manager or call her on +44 (0)20 7631 9930. My registration is on the way!
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Dialog Adds Feature to Seamlessly Link to e-Journals
  Dialog has now added access to full-text articles and reports published in scientific and technical journals using "seamless" linking to e-Journals. "The e-Journals available for seamless access are mostly peer-reviewed scientific, medical and technical journals serving specialized audiences. Among the leading publishers and aggregators making their e-Journals available for immediate linking are Ebsco Online, John Wiley & Sons, Science Direct, SwetsNet and Information Quest.Twenty files available through services on the Dialog-branded online platform (Dialog®, DialogWeb®, DialogSelect (sm), Dialog1 and Dialog Intranet Toolkit) now have the free linking feature. Previously, users would retrieve a citation or abstract of the article or report they sought, and then would have to take another step to access the specific e-Journals to retrieve the desired document in full-text form. Dialog's e-Journal linking capability eliminates the need for that additional step". To find out more, read the full Dialog Press Release.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 26 February 2002

• Australian Innovation Patent Index - Update
  The Australian Innovation Patent Index  is now hosted by  IP MENU and IP Organisers Pty Ltd (a service company of Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick). The database has been updated to 21 February 2002.   Background information can be found in this news item from October 2001.
  
  Apart from exclusively hosting the Australian Innovation Patent Index, IP Organisers provides a growing list of other IP services with a focus on Australian IP.  You can order Austrailan patent specifications or file histories for download, electronic, paper or cdrom delivery.   Soon IP Organisers will be providing a range of cost effective trademark services.   As usual IP MENU will keep you informed!
  
  Remember that you can order copies of Australian Innovation Patents free of charge from IP MENU and IP Organisers.  Click here for more information.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Monday, 25 February 2002

• European Commission Proposes Rules for Inventions Using Software
  "The European Commission has presented a proposal for a Directive on the protection by patents of computer-implemented inventions. The proposed Directive would harmonise the way in which national patent laws deal with inventions using software. Such inventions can already be patented by applying to either the European Patent Office (EPO) or the national patent offices of the Member States, but the detailed conditions for patentability may vary. A significant barrier to trade in patented products within the Internal Market exists as long as certain inventions can be protected by patent in some Member States but not others. The proposed Directive will be submitted to the EU’s Council of Ministers and the European Parliament for adoption under the so-called ‘co-decision’ procedure". To read the full document, visit the Europa Site here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• January/February Edition of STNews Now Available
  The January / February Edition of STNews (a bimonthly newsletter) is now available in both HTML and PDF format from STN. The current issue includes articles on the following:
  - Feature - STN on the Web is enhanced!
  - Help Worldwide - STN--Count on us for the best Help Desk support
  - Database News - Database News Articles
  - Ask REGgie - How do I run BLAST® similarity searches in the CAS Registry file?
  - Search Tip - Finding information about CAS roles
  To find out more, or to subscribe, visit the STN website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - Kuwait
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Thursday, 21 February 2002

• USPTO Commissioner for Trademarks to Host Trademark E-Government Seminar
  The Commissioner for Trademarks will host a "Trademark E-Government Seminar" on Friday, February 22, 2002 from 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. at the Celestes Bartos Forum, New York Public Library New York, New York. "The Commerce Department's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Commissioner for Trademarks, Anne Chasser, will host a training seminar, featuring a demonstration of the agency's award-winning Trademark Electronic Filing System (TEAS) for prospective users and offering "nuts-and-bolts" perspectives from trademarks applicants who have used the system. Electronic government is a cornerstone of the President's Management Agenda. Approximately 25% of USPTO's trademark applicants currently use USPTO's faster, more efficient electronic filing system. The seminar is intended to increase the number of trademark filers using the system". For further information please visit the USPTO website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO Today - February 2002 Now Available
  The February 2002 edition of the USPTO Today is now available from the USPTO. To read USPTO Today in PDF format, click here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

• Debate - 'Pros and Cons of the Introduction of a General Grace Period into Harmonised Patent Law'
  This debate will be held on Thursday, March 14th 2002 at 6.30pm at the Wellcome Trust Lecture Hall, The Royal Society (UK). The Cost is £25. Further information is available from Linda Oakley from Ideas21 or you can apply online.
  
  Chair: His Honour Judge Fysh
  Speakers : Professor Joseph Straus - Max Planck Institute, Munich
  Jan Galama - Philips International B.V.
  David Evans - Patent Attorney
  John Brown - Patent Attorney
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• New Engineering Databases on Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA)
  CSA (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts) has just introduced two new bibliographic databases concentrating on core areas of engineering and featuring cited references. The two databases are:
  
  CSA Civil Engineering Abstracts and CSA Mechanical & Transportation Engineering Abstracts.
  
  CSA are offering a complimentary 30-day access to the databases, click here for more information.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - Indonesia and IP Firms - Kuwait
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Tuesday, 19 February 2002

• Australia - Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge - Free Seminar
  The Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia (IPRIA) and the Centre for Media, Communications and IT Law (CMCITL) are sponsoring a free public seminar on Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge, to be presented by Dr Silke von Lewinski from the Max-Planck Institute, at 6:00pm on Tuesday 5 March 2002 at the University of Melbourne.
  
  Keynote Speaker: "Dr Silke von Lewinski is head of department on international law and particular problems of developing countries at the Max-Planck Institute for Foreign and International Patent, Copyright and Competition Law in Munich, and is currently directing the Institute's project on indigenous resources. She is Adjunct Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz) and at Franklin Pierce Law Center (Concord, USA), and has been a Visiting Professor at a number of universities in France, Canada and the United States. While in Australia, Dr von Lewinski is a Visiting Professor at the University of Melbourne Law School and the first Distinguished Visitor to IPRIA."
  
  For more information, please contact Ms Kim Hugen at k.hugen@unimelb.edu.au. 
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - USA - Wyoming.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Monday, 18 February 2002

• USPTO Pulse - February 2002 - Volume 10 Number 2 Now Available
  The February 2002 edition of the USPTO Pulse is now available from the USPTO. The articles this month include:
  - Hearings - USPTO Director Rogan attended the first in a series of hearings on, "Competition and Intellectual Property Law and Policy in the Knowledge Based Economy," on Wednesday, February 6th.
  - USPTO Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - The USPTO's Office of Civil Rights celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on January 17th with the winners of an essay contest.
  - USPTO Museum Opens New Exhibit "Patent Models: Icons of Innovation - On February 12th, the USPTO Museum opened its newest exhibit, "Patent Models: Icons of Innovation." This is the first time in over 100 years that the patent models have been on display in one exhibit.
  - USPTO Produces New Video on Minority Inventors: America's Tapestry of Innovation - February is Black History Month and the USPTO has produced a new video that honors this celebration.
  - Trademark operation says that X-Search 1.2.24 Is Here - A new version of X-Search, the trademark database search system, has been deployed to trademark employees and it is more user friendly than before.
  - USPTO Conducts Media Campaign About Patent Scams - The USPTO is conducting a television and radio campaign in five media markets to counter the flood of deceptive advertising aimed at America's independent inventors.
  
  To read Pulse, click here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

• EPIDOS Annual Conference 2002 - Advance Notice
  The EPIDOS Annual Conference 2002 will be held in the SAS Radisson Falconer Center, Fredericksberg, Copenhagen from 15 to 17 October 2002. The EPO have placed their first notice on the website concerning this event and encourage all particpates to book early. For further information visit the EPO website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• US Patent for Phonograph Issued February 19, 1878
  The USPTO website has released a press release with a nice historical leaning. Relating to the Edison's phonograph. "Thomas A. Edison, one of the outstanding geniuses in the history of technology, received patent no. 200,521 for a phonograph on February 19, 1878. This patent is just one of the more than one thousand Edison was granted for his inventions". You can also read the full Press Release or view the original patent.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Australian Innovation Patent Index - Update
  The Australian Innovation Patent Index which is hosted by Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick and IP MENU has been updated to 14 February 2002.   Background information can be found in this news item from October 2001.
  
  Remember that you can order copies of Australian Innovation Patents free of charge from IP MENU and IP Organisers.  Click here for more information.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Searchable Intellectual Property Databases - By Kathy Biehl
  Kathy Biehl is a member of the State Bar of Texas and co-author of the Lawyer's Guide to Internet Research. Formerly in private practice, she is an author, researcher and consultant in the New York City area. She has just had an article published in the Research Round UP coloum on the llrx.com website entitled "Searchable Intellectual Property Databases - Updated". It covers a good selection of databases and would be worth a read particularly if you are new to the IP information area.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Community Trade Mark Symposium
  Management Forum in the United Kingdom is holding a Symposium on the Community Trade Mark on 8 March 2002. "An official update on the progress and current workings of the CTM System, presented by representatives of the Organisation for the Harmonisation of International Marks (OHIM), Alicante This symposium will provide participants with the opportunity to hear and discuss first-hand the latest information and advice on important Community Trade Mark issues. The meeting will be of interest to Trade Mark Agents and Attorneys, Counsel and Consultants working either in-house or in private practice, IP Managers, Managers and Directors of R&D and Marketing and Business Development, and all those involved in obtaining, opposing or defending trade marks under the CTM system". For more details visit the Management Forum website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Thursday, 14 February 2002

• Derwent - IP Matters
  Anna Norman, the Editor of Derwent's IP Matters has provided some information on the new online edition. "We are starting the year with a special report - Derwent's Patent Focus written by Joff Wild of Whitepage. 2001 saw many changes in the patent world - this report covers the highlights of 2001, takes a look at the year ahead in 2002 and reports what the experts in the field are saying.....We also have included an article, European Patent Office Update written by Simon Mountenay from Marks and Clerk which was published in American Lawyer Media's IP Worldwide supplement, IP Europe in January ...". Other features include:
  
  - CAD system IP Rights - entering a new dimension Al Dean discusses the issues of IP rights in the area of 3D CAD systems
  - Pharma companies on the back foot Joff Wild looks at how the Pharma industry has been affected by governemnt intervention in IP rights in 2001
  - Overcoming the problems with patents - how far have we come? Moira Duncan looks at patenting, the problems associated with extracting critical data, and the tools available for data mining
  - The future for patents on life Issues such as bio-piracy and the patenting of GMOs continue to receive wide coverage. Joff Wild looks at the current state of play
  
  To find out more about Derwent's IP Matters, visit the website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO - Disposal of Paper Copies of U.S. Patents Removed From the Examiners’ Search Rooms
  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 29 / Tuesday, February 12, 2002 / Notices
  The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is considering whether the paper copies of selected subclasses of U.S. patents to be removed from the examiners’ search rooms should be disposed of as wastepaper or donated to a non-profit organization. The USPTO is seeking input on whether any non-profit organization is interested in acquiring the paper copies of the U.S. patents to be removed from the examiners’ search rooms. If you are an interested party you should read the complete notice posted in the Federal Register, a PDF copy is available here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• APEC Symposium on Traditional Knowledge
  An APEC symposium on Traditional Medicine will be held in Hong Kong from 19 March to 22 March 2002.Days 1 and 2 (19 and 20 March 2002) will provide an introduction to the topic of Traditional Medicine from a sociological, commercial and research perspective. Day 3 will focus on the intellectual property aspects of Traditional Medicine. IP Australia have posted a notice on their website regarding this APEC Symposium :
  
  "Traditional knowledge,folklore and the sharing of genetic resources have been discussed both at the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. How these topics affect he traditionally accepted notions of intellectual property (trade marks, patents, etc.) could have a profound impact of the scope of such rights. They may have a big impact on the further development of new industries. One such industry is traditional medicine which has already experienced impressive market growth in countries like Germany and the United States. Hong Kong, China, which seeks to become a regional hub for the development of traditional Chinese medicine, feels that the time is right for traditional medicine to be discussed at an international level".
  
  To read more, download this PDF document from the IP Australia website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Wednesday, 13 February 2002

• Order Australian Patent Specification Online - Beta Phase
  This is just a short follow up to yesterday's announcement of the Beta Phase of IP Organisers online ordering of Australian Patent Specifications.  During the Beta Phase delivery time will be a little longer than 24 hours whilst we settle the new system in.  The Beta Phase is only expect to last until 22 February (hopefully shorter)
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Dialog Adds Feature to Seamlessly Link to e-Journals
  Dialog has announced that it has added the ability for users of its Dialog® service to link seamlessly -- and without cost -- to the full texts of more than 8,000 scientific, medical and technical e-Journals published by more than 40 leading scientific publishers and information aggregators. "The e-Journals available for seamless access are mostly peer-reviewed scientific, medical and technical journals serving specialized audiences. Among the leading publishers and aggregators making their e-Journals available for immediate linking are Ebsco Online, John Wiley & Sons, Science Direct, SwetsNet and Information Quest". For more information, read the Dialog Press Release.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - Australia, IP Firms - USA - Alabama, IP Firms - USA - Arkansas, IP Firms - USA - Arizona, IP Firms - USA - Colorado, IP Firms - USA - Georgia and IP Firms - USA - Iowa.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Tuesday, 12 February 2002

• Order Australian Patent Specification Online - Beta Phase
  IP Menu is pleased to be able to announce that Australian Patent Specifications can now be ordered online for electronic delivery.  They are available via IP Organisers Pty Ltd.  IP Organisers Pty Ltd  is an Intellectual Property service company associated with Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick, Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Lawyers and IP MENU.  Apart from providing copies of Australian Patent Specifications, IP Organisers also provide Intellectual Research, Management & Commercialisation Services. 
  
  The first online service IP Organisers is providing is the electronic (email) delivery of Australian Patent Applications (AU-As), Australian Patents (AU-Bs), and Australian Innovation Patents (AU-Is).  Innovation Patent are available free of charge whilst Australian Patents/Applications are available for AUD$20 (+GST for Australian Resident Only).   Delivery is usually within 24hours, often quicker. During our Beta Phase (which will last approximately 10 days) you may notice delivery times a little in excess of 24 hours.
  
  Users of the service should note that Australian Specifications prior to approximately 1998 are only available in microfiche or paper format.  IP Organisers obtains copies of the specifications from their in-house collection, scans them into Adobe Acrobat PDF format, and emails them direct to users.  In addition, a full patent status report is included with each specification. If you would like to find out more we recommend that you visit the IP Organisers website.
  
  IP Organisers will be introducing additional services in the near future, giving users a fast, efficient and cost effective way of obtaining Australian intellectual property information. IP Menu, will as usual, keep you informed!
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Monday, 11 February 2002

• Japan - 2nd International Patent Appeal Examination Symposium
  "The JPO held the International Symposium on Patent Appeals in November, 1998 to promote mutual understanding of the appeals and trials system of each country. Since then, however, there have been various changes in relevant circumstances in the participating countries, including the revision of regulations. We are therefore organizing the 2nd International Patent Appeal Examination Symposium, inviting appeal examiners working for patent Offices and researchers and practitioners from the United States, Europe, South Korea, China and Japan to promote understanding of appeals and trials systems".
  
  The Symposium is being held from 7 (Thursday) to 8 (Friday) March, 2002 at Akasaka Prince Hotel (Kioi-cho 1-2, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo). Further information is available at the JPO website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Country Resources - Cuba, IP Country Resources - Hong Kong, IP Country Resources - Moldova, IP Country Resources - United Kingdom,  IP Firms - Greece, and IP Firms - United Kingdom.
  Posted by Matthew Downing and Rodney Cruise.

Friday, 08 February 2002

• Philippines Intellectual Property - Forum
  The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines have annoucned a Forum on the "Streamlining of Procedures in Intellectual Property Violation Cases (IPV) and Inter-Partes Cases (IPC)". The Forum will be held on Friday, 22 February 2002 from 1.30 to 4.30 pm. For further details visit the Philippines IPO website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Australian Innovation Patent Index - Update
  The Australian Innovation Patent Index which is hosted by Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick and IP MENU has been updated to 31 January 2002.   Background information can be found in this news item from October 2001.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Thursday, 07 February 2002

• USPTO Chief Remarks at Hearings
  Just posted on the USPTO website are the "prepared remarks" of James E. Rogan, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office at the Hearings on Competition and Intellectual Property Law and Policy in the Knowledge-Based Economy February 6, 2002. To read the "remarks" visit the USPTO website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - China, IP Firms - Brazil and IP Firms - Mexico.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Wednesday, 06 February 2002

• Europe - Warning On Approches Purporting to Register EP patents
  The European Patent Office (EPO) has issued a warning: "Beware of approaches and requests for payment from firms purporting to register European patents". The EPO has indicated that many application and patent owners have reported that organisations and individuals using names, abbreviations or emblems that appear to be official have been inviting them to register patents in unofficial registers or publications.
  
  "The European Patent Office would point out that it alone performs legally effective publication and registration of European patent applications or patents, and that it does so automatically. The European Patent Office warns all concerned to guard against the subterfuges of such firms and individuals. You should also be aware that because their services have no legal effect whatsoever, there is no obligation to pay".
  
  If you have any concerns in this area contact the European Patent Office in Munich on (+49-89) 23 99 - 45 12. For further information, visit the EPO website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Europe - PACE Over Patent Examination
  The European Patent Office (EPO) has reported that in the last 5 years, the number of applications filed annually with the European Patent Office has more than doubled. In order to cope with the increase and minimise delays in granting patents the EPO is taking steps to "further improve and simplify the PACE programme for accelerated prosecution of European patent applications".
  
  "PACE ensures that applicants who want their applications processed rapidly obtain the search report, the first examination communication and any ensuing European patent as soon as possible. Taking flexible account of applicants' specific needs, the programme thus reduces processing time considerably compared with the average."
  
  To read more from the EPO on their improving PACE program, visit the EPO website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO Announces Start of E-Government Customer Training
  The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will begin a series of training seminars on the electronic filing of trademark applications and other documents on 7 February 2002 in Los Angeles, USA. As you may have recently read back in August last year, the USPTO is proposing mandatory electronic filing of trademark applications and other trademark-related documents. Anne Chasser, the Commissioner for Trademarks will "lead" the seminars and there is a promise of a demonstration of the TEAS (Trademark Electronic Filing System) system. In addition to Los Angeles, seminars are scheduled in New York City, February 22; Fort Lauderdale, March 4; Philadelphia, April 3; and Cleveland, April 23. The Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries in those cities will host the sessions, which are free to the public. For further information please visit the USPTO website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• APPALERT Database Now Available on Questel-Orbit
  Questel-Orbit have just announced the addition of the APPALERT database to their network. From the Questel-Orbit press release:
  
  "One-stop Alert with the Latest EP, PCT and US Applications
  
  Questel-Orbit announces release of our Patent Applications Alert file featuring the following application information:
  
  EP Applications: Bibliographic, Abstract, Claims, IC Class, and Images*
  US Applications: Bibliographic, Abstract, Claims, and USPCL and IC Classes
  PCT Applications: Bibliographic, Abstract, IC Classes, and Images*
  
  *Images will be available in the next few weeks
  
  The APPALERT file contains the most recent four weeks of application publications and is ideal for SDIs alerts..........
  
  PRICING INFORMATION: - USD - EURO
  SDI Weekly updates - USD9.00 - EURO10.00
  SDI Displays ( any format ) - USD2.05 - EURO1.75
  Images with SDIs - USD0.19 - EURO0.20
  Online Connect Hour - USD103.00 - EURO92.00
  Online & Offline Displays - USD2.05 - EURO1.75
  Online Image display - USD0.19 - EURO0.20
  
  For more information, visit the Questel-Orbit website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Eighth Annual Negotiating and Drafting IP Licensing Agreements Conference
  The Eighth Annual Negotiating and Drafting IP Licensing Agreements conference is being held on 19-20 March 2002 at the Hotel Washington, in Washington DC. This conference, in it's eighth year is hosted by Insight Information Co. For more information visit the Insight Information website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO Announces 21.2% Increase for U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  "James E. Rogan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, announced that President Bush is requesting a 21.2% budget increase for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in FY 2003.
  
  The $239 million increase over the agency's FY 2002 budget encourages innovation and reinforces confidence in the patent and trademark systems by providing the resources to improve quality and reduce turn-around time for patents and trademarks. The President's increase allows the agency to:
  
  Hire 950 patent examiners
  
  Transform trademarks to a fully electronic operation by 2004
  
  Implement the President's management agenda, including e-government, outsourcing, and workforce restructuring."
  
  Further information is available on the USPTO website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• auDA - GENERIC DOMAIN NAMES AUCTION
  As IP MENU readers will recall, auDA (the Australian Domain Name Authority) recently released approximately 3000 generic domain names in the .com.au namespace. The period for applications closed on 31 January 2002 and auDA have now advised that they received 9,900 applications for 2,210 of the 3,000 names on the list. The most popular name is ‘computers.com.au’ with 76 applications and the top 10 names applied for are;
  
  computers.com.au
  design.com.au
  computer.com.au
  software.com.au
  finance.com.au
  health.com.au
  web.com.au
  marketing.com.au
  internet.com.au
  security.com.au
  
  auDA advise that applications are being "assessed as soon as possible" and the expect the process will not be finalised for a couple of months. For more information, visit the auDA website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Monday, 04 February 2002

• Derwent Relaunch Free Patent New Service
  Derwent have now relaunched their free patent news service. The new service - from Thomson's NewsEdge - supplies daily patent, business and intellectual property news stories in a choice of ten categories:
  
  - Biotechnology Patents
  - Medical Device Patents
  - Pharmaceutical Patents
  - Advanced Telecom Technology
  - Manufacturing Software
  - Semiconductor Legal Issues
  - Semiconductor Technology
  - Business Lawsuits and Settlements
  - Business Litigation
  - Intellectual Property
  
  Derwent have include a search facility and the ability to print or email to colleagues. To find out more, visit the Derwent website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Australian Innovation Patent Index - Update
  The Australian Innovation Patent Index which is hosted by Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick and IP MENU has been updated to 24 January 2002.   Background information can be found in this news item from October 2001.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - Malaysia and IP Firms - Singapore.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Friday, 01 February 2002

• Europe - Notice From The Office Journal
  In its decisions of 18 October 2001 and 13 December 2002 the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation amended the EPC Implementing Regulations.
  
  "1. Under the amended version of Rule 25(1) EPC a divisional application can be filed relating to any pending earlier European patent application. The word "any" has been introduced in order to clarify that it is irrelevant what kind of application the parent application is. The parent could thus also be an earlier divisional application. A divisional application relating to a Euro-PCT application can only be filed once the Euro-PCT application is pending before the EPO acting as designated or elected Office, ie it must have entered into the regional phase".
  
  "2. The amendment to Rule 29(2) EPC underscores and legally defines the principle of "one independent claim per category". The only admissible exceptions to this principle are now explicitly stated in the rule. New Rule 29(2) EPC is intended to have the same effect as strict application of Article 84 EPC and existing Rule 29(2) EPC, but without the lengthy substantive argumentation required hitherto. An applicant wanting more than one independent claim in the same category must, if the EPO objects, convincingly demonstrate that all the additional independent claims come under one of the exceptions explicitly given in the rule. So the onus is on the applicant".
  
  To read the full notice, visit the EPO website here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU
  Users may have noted that yesterday IP MENU server went down for about 6 hours. We apologise for any inconvience and we are pleased to report that we are back up and running.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Thursday, 31 January 2002

• WIPO - IPDL - Hague Express Database Now Available
  The Hague Express Database includes bibliographical data and, as far as international deposits governed exclusively or partly by the 1960 Act of the Hague Agreement are concerned, reproductions of industrial designs relating to international deposits that have been recorded in the International Register and published in the International Designs Bulletin as of issue No. 1/1999. The data presented on Hague Express are in accordance with the situation of the International Register of Industrial Designs as at 30/11/01. For more information visit the WIPO/IPDL website.
  Posted by Simon Ware.

Wednesday, 30 January 2002

• Old Derwent Searches Wanted!!!
  Steve Mayall of Image Applications has put a request for assistance with the next version of PatSee. He would be grateful for copies of any Derwent WPI searches that you have available in order to test some patent analysis software he has been working on. Steve writes "with the help of the next version of PatSee, this analysis software will be able to extract data in a semi-automated fashion from USPTO searches, convert the data into database containing numerous fields (inventor, assignee, description, claims, UPC, IPC etc.) and provide a wide array of stunning maps....The software can also automatically extract data from commercial Derwent WPI (e.g. WPIL and WPIX) searches to give geographical and other analyses".
  
  Steve reports that Derwent have already donated a number of searches but he is in need of other WPI searches to ensure the software is "robust and able to tackle anything we throw at it". If you want to help Steve and Image Applications please send your Derwent WPI searches (zipped) to Steve at steve.mayall@imageapps.co.uk. You can also register be be a beta tester for this software. More information is available at his website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Report: "Aurigin on the Verge of Bankruptcy
  Thanks to Nancy Lambert for her post on PIUG point to new information on Aurigin. The "NewsBreak" from infotoday is entitled "Aurigin on the Verge of Bankruptcy". To read the entire text, visit the Information Today site here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• UK Trade Marks - Free Seminars: Update on Practices before the Registrar
  The UK Trade Marks Registry will be holding the last in a series of seminars on the 26 February 2002.
  The seminar will cover the following topics:
  - an update on examination practice;
  - an update on extension of time requests in inter partes proceedings and evidence before the Registrar;
  - discussion on possible changes to opposition proceedings, and
  - an update on the consultation process on the future of examination on relative grounds.
  The seminar will be heldo on 26 February 2002 at 6.30 pm Newport - The Patent Office. There is no cost for this seminar. For more information visit the UK Patent Office website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO Presentation on E-Commerce (EFS and PAIR)
  On 21 February 2002, commencing with Breakfast at 8.30am there will be a meeting of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Patent Practitioners (NAPP). There will be a presentation by Sylvia Phan from the USPTO on the Electronic Filing System (EFS) and Status Information (PAIR).
  Details:
  
  WHEN: February 21, 2001 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. - Continental Breakfast 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. - USPTO Presentation
  
  WHERE: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Garden Room A, North Building, 199 Grandview Road, Skillman, New Jersey
  COST: USD$15.00 for NAPP Members USD$25.00 for non-NAPP Members make checks payable to the: National Association of Patent Practitioners
  
  For more information visit the NAPP website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• DEADLINE - 5.00 pm - 31 January 2002 (Australian EST)
  Generic Domain Names in Australia (com.au)
  This is a final reminder regarding Generic Doman Name Applications in Australia.
  
  The organisation (auDA) that administers the com.au domain has now removed the restrictions on the registration of generic words such as cars, accounting and sport. These words were previously unregisterable as a "com.au" domain name. With this change, such domain names will now be in high demand.
  
  Deadline: 31 January 2002
  There is now an opportunity to get in early and lodge an application for those generic domain names previously applied for but refused. There are approximately 3000 of these generic names currently available and you have until 31 January 2002 to apply for names appearing on the list. If there are multiple applicants for a particular domain name, a closed auction will take place, and the winning bidder will be awarded the domain name.
  
  It is important to note that there are still some eligibility criteria that need to be met. We can advise you appropriately on a case-by-case basis. Other generic names not on the list will be available after 31 January 2002.
  
  You can download a copy of the list (pdf) from our IP Menu website  Generic domain names are in high demand. Act Now!
  
  For further information Contact: Scott Gardiner (scott.gardiner@pof.com.au) or Rodney Cruise (rodney.cruise@pof.com.au).

• STN File FSTA (Food Science and Technology Abstracts) Reload
  Robert Austin (Regional Sales Manager USA - FIZ Karlsruhe) has posted a file update to the PIUG list.
  
  "STN File FSTA (Food Science and Technology Abstracts) has been reloaded and moves to weekly updates.
  
  FSTA has been reloaded and moves to weekly updates as of January 27, 2002.
  At the same time, SDIs will also switch to the weekly schedule.
  Additionally FSTA has been enhanced with some fields and features.
  The new features are:
  - stopwords are no longer used in the file
  - simultaneous left and right truncations is available in the basic index
  - new search field Controlled Word (/CW)
  - new search and custom display fields Reference Count (/REC) and Word Count, Title (WC.T)
  - new display format SCAN
  - patent and priority information are now searchable and displayable
  in both the STN and the DERWENT format (10% of FSTA is patents)
  
  Prices for FSTA have not been changed. Further information on FSTA can be found at www.ifis.org"
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 29 January 2002

• Derwent Needs You!!!
  Derwent are planning to enhance their Derwent Drug and Derwent Crop Protection Files. Their planned enhancements will include improvements to subject coverage, journal coverage and abstract structure. Derwent is requesting user input during the product development process and have provided questionnaires to assist them in this process. It is refreshing and encouraging to see an information provider seeking users views *before* changing the database. If just having a say is not enough incentive to participate, all completed questionnaires will be entered into a draw for one of two US$50 Amazon gift certificates. Derwent need your feedback by 1 March 2002. Visit the Derwent website here for further information and details of the online questionnaires.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Canada - Copyright Office Practice Changes
  The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) website is reporting on changes to the Copyright Office Practices which become effective as of 28 January 2002. The changes include (a) "When a work designates more than one category in an Application for Registration of a Copyright, you are required to check the box compilation and check the predominant category (only one) that represents the work"; and (b) "Descriptions of works are no longer accepted in an Application for Registration of a Copyright and the section “Applicant” should not be completed". Please watch the CIPO website for further information.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - China, IP Firms - USA - Washington DC and IP Firms - Germany.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Friday, 25 January 2002

• Interesting Patent Applications
  Simon Ware from IP MENU discovered this pending US application and I thought it was worth posting to IP MENU News. If you are wondering how to get your staff working more efficiently, then this may be the "system" for you!!. The patent application is US20020002522 and it is entitled "System and method for improving productivity of individual persons"
  
  Abstract
  The present invention considers each person or worker in an economic entity as an individual business unit ("IBU") with its own allocated revenue, cost and profit which can be controlled by the IBU. The profit allocated to the IBU belongs to the IBU itself. In effect, each IBU is valued as a business within the larger economic entity in which the IBU works. A profit potential of an IBU is determined by calculating the revenue and cost which are attributable to the IBU. The determined profit potential as capitalized over a predetermined time period becomes a tradable commodity for sale. Each IBU's effort is now linked to its own profit potential. If the IBU decreases its allocated cost or increases its allocated revenue, its allocated profit increases in proportion. The increased profit in turn increases the IBU's capitalized value. As a result, each IBU has a substantial incentive to increase its productivity in an attempt to increase its capitalized value.
  
  To view the text of the specification on the USPTO website, click here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise & Simon Ware.

• Employment Opportunity - 1
  Engineering Graduates - Intellectual Property Opportunity - Trainee Patent Attorney
  Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick (the creators of IP MENU) is one of Australia’s largest and most progressive firms of Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys. Established in 1888, we employ more than 100 people in offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. We have an outstanding opportunity in our Sydney office for a graduate qualified in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering at Honours level. A secondary degree in Computer Science or Law would be highly regarded. Experience working in industry and handling intellectual property matters will be an advantage but is not essential. Thus, we would encourage anyone already in the patent attorney profession to apply. You will be required to undertake study and sit examinations to gain the relevant qualifications. Applications close 15 February 2002. For further information, please visit our Employment Opportunities page.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Employment Opportunity - 2
  Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Lawyers is the affiliated legal wing of Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick (the creators of IP MENU) one of Australia's largest and most progressive firms of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys.   Established in 1888, we employ more than 100 people in the offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. We have an outstanding opportunity for a graduate qualified in Law and Science at honours level to undertake Articles of Clerkship with Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Lawyers in 2003. For further information, please visit our Employment Opportunities page.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• PatentHunter - Patent Downloading Software
  I have just become aware of new patent downloading software from from PatentWizard, LLC (owned by Neustel Law Offices, LTD). I am not sure how long this has been around but it looks quite interesting and there is a free trial. "PatentHunter is a software program that helps patent attorneys, businesses and inventors download and manage U.S. patents. Unlike commercial providers who can charge $5 per patent, downloading patents with PatentHunter is FREE! PatentHunter was created by a U.S. Patent Attorney, Michael S. Neustel of Neustel Law Offices, LTD....A Trial Version of PatentHunter is currently available.... ". The full version of PatentHunter is USD$29.95. and allows you to (a) download multiple patents simultaneously, (b) print clean patents without advertising text and (c) provides free product updates for one-year. For more information, visit the PatentHunter website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• PatentDatabase - US Patent Database
  PatentDatabase is by the same company who produces "PatentHunter" patent downloading software, Neustel Law Offices, LTD. PatentDatabase appears to be a front end search mask for USPTO patent and application data. It is a nice, clean search interface and the service is free. To take a look for yourself, visit the PatentDatabase website. You may also want to read their FAQs.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• INPADOC Newsletters
  
  It has been a while since we have seen any new INPADOC Newsletters (IPGs). Two new ones have been posted to the EPO/INPADOC website.IPG 2002/02 WIPO: new number formats and IPG 2002/01 New country: Tajikistan (TJ). To view these and previous newsletters, visit the EPO/INPADOC website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO - Notice Concerning EPO Competence to Act as a PCT Authority
  A new notice posted on the USPTO website: "The European Patent Office (EPO) has notified the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that the EPO will limit their competence to act as both an International Searching Authority and an International Preliminary Examining Authority for certain applications filed by applicants who are residents or nationals of the United States (US). The EPO will no longer be a competent International Searching Authority (ISA), within the meaning of PCT Article 16(3), for international applications filed by US residents or nationals on or after 01 March 2002 in the USPTO or International Bureau (IB) as a receiving Office, and where the application contains one or more claims directed to the fields of biotechnology or business methods." Full details are available on the USPTO website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• WIPO Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on the Role of Intellectual Property Offices in the 21st Century
  World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in cooperation with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) organised a conference "WIPO Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on the Role of Intellectual Property Offices in the 21st Century", which was held in Tokyo, on 11-14 September 2001. On September 12th and 13th, the heads of intellectual property Offices and senior officials responsible for intellectual property policy of 24 countries in the Asia-Pacific region gathered in Tokyo for the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Asia-Pacific Regional Forum at the Hotel Okura. The results of the Forum are published on the JPO website. Click here to view.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - New Zealand and IP Training Resources.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Thursday, 24 January 2002

• STN News
  For those people who don't regularly receive STN's email news, I have listed the topics covered in their recent email newsletter.  Anyone can sign up to received the emails news.  To find out more, visit the STN News website or sign up for email news here.
  1)    BIOSIS® - patent data added; producer information and copyright holder changed
  2)    CA/CAPLUS - automatic display of citations removed; patents from italy and luxembourg covered
  3)    CASREACT® - verification and answer limits increased; automatic display of citations removed
  4)    IFIPAT/IFICDB/IFIUDB - new display format added
  5)    MARPAT® - iteration and answer limits increased; automatic display of citations removed
  6)    REGISTRY/ZREGISTRY - cas registry blast® capabilities added to stn on the web; calculated properties for over 11.8 million substances added; automatic display of citations removed
  7)    STANDARDS - added to database cluster
  8)    TOXCENTERSM - coverage increased; free connect hour
  9)    USPAT2 - file segment and patent kind code added to header in .ex displays
  10)    USPATFULL - file segment and patent kind code added to header in .ex displays
  11)    VETU/VETB - files available to non-subscribers
  12)    WELDASEARCH - added to database clusters
  13)    WPINDEX/WPIDS/WPIX - ntis publication numbers and u.s. provisional application numbers revised
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Australia - IP Access
  IP Australia have released a new online service called IP Access. The service is aimed at entry level enquiries relating to IP protection in Australia and covers all forms of IP from patents, trade marks, designs, domain names, circuit layouts etc. You can registered (free) for newsletters and updates. IP Access is administered by the Federal Government Departments that have responsibility for an area or areas of intellectual property. These include IP Australia, the Department of Communiations Information Technology and the Arts, the Attorney General's Department, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. For more information visit IP Access.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Wednesday, 23 January 2002

• OHIM USER SURVEY ON THE COMMUNITY TRADE MARKS BULLETIN
  OHIM is considering changing the way in which it publishes Community trade mark applications and registered trade marks. Currently, two or three volumes of the Community Trade Marks Bulletin are published in paper form every week. The Bulletin is also published on CD-ROM, but this product does not have the same format as the paper version because it is based on a search engine, GTITM, and is intended for clients wishing to take advantage of the search options offered by this type of software. OHIM would like to make available to users a new CD-ROM containing the Bulletin in PDF format with the intention of abandoning the paper version. To gauge your response, OHIM is conducting a survey of Community Trade Marks bulletin. If your a user, you may like to download the survey here.
  Posted by Simon Ware.

• GetIPDL - Further Beta Upgrade (1.0.130) to Patent Downloading Software
  GetIPDL have released a further Beta upgrade (1.0.130) which is a more stable version of the program. A history of the software changes can be found here.  To find out more, please visit the GetIPDL website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• PATWWW News - Download Documents in ITS/BACON Format
  PatWare have now included an option to download documents in ITS/BACON format. "Download the document in the ITS Format and use INCOM’s PATVIEW software. The selected document can be displayed on the screen in several presentations. Full pages, double page view, zooming and rotating are possible. For the printing of documents PATVIEW supports the complete performance range. From low cost printers to high speed printers with hardware decompression and network support. With software decompression every standard MS-Windows printer ca be used. By using hardware decompression with XIONICS products printing rates of 40 pages per minute are possible. With INCOM’s Patent Image Processing Software you can now build up an in-house document archive." To view these documents you will need their viewer software called PATVIEW. You can download the "PATSTORE+PATVIEW" software here. The setup program will install two programs, PATSTORE to extract the document from the ITS file and PATVIEW to display it. For more information on PatWare visit their website (mainly in German).
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 22 January 2002

• Australia - IP Australia Releases IP Toolbox
  IP Australia has release a new CDROM product called IP Toolbox. This CDROM provides information on the protection and commercialisation of IP and provides information on how IP relates to business. The CDROM also covers issues such as the process of identifying your business' IP, creating a business plan (and integrating IP into your business plan) and how taxation relates to your IP.
  
  IP Toolbox, available for AUD $295 from IP Australia. For more information, visit the IP Australia (IP Toolbox) website.
  
  IP Australia has also revamped their introduction page.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• More Festo -1
  IP Menu can report that a transcript of the first day (8 January 2002) of the Supreme Court hearing in the FESTO case is now available on the AIPLA website. You will need to go to the Members Committee page, select the "Patent Litigation Committee" and select the FESTO report. The document is in Microsoft Word. Please note that you will need to be a member of AIPLA to access this report. Background information on FESTO can be found in our news of 16 January 2002.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• More Festo - 2
  A brief written by Pamela Zerbinos based on Oral Arguments of 8 January 2002 in Festo Corp. v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Co.(00-1543) - Appealed From: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (234 F.3d 558). This "brief" is available on the Medhill School of Journalism website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Australian Innovation Patent Index - Update
  The Australian Innovation Patent Index which is hosted by Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick and IP MENU has been updated to 17 January 2002.   Background information can be found in this news item from October 2001.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - Australia, IP Firms - Lebanon, IP Firms - Iran and IP Case Law.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Monday, 21 January 2002

• Iran to Join WIPO
  Raysan Patent & Trademark Agents have advised that Iran is to join WIPO. "The Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran ratified the law of adherence of Iran to the World Intellectual Property Organization. The law was approved in the open session of the Assembly of 26 September 2001.This law leads Iran to enter into a new series of international commitments for the protection and promotion of Intellectual Property rights. Iran acceded to the Paris convention in 1958 and to the modification of the Paris Convention dated 1967 and 1979 in 1998." Thanks to Raysan Patent & Trademark Agents for the information.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

Saturday, 19 January 2002

• Australian Innovation Patent Index - Update
  The Australian Innovation Patent Index which is hosted by Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick and IP MENU has been updated to 10 January 2002.   Background information can be found in this news item from October 2001.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Friday, 18 January 2002

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - United Kingdom and IP Firms - Turkey.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

• OHIM Issues Warning
  OHIM has just issued a warning: "Over the last few days, proprietors of published Community trade mark applications or their representatives have been receiving a letter from ... ZDR-Datenregister GmbH .... offering the registration of their trade mark in the "Central Data-Register Community Trade Marks" for payment of 1.235,40 euro".
  
  OHIM advise that this register has nothing to do with the OHIM's Community Trade Marks Register or any of its official publications, such as the Community Trade Marks Bulletin. OHIM have provided a copy of the type of letter.  Click here to view.
  
  "ZDR-Datenregister is a private German company, previously denounced for sending such letters seeking payment for entries in a private register containing information relating to industrial property titles already recorded in the German Patent and Trade Mark Office or elsewhere. That company and those responsible for its operations are currently under investigation by German law enforcement authorities for alleged fraud and other offences. The register that ZDR-Datenregister refers to, if it exists at all, is likely to be of no value for Community trade mark owners."
  
  To read more, visit the OHIM site here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• GetIPDL - Further Beta Upgrade (1.0.129) to Patent Downloading Software
  GetIPDL just keep coming with the upgrades to their great Patent Downloading software (which is free!)  They have released a further Beta upgrade (1.0.129).  A history of the software changes can be found here.   To find out more, please visit the GetIPDL website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Derwent Online Pricelist 2002
  Derwent have published their 2002 Online Database Pricelist. You can download the PDF version direct from the Derwent website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO Today - January 2002 Now Available
  The January 2002 edition of the USPTO Today is now available from the USPTO. To read USPTO Today in PDF format, click here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

• USPTO Pulse - January 2002 - Volume 10 Number 1 Now Available
  The January 2002 edition of the USPTO Pulse is now available from the USPTO. The articles this month include:
  - USPTO Employees Welcome Jon Dudas - "We welcome Jon Dudas to the USPTO family. Mr. Dudas has been appointed by Secretary Don Evans as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO".
  - USPTO Exceeds Goal for the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) - "Again, this year, the USPTO has exceeded the goal set for the Combined Federal Campaign, and each of you deserve the credit".
  - Al Smith leaves us with Planting Seeds of Change - "Al Smith, a director in TC 3600, is retiring after 44 years in public service, and he shares some of his memories and feelings as he leaves his USPTO family".
  - Digging begins at new USPTO Carlyle Site - "On December 19, 2001, the consolidation project moved another step forward when the developer, LCOR, secured financing to build USPTO's new headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. As a result, the construction phase has officially started!"
  - Join the First On-Line Dialogue with Director James E. Rogan - "Join in the first live, lunch-time, on-line dialogue with Director Rogan on Thursday, February 7th at noon".
  To read Pulse, click here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

• USPTO - Letter from Commissoner of Patents Godici to Registered Practitioners
  The USPTO appears to be encouraging professionals to look to their website for the latest information from the USPTO. Seem obvious, but a reminder never hurts! "On January 16, 2002, Nicholas Godici, Commissioner for Patents, signed a letter that will be mailed to all registered patent practitioners. The letter encourages patent practitioners to monitor the USPTO Internet Web site for current information regarding mail delays and other time sensitive notices". Read the full letter from the Commissioner here (PDF).
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Wednesday, 16 January 2002

• Reminder ! - Australia - Release of Generic "com.au" Domain Names
  This is a further update and reminder regarding new changes to the policy on registering "generic" domain names under com.au.  We have created a special page on IP MENU that provides details and the list of available generic domain names.  Click here to visit it. As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact me.
  
  The organisation (auDA) that administers the com.au domain has decided to remove the restriction on the registration of generic words (such as cars, accounting or bank).  These domains were previously considered to be generic and unregisterable.  With this change in auDA policy, it is expected that such generic domain names will be in high demand.
  
  auDA have published a list of com.au domain names where application(s) have been received under the current regime bu refused as the name was considered "generic". Applicants now have only until 31 January 2002 to apply for names appearing on the list.  If ther is more than one applicant for a particular name a closed auction wil take place and the winning beidder will be awarded the domain name.  Generic names not on this list will become available on a first come first served basis after 31 January 2002.
  
  It is unfortunate, but auDA have only allowed a limited time to act in relation to these generic domain names.  There are eligibility requirements for applicants.   If you are interested in finding out more you can contact auDA .  If you are interested in establishing whether you meet eligibility requirements or are interested in applying for a generic name, Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick (IP Menu's owners) will be happy to assist you.  For further information from Phillips Ormonde, contact Scott Gardiner on domains@pof.com.au.
  
  IP Menu has put a complete list of "generic" domain names available in this first phase on our website.  You can download the PDF document here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

• Festo History
  Below is a series of links on "Festo" to articles, commentary and case law.
  - Yahoo! News - 8 January 2002 - "Supreme Court Examines Patent Case".
  - Law.Com News - 9 January 2002 - "Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Landmark 'Festo' Patent Case" by Tony Mauro, American Lawyer Media.
  - A commentary on the State of the Law Before Festo as posted on the Legal Information Institute website.
  - United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit - 95-1066 - "FESTO CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SHOKETSU KINZOKU KOGYO KABUSHIKI CO., LTD., a/k/a SMC CORPORATION, and SMC PNEUMATICS, INC., Defendants-Appellants" - DECIDED: November 29, 2000 - as hosted on the Emory Law Website.
  - United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit - 95-1066 - "FESTO CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SHOKETSU KINZOKU KOGYO KABUSHIKI CO., LTD., a/k/a SMC CORPORATION, and SMC PNEUMATICS, INC., Defendants-Appellants" - Dated 20 August 1999 - Order - as hosted on the Emory Law Website.
  - United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit - 95-1066 - "FESTO CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SHOKETSU KINZOKU KOGYO KABUSHIKI CO., LTD., a/k/a SMC CORPORATION, and SMC PNEUMATICS, INC., Defendants-Appellants" - DECIDED: April 19, 1999 - as hosted on the Emory Law Website.
  - United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit - 95-1066 - "FESTO CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SHOKETSU KINZOKU KOGYO KABUSHIKI CO., LTD., a/k/a SMC CORPORATION, and SMC PNEUMATICS, INC., Defendants-Appellants" - This is a reissuance of a nonprecedential order as a precedential order, dated June 9, 1997 -  as hosted on the Emory Law Website.
  - Appealed from: U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Judge Saris) - 95-1066 - "FESTO CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SHOKETSU KINZOKU KOGYO KABUSHIKI CO., LTD., a/k/a SMC CORPORATION, and SMC PNEUMATICS, INC., Defendants-Appellants" - DECIDED: December 14, 1995 as hosted on the Emory Law Website.
  Briefs: (The following Briefs are posted ont eh FindLaw / USA Today Websites and further details can be found here):
  - Petitioner (Petition) [PDF]
  - Respondent (Petition) [PDF]
  - Petitioner - Reply (Petition) [PDF]
  - Petitioner [PDF]
  
            Amicus - Petitioner:
  • American Intellectual Property Law Association (Petition) [PDF]
  • Association of Patent Law Firms (Petition) [PDF]
  • Chiron Corporation et al. (Petition) [PDF]
  • Chamber of Commerce of the United States (Petition) [PDF]
  • Federal Circuit Bar Association (Petition) [PDF]
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology et al. (Petition) [PDF]
  • Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company et al. (Petition) [PDF]
  • American Intellectual Property Law Association [PDF]
  • Asta Medica Aktiengesellschaft [PDF]
  • Bose Corporation [PDF]
  • Chiron Corporation [PDF]
  • Houston Intellectual Property Law Association [PDF]
  • Federal Circuit Bar Association [PDF]
  • Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle [PDF]
  • Intellectual Property Creators et al. [PDF]
  • Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company et al. [PDF]
  • National Bar Association [PDF]
  • National Intellectual Property Law Institute [PDF]
  • Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association [PDF]
    
    Amicus - Respondent:
  • Applera Corporation (Petition) [PDF]
  • International Business Machinese Corporation et al. (Petition) [PDF]
  • Consumer Project on Technology [PDF]
  • Intel Corporation et al. [PDF]
    
    Amicus - Neither Party:
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - United States of America [PDF]
  • Sean Patrick Suiter [PDF]
  • Vincent P. Tassinari [PDF]
  • Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation et al. - Reversal [PDF]
  • United States - Vacatur and Remand [PDF] [TEXT] [RTF]

Tuesday, 15 January 2002

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU is currently undergoing a spring clean!!  As you are aware, there are thousands of links on IP MENU and maintaining current links is difficult when websites reorganise.  From a users perspective you wont notice any differences (except maybe a few links working that had previous ceased to work).  From our perspective, this is a huge undertaking and it will take several weeks to physically check every link.  If you are aware of a link on IP MENU that is not functioning, please drop us a line and we shall correct it ASAP.  
  
  In the meantime, IP MENU has updated the following - IP Caselaw Resources, IP Training Resources, IP Conferences, IP Firms - USA - Texas, IP Firms - USA - Massachusetts, IP Firms - USA - Washington DC, IP Firms - Germany, IP Firms - Iceland, IP Firms - Romania, IP Firms - United Kingdom, IP Firms - India and IP Firms - Cameroon.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise, Saskia Jahn and Matthew Downing.

• New Domain Name (.me.uk) Now Available
  CNET has reported that the new .me.uk domain has opened for registrations. It is the first new domain name to be introduced since Nominet started operating the .uk registry in 1996. A vote wsa held last Friday where "75 percent of the registry's 598 members voted in favor of launching the domain name, designed to put more of a personal spin on U.K. Web addresses". Form more information read the CNET article or visit Nominet.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Australian Innovation Patent Index Updated
  The Australian Innovation Patent Index which is hosted by Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick and IP MENU has been updated to 3 January 2002.  Our new search engine appears to be working well, thanks for the feedback. Background information can be found in this news item from October 2001.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Monday, 14 January 2002

• WIPO Releases New Domain Name Database
  The new WIPO ccTLD Database is now available. This database is part of the WIPO ccTLD Program. Back on June 20, 2001 WIPO published a voluntary best practices guide for administrators of ccTLDs, the 'WIPO ccTLD Best Practices for the Prevention and Resolution of Intellectual Property Disputes'. "This guide focuses on the three areas of domain name registration practices and procedures that are most important for the protection of intellectual property in the DNS":
  - the domain name registration agreement,
  - the collection and public availability of domain name registrant contact
  details, and
  - alternative means for resolving disputes concerning domain name
  registrations.
  The ccTLD Database contains links to the web sites of the 243 ccTLDs, allowing users to determine the availability in each ccTLD of registration agreement, the existence of a Whois service and the adoption of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedure. The ccTLD database contains links to ccTLD registration agreements, WHOIS services, and alternative dispute resolution procedures. Of the 243 ccTLDs listed below, 100 have made available a registration agreement (41%); 98 have a WHOIS service (40%); and 46 (19%) have adopted an ADR procedure. For 47 ccTLDs, no web site is indicated in the IANA database and for 13 ccTLDs the site is not accessible. In other words, 60 ccTLDs (25%) do not have a web presence.For further information please visit the WIPO website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• WIPO Trademark Database Portal
  WIPO has published a Trademark Database Portal. WIPO state that The Portal aim is to allow any person wishing to register a domain name in the gTLDs or ccTLDs to perform a trademark search of the existing on-line trademark databases maintained by intellectual property offices throughout the world. "WIPO has facilitated access to these databases with a view to the prevention of domain name disputes". WIPO rightly notes: "It is noted, however, that not all intellectual property offices have publicly accessible on-line trademark databases, therefore any searches using the links provided on the portal will not be sufficient to determine definitively whether or not a domain name is infringing trademark rights in all jurisdictions". For more information, visit the WIPO website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• PIUG 2002 Annual Conference Details Now Online
  PIUG have now placed details of the PIUG 2002 Annual Conference online at their website. Included are the list of sponsors, the Agenda, and Abstracts. Also included is the registration form in PDF and Microsoft Word format.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Delphion - View Derwent Records for Free (Limited Time Only)
  Delphion have announced that you can view Derwent records for free from now through to 15 February 2002. During this time you can view Derwent records from the Delphion Integrated View for free. According to the Delphion release, regardless of whether you're a Delphion subscriber or a basic registrant, you can take advantage of this "no-risk opportunity to see firsthand all the benefits of Derwent information". Considering the high cost/high quality of Derwent records, this sounds like a great opportunity. Delphion have also announced some addition enhancements to their service:
  
  - Delphion's popular Saved Search and Alert tools are now available for use with Derwent.
  - Search Derwent's Powerful EPI Manual Codes for Just USD $8
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO Launches Media Campaign to Counter Patent Scam Artists
  According to the USPTO, exploitation of U.S. inventors costs small business people over USD$200 million annually. So this week, the USPTO is unveiling a tv and radio campaign in five media markets to counter the flood of deceptive advertising aimed at America's independent inventors. "USPTO's spots, which will run through March 31, 2002, in San Francisco/San Jose, Tampa, Pittsburgh and New York, and in Spanish in Southern Florida, warn small inventors about organizations who offer, but do not deliver on, costly schemes to patent and market inventions". To read the full press release, visit the USPTO website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Courntry Resources - South Korea, IP Courntry Resources - Hungary, IP Courntry Resources - OHIM, IP Courntry Resources - Morocco, IP Courntry Resources - Spain, IP Courntry Resources - Brazil, IP Courntry Resources - Poland, IP Courntry Resources - Germany, IP Training Resources, IP Firms - Australia and IP Firms - United Kingdom.
  Posted by Saskia Jahn and Matthew Downing.

Friday, 11 January 2002

• Inventive Steps - January 2002 - Newsletter
  
  Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick (the firm behind IP Menu) has just published their new quarterly newsletter called Inventive Steps.    The newsletter covers intellectual property issues from an Australian and New Zealand perspective.  Articles include:
  - Important Changes to Australian Patent Law
  - Interpreting Confidentiality Agreements
  - Design Imitations
  - Co-pending Trade Mark Applications in New Zealand
  - IP Organisers Pty Ltd
  Inventive Steps is free and available online (html) here. A pdf version is also available here (3.5MB).
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Drug Patents 2001 Now Available
  Current Patents Ltd has announced the publication of their annual reference book, Drug Patents 2001. This publication provides an overview "of innovation in the industry based on 42,000 qualifying therapeutic patents published from 1995 thru 2000, together with a broader preview of 2001 trends based on 6,500 documents published during the early part of the year". The DP2001 title replaces the former bimonthly analysis journal, Current Trends in Pharmaceutical Discovery (CTPD), in which patents on specific therapeutic topics were analysed in detail. Current Patents Ltd advise that some back copies of CTPD are still available. DP2001 is available in printed form and (to purchasers of multiple copies) on CD-ROM, with source data and statistics tables for in-house processing; it is also a Portal option for subscribers to the Current Drugs database IDdb3. A sample booklet is available on their website. Further information can be obtained from Peter Steele, Managing Director, Current Patents Ltd.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Metrics Group - Free Citation Bridge Tool
  Metrics Group has released a new web-based tool called Citation Bridge. Citation Bridge allows you to "iteratively search forward and backward through generations of U.S. patent references. The tool is set atop Metrics Group's new Citation Indicators Analytics Database, which is a database that analyzes US Patent References". Access to Citation Bridge is free if users register on the site. Below is a screen shot of Citation Bridge.
  
  Some points regarding "citations" from the Metrics Group website:
  
  "What can citation searching do for you?
  - Patents citing your patent are related to your patent in terms of subject matter.
  - Companies citing your patent may be good licensing candidates for your technology.
  - Patents citing your patent should be reviewed for possible infringement of your technology.
  - Research has shown that the more times a patent is cited, the more valuable the patent is".
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• PIUG 2002 - Annual Conference and Satelite Meeting
  Tom Stanton has reminded us about the upcoming PIUG meeting and Satelite workshop. For those people interested in attending the PIUG 2002 Annual Conference, there is still time to take advantage of the reduced early registration rate of USD$195. Just be sure that the mailing is post-marked no later than January 15, 2002. Similarly, for those interested in attending the "Introduction to worldwide patent information" workshop at the PIUG 2002 Annual Conference, there is still time to take advantage of the reduced early registration rate of USD$225. Again, just be sure that the mailing is post-marked no later than January 15, 2002. For further information please contact Tom Stanton.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USA - Top 10 Private Sector Patent Recipients 2001
  The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the top 10 private sector patent recipients for the 2001 calendar year. Listed below are the 10 corporations receiving the most patents for inventions in 2001, along with their ranking last year. For the ninth consecutive year, IBM received more patents than any other private sector organization. For full details, visit the USPTO website.
  

  Prelim Rank in 2001*	Prelim #Patents in 2001*	Organization*
  1	3,411	International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
  2	1,953	NEC Corporation
  3	1,877	Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
  4	1,643	Micron Technology, Inc.
  5	1,450	Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
  6	1,440	Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co., Ltd.
  7	1,363	Sony Corporation
  8	1,271	Hitachi, Ltd.
  9	1,184	Mitsbushi. Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
  10	1,166	Fujitsu Limited

• Patent Abstracts of Japan News No.22 - 2001 Now Available
  The new edition of the PAJ News is available from the JPO. Click here to download the latest version in Adobe Acrobat™ PDF format.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Design Resources, IP Country Resources - Germany, IP Country Resource - Slovenia, IP Firms - Venezuala, IP Firms - Mexico and IP Firms - Czech Republic
  Posted by Matthew Downing and Saskia Jahn.

Thursday, 10 January 2002

• Dialog 1 - A Dialog with Japanese Trademarks
  The Dialog Corporation have just announced that TRADEMARKSCAN®-Japan -- the first Japanese trademark database specifically designed for use by trademark professionals outside of Japan -- is now available for online searching and document retrieval through the Dialog® service. The TRADEMARKSCAN-Japan database currently contains more than 2.5 million active and inactive Japanese trademark registrations and applications, with updates monthly. For more information, please read the Dialog Press Release.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Dialog 2 - Dialog Adds Korean Patent Abstracts
  The Dialog Corporation have also just announced that Korean patent abstracts are now available for electronic retrieval through the Dialog® online information service.The Korean patent abstracts are available in the Derwent World Patents Index and Derwent World Patents Index Extension. Both of those databases are featured on the Dialog service. The Derwent databases include abstracts of full patent applications (so-called "Korean A" documents), starting with documents published from 2001 onwards. More limited information (application titles) is available for patent applications from 1977 onward. For more information, please read the Dialog Press Release.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Firms - Country Listing and IP Firms - Venezuala.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Wednesday, 9 January 2002

• New Products and Services from MicroPatent
  MicroPatent expanded its full text coverage by adding national data from Germany and Great Britain to PatSearch FullText. The new searchable full text covers:
  
  German granted patents (DE-C): 1989 - present
  German published applications (DE-A): 1989 - present
  Great Britain applications (GB-A): 1979 - present
  
  The GB data is "uniquely created by MicroPatent and isn't available elsewhere". As with their other collection material, you can search these files individually or in combination with any of these existing MicroPatent PatSearch FullText databases:
  
  US granted patents (US): 1836 - present
  US applications: March 15, 2001 - present
  European granted documents (EP-B): 1991 - present
  European published applications (EP-A): 1988 - present
  WIPO applications (WO): 1978 - present
  Japanese abstracts (JP): 1976 - present
  
  In addition to the new data, MicroPatent have announced that they have enhanced their document delivery service by offering a "Zipped Download" option for easier and faster transmission of multiple patents.
  
  It is always encouraging to see organisations such as MicroPatent continuing to expand and improve their IP range of products and services. MicroPatent have also indicated that they "will continue to add more national countries throughout 2002."   IP Menu look forward to these developments.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• PCT-EASY Software Update Now Available
  The latest version of the PCT-Easy software has been released (Version 2.92 (build 0002)). It is available for download from the WIPO website. The software includes new designations, a change to the fee schedule including the reduction in the maximum number of designation fees payable from 6 to 5, and the latest PCT updates. CD-ROM upgrades are also available by request to WIPO.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• UK Patent Office - Mark It! - Issue 3 - January 2002
  The UK Patent Office has just posted Issue 3 (January 2002) of Mark It! on their website.
  
  In this issue:
  - A Prompt Service - A service offering early notification of Practice Amendment Notices announced.
  - A Diaper of Distinctive Character - A recent decision by the ECJ lowers the threshold of registrability.
  - Classification Changes Ahead for Class 42 - The restructuring of Class 42 and the addition of Classes 43, 44 and 45.
  - Signpost - Helping you find your way through The Registry.
  - Trade Marks Registry Introduces e-Filing Facility - The Patent Office are busy developing and extensive program of new electronic filing services.
  - Trade Marks News in Brief - Madrid System of International Registration of Marks / New Public Target / Trade Mark Seminars.
  
  To read the latest version of Mark It! visit the UK Patent Office here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Tuesday, 8 January 2002

• Brian Stockdale Memorial Award
  The Derwent Website has some exciting news. PIUG (The International Society for Patent Information), has announced the creation of the Brian Stockdale Memorial Award. "This award is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Brian Stockdale who travelled extensively throughout the world imparting his knowledge of patent searching. Brian's career encompassed positions with Derwent, SmithKline Beecham, and Technology and Patent Research International. As Brian was so well known internationally and trained many patent information professionals, his work was highly regarded".
  
  The award recipient will be new to the patent information profession, with less than 3 years total work experience. Alternatively, the recipient will be a student currently enrolled in a college or university with a demonstrated interest in pursing a career in patents, preferably a career in patent information. Potential candidates must submit a short essay, not to exceed 500 words, describing their professional or educational interests, as well as their need for financial assistance with respect to conference attendance.
  
  The award consists of standard travel expenses and conference registration fees to assist the award recipient in attending one PIUG Annual Meeting, This award is underwritten by Derwent and by Technology and Patent Research International.
  
  It is always great to hear of such awards, and even more so when it applies to the patent information arena. I strongly recommend that all eligible candidates apply and quickly - the closing date is 15 January 2002. The prize is certainly an excellent one for up-and-coming patent information professionals. Three cheers for PIUG, Derwent and Technology and Patent Research International.. For more information, please visit the Derwent website here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• ICANN - DNSO Names Council UDRP Questionnaire
  The ICANN Domain Names Supporting Organization (DNSO) is currently conducting a study of the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP). The DNSO is inviting people to participate by filling out the an online survey. Responses to this questionnaire must be submitted no later than February 6, 2002.
  
  To fill in the survey, visit the ICANN website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Conferences,  IP Design Resources, IP Country Resources - Australia, IP Country Resources - France, IP Country Resources - Finland, IP Country Resources - New Zealand, IP Country Resources - United Kingdom and IP Country Resources - United States of America.
  Posted by Saskia Jahn.

Monday, 7 January 2002

• Questel-Orbit - Imagination 2.5d Software Now Available
  The Questel-Orbit software, Imagination 2.5d has been updated and the new version (2.5D) is now available free for all users. Some of the new/enhanced features include:
  
  PATENTS:
  PDS: Patent Delivery Service using PDF format.
  EPAPAT / EPBPAT:
  USPAT / USAPPS:
  New search masks allows users to search these files as a cluster.
  Enhanced support for the following files:
  EPAT, DEPAT, IFIPAT, IFIUDB, IFICDB, PLUSPAT, USPAT, USAPPS
  
  To download the software or find out more about Questel-Orbit, please visit them here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Singapore - Patent Agents Rules
  Details of the Patent (Patent Agents) Rules 2001 [Rules] and Section 14 of the Patent (Amendment) Act 2001 [Amendment] have been posted on the IPOS Patent Agents website. This website provides details fo the workings this new regulatory regime for patent agents. Visit the website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• The 2002 CAS Catalog Now Available
  The 2002 CAS Catalog is now available online. The Catalog is available in Acrobat PDF format and the file is about 2.6MB. To download it, visit the CAS website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Trilateral Patent Office - Conference Report Summary
  The Trilateral Patent Office website has just posted the "Summary of Results of 19th Annual Trilateral Pre-Conference and Conference" which was held 5-9 November 2001 in San Francisco, CA, USA. An important line up of delegates at his conference included Mr. Ingo Kober, President EPO; Mr. Kouzo Oikawa, Commissioner JPO and Mr. Nicholas P. Godici, Acting Under Secretary for Intellectual Property and Acting Director USPTO. You may access this "Summary" here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Dialog Connect-Time Option
  Effective from 1 January 2002, Dialog Customers now have a choice of the pricing method for the search component of their online searching: "Connect-Time" or "DialUnits". The default is set to DialUnits, however you can change to use Connect-Time by adding the command "SET CONNECT ON" to the user profile. For more information about connect time, visit the Dialog website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following -  IP Conferences and IP Organisations.
  Posted by Saskia Jahn.

Saturday, 5 January 2002

• Australia - IP Australia - Patents Amendment Regulations
  The Patents Amendment Regulations came into effect 1 January 2002. The Regulations will reduce the total maximum number of PCT designations after which no further payment is necessary. These will be reduced from 6 to 5 designations and therefore reduce the maximum designation fee that an applicant must pay if they designate more than 5 countries. The amending regulations also make some minor amendments to the patent attorney offence provisions, which will commence on appearance in the gazette. Source: IP Australia.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USPTO Announcement of the New "10" Series for Patent Applications
  On 5 December 2001, the USPTO began to accord patent applications an application number with a "10" series code. "Patent applications have a two-digit series code and a six-digit serial number, which together comprise the application number. The prior series code, the "09" series, began to be used about June of 1997. Due to delays that the Office has experienced in the receipt of Express Mail, some applications filed before December 5, 2001, may be accorded the new "10" series code".
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Patent Term Adjustment Determinations in Notices of Allowance Mailed Between 13 Nov. 2001 and 23 Dec. 2001
  As reported on the USPTO website today, the office has discovered an error that has resulted in "Notices of Allowance mailed on or after 13 November 2001 and before 23 December 2001 being printed with a zero (0) in the patent term adjustment field, regardless of whether the application is entitled to patent term adjustment or not". To read the full notice from the USPTO, click here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.
  
  

Friday, 4 January 2002

• GetIPDL - Further Beta Upgrade (1.0.128) to Patent Downloading Software
  GetIPDL just keep coming with the upgrades to their great Patent Downloading software (which is free!)  They have released a further Beta upgrade (1.0.128).  A history of the software changes can be found here.  To find out more, please visit the GetIPDL website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• R E M I N D E R - Register Now for the PIUG 2002 Annual Meeting
  Following is some reminder and update information on "PIUG 2002 - Pacific Rim" (April 20-24, Radisson Berkeley Marina Hotel, Berkeley CA.) from the Chair of PIUG, Lucy Akers.
  
  - As announced previously, after 15 January, the conference registration fee will increase for all people, including PIUG members, from USD$195 to USD$350.
  
  - After 15 January, the satellite workshop registration fee will also inclurease from USD$225 to USD$300.
  
  - The session by Stephen Adams, "Introduction to worldwide patent information" on Saturday April 20, 2-5pm will require a separate registration form.
  
  - Registrations must be postmarked on or before Jan. 15 and you must have renewed your PIUG 2002 membership in order to qualify for the reduced rates. The forms are located at the back of the October, 2001 issue of the PIUG Newsletter. Please note that the meeting registration form(s) and the membership renewal forms must be sent to separate addresses.
  
  - Reminder of correction to the PIUG Membership Renewal Form. The correct address to submit your membership renewal is:
  Ken Koubek
  PO Box7 944
  Newark, DE 19714
  
  - Correction to the PIUG 2002 Meeting Registration Form: We previously indicated the following on the registration form: "Note: There is a separate registration for the Derwent Product Showcase which will be held Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26, 2002. The registration will be handled directly with Derwent." The Derwent Product Showcase will not be held immediately following the PIUG annual meeting, as in the last few years, primarily due to space limitations with the hotel. Derwent will, however, sponsor our Wed. evening Hornblower dinner cruise on April 24, so be sure to join us for this special event!
  
  - Please submit meeting registration questions directly to Tom Stanton at tstanton@ashland.com .
  
  - Please submit PIUG membership and renewal questions directly to Ken Koubek at kkoubek@rodel.com .
  
  - The room rate at the Radisson Berkeley Marina hotel has been renegotiated from $174 per night to $142 per night (does noti nclude taxes)! All of those who had already called in their room reservations for PIUG 2002 will be given this lower rate automatically. When making your hotel reservations, at 1-510-548-7920, please be sure to mention PIUG to ensure appropriate credit is given to PIUG for the room bookings.
  
  Thank you to Lucy Akers for the update.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Australia - Release of Generic "com.au" Domain Names - U P D A T E
  This is a short update and reminder regarding new changes to the policy on registering "generic" domain names under com.au.  We have created a special page on IP MENU that provides details and the list of available generic domain names.  Click here to visit it. As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact me.
  
  The organisation (auDA) that administers the com.au domain has decided to remove the restriction on the registration of generic words (such as cars, accounting or bank).  These domains were previously considered to be generic and unregisterable.  With this change in auDA policy, it is expected that such generic domain names will be in high demand.
  
  auDA have published a list of com.au domain names where application(s) have been received under the current regime bu refused as the name was considered "generic". Applicants now have only until 31 January 2002 to apply for names appearing on the list.  If ther is more than one applicant for a particular name a closed auction wil take place and the winning beidder will be awarded the domain name.  Generic names not on this list will become available on a first come first served basis after 31 January 2002.
  
  It is unfortunate, but auDA have only allowed a limited time to act in relation to these generic domain names.  There are eligibility requirements for applicants.   If you are interested in finding out more you can contact auDA .  If you are interested in establishing whether you meet eligibility requirements or are interested in applying for a generic name, Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick (IP Menu's owners) will be happy to assist you.  For further information from Phillips Ormonde, contact Scott Gardiner on domains@pof.com.au.
  
  IP Menu has put a complete list of "generic" domain names available in this first phase on our website.  You can download the PDF document here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

• Australian Innovation Patent Index Updated
  The Australian Innovation Patent Index which is hosted by Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick and IP MENU has been updated to 20 December 2001.  We have also introduced a new search engine which we believe will make searching a little easier. Background information can be found in this news item from October 2001.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• GetIPDL - Further Beta Upgrade (1.0.127) to Patent Downloading Software
  GetIPDL have released a further Beta upgrade (1.0.127) which is a more stable version of the program. A history of the software changes can be found here.  To find out more, please visit the GetIPDL website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Thursday, 3 January 2002

• The Internet Starts to Shrink
  Although not strictly IP related, I thought readers may find this BBC piece interesting. "For only the second time ever, an authoritative monthly survey of the number of sites on the net has found fewer sites online than in the previous month. The fall has been put down to a drop in the number of registered domains. Despite the drop, the net remains hugely popular, and there are now over 36m sites in cyberspace". The full story is available at the BBC wesbite here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following - IP Design Resources, IP Trademark Resources, IP Organisations, IP Country Resources - Peru, IP Country Resources - Morocco, IP Country Resources - Hong Kong, IP Country Resources - Finland, IP Menu - Links Back and IP Firms - Italy.
  Posted by Saskia Jahn and Matthew Downing.

Wednesday, 2 January 2002

• IP MENU - New IP Office Additions
  - Uruguay Intellectual Property Office - Dirección Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial has been added to IP Country - Uruguay - Intellectual Property Resources page.
  
  - ARIPO Regional Office website (hosted on WIPO) has been added to the IP Country - ARIPO - Intellectual Property Resources page.
  
  - The Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office of Barbados (CAIPO) has been added to IP Country
  - Barbados - Intellectual Property Resources page.
  
  - A new page for Malta has been added, linking to information on the Intellectual Property Office of Malta. See IP Country - Malta - Intellectual Property Resources page.
  
  - The Colombian Patent Office now has a website and it includes the ability to search Colombian (and other) IP.   See IP Country - Colombia - Intellectual Property Resources.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Peer 2 Peer Community for Patent and Trademark Documents
  Jim Turner from FileShopper.com (EFileHistory.com) has advised that EFilehistory.com has finished it's Beta testing, and has emerged as FileShopper.com. They are now ready to start accepting established Patent and Trademark document providers that wish to use their P2P community to buy and sell electronic File Histories. It is free to register and download the software. To find out more about FileShopper, visit www.FileShopper.com.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• GetIPDL - Further Beta Upgrade (1.0.125) to Patent Downloading Software
  GetIPDL have released a further Beta upgrade (1.0.125) which is a more stable version of the program. A history of the software changes can be found here.  To find out more, please visit the GetIPDL website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following -  IP Country Resources - ARIPO, IP Courntry Resources - Barbados, IP Country Resources - Colombia, IP Country Resources - Uruguay, IP Country Resources - Malta,  IP Firms - Country Listings, IP Firms - Afghanistan, IP Firms Brazil, IP Firms - Mexico, IP Firms - USA - California, IP Conferences, and IP Conferences - Archive.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise, Matthew Downing and Saskia Jahn.

Monday, 31 December 2001

• Patent Information for Pharma/Biotech Course
  Edlyn Simmons has advised of the PERI "Patent Information for Pharma/Biotech Course" which is being held in Arlignton, VA (USA) from 06 February to 08 February, 2002.
  
  "This course is designed to provide a overview of the patenting process, sources of patent information and the various means of answering patent information requests pertaining to drugs, devices, chemicals, and biologics. The basics of US and foreign patent laws and the importance of exclusivity and patent term extension in the pharmaceutical industry will be discussed. Demonstrations of patent searching techniques will be provided and participants will have an opportunity to tour the US Patent and Trademark Office. Vendors will be invited for informal demonstration of databases and searching techniques."
  
  The PERI website provides full details about the course including "Who Should Attend", "Objectives", "Key Topics" and "Registration Information".
  
  PIUG members will recognise that the course director is Edlyn Simmons, Procter & Gamble's Section Manager, Patent Information, so it is bound to be a well structured and informative course. To find out more about this course, registration etc - visit the PERI website.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Trilateral Statistical Report 2000
  Well, we may be at the end of 2001, but the Trilateral Patent Office has just released the "Trilateral Statistical Report" for 2000. "This joint annual Trilateral Statistical Report contains a compilation of statistics from the European Patent Office (EPO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It is also partially based on statistics from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva." You can access the report from the Trilateral website here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Japanese Patent Office - Report Presented by the Intellectual Property Committee of the Industrial Structure Council - December 2001
  The Japanese Patent Office has just released A Report Presented by the Intellectual Property Committee of the Industrial Structure Council. You can find the report in PDF format at the Japanese Patent Office website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• IP MENU Update
  IP MENU has updated the following -  IP Firms - Israel.
  Posted by Matthew Downing.

Thursday, 27 December 2001

• Australia - Release of Generic "com.au" Domain Names
  The organisation (auDA) that administers the com.au domain has decided to remove teh restriction on the registration of generic words (such as cars, accounting or bank).  These domains were previously considered to be generic and unregisterable.  With this change in auDA policy, it is expected that such generic domain names will be in high demand.
  
  auDA have published a list of com.au domain names where application(s) have been received under the current regime bu refused as the name was considered "generic". Applicants now have only until 31 January 2002 to apply for names appearing on the list.  If ther is more than one applicant for a particular name a closed auction wil take place and the winning beidder will be awarded the domain name.  Generic names not on this list will become available on a first come first served basis after 31 January 2002.
  
  It is unfortunate, but auDA have only allowed a limited time to act in relation to these generic domain names.  There are eligibility requirement for applicants.   If you are interested in finding out more you can contact auDA .  If you are interested in establishing whether you meet eligibility requirements or are interested in applying for a generic name, Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick (IP Menu's owners) will be happy to assist you.  For further information from Phillips Ormonde, contact Scott Gardiner on domains@pof.com.au.
  
  IP Menu has put a complete list of "generic" domain names available in this first phase on our website.  You can download the PDF document here.
  
  Posted by Rodney Cruise

• Japanese Patent Office Speakers at PIUG 2002
  Lucy Akers, the Chair of PIUG has informed the PIUG list that PIUG 2002 Annual Meeting will have representatives from the Japanese Patent Office. "This will include Mr. Yoshitaka HIRABAYASHI, Director-General of the Second Patent Examination Department, as a representative of the Commissioner Mr. Kouzo OIKAWA, who will make a speech on Tuesday, April 23, 2002. In addition, Mr. Koichi MINAMI, Director of the Patent Information Promotion Policy Office, and a pharmaceutical patent examiner, will each give a presentation in the session related to the JPO held on Tuesday afternoon." Looks like PIUG 2002 is shaping up to be great meeting!
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• Canada - Proposed Industrial Design Amendments
  The Industrial Design Office of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office is now inviting any interested person to submit comments by February 28, 2002 concerning Proposed Industrial Design Amendments for an IP Law Improvement Bill. You can obtain the following documents from the CIPO website:
  - Text of letter requesting comments
  - Proposed Industrial Design Amendments for an IP Law Improvement Bill
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• CAMBIA Intellectual Property Resource Update
  CAMBIA Intellectual Property have upgraded their free patent database. There is a new interface to the patent search engine and they havee added US data (1976-2000 with 2001 coming online very soon) to the collection. CAMBIA's collection now contains US granted patents, EP granted patents and PCT patent applications. It is important to note that this is a specialist database which covers a subset of patents (based on IPC) relevant to agricultural biotechnology. For more information visit the CAMBIA Intellectual Property website.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

Friday, 21 December 2001

• THE LAUNCH OF THE HONG KONG LEGAL INFORMATION INSTITUTE (HKLII)
  The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law and the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII) have announced that access is now available to the Hong Kong Legal Information Institute (HKLII). Access to HKLII and to all data on it is free and includes:
  
  - Court and Tribunal Judgments (approximately 10,000 in full text) from the Court of Final Appeal, Court of Appeal, Court of First Instance, District Court, Family Court and Lands Tribunal. The commencement dates of the collections vary, some commencing in 1982. The judgments are provided by the Judiciary of the Hong Kong SAR. Practice Directions, provided by the Judiciary of the Hong Kong SAR.
  - All Current Ordinances of Hong Kong, provided by the Department of Justice and its BLIS service.
  - The table of contents of Historical Law of Hong Kong, an image database of Hong Kong's Ordinances back to 1844 created by the Hong Kong University Libraries. Search results on HKLII link users to the image of the Ordinance held by the Libraries.
  - Domain name arbitration decisions under the .hk domain, provided by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)
  - The Hong Kong Treaties Index, provided by the Centre for Comparative and Public Law of the Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong.
  - Miscellaneous Courts of Hong Kong Judgments 1982-1990 (approximately 2000 judgments in full text) including decisions from the Supreme Court and High Court as they were then, provided by the Deparment of Justice.
  - HKLII also include a catalog and search engine for other legal resources on the web from Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, provided via the World Law service. At present only English language versions are provided on HKLII, but Chinese language versions of some data will be provided later.
  
  See also AustLII, BAILII, CanLII and PacLII.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• PCT- Modification of Time Limit for Entering the UK National Phase
  For those with an interest in the PCT, the UK Patent Office has posted the following. To read the full text, click here. "Under Article 22(1) of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), in order to ensure that an international application proceeds in the PCT national phase, the applicant must perform certain acts before the expiration of 20 months from the priority date (or the filing date if no priority is claimed). The PCT Assembly, at its 13th Session, agreed that, with effect from 1 April 2002, the period of 20 months should be changed to 30 months, that is, the same as the time limit under Article 39(1)(a) of the PCT which applies where the applicant requests international preliminary examination".
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.

• USA - Payment of Patent Maintenance Fees over the Internet
  The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has advised that it now accepts maintenance fee payments by deposit account over the Internet. "For more than a year the USPTO has provided customers the capability to pay maintenance fees by credit card or electronic funds transfer (EFT) using the USPTO Internet website. Now, as a result of recent enhancements, the USPTO Internet website is also capable of accepting maintenance fee payments by charging to a deposit account". To read the full USPTO Notice, click here.
  Posted by Rodney Cruise.