PATENT RESEARCH: ELECTRONIC RESOURCES FOR PATENT SEARCHING
John T. Butler **
Mr. Butler provides an introduction to patent searching in
electronic databases, as well as descriptions of commercially available online
and CD-ROM patent databases.
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** Reference Librarian and Bibliographer, Science and Engineering Library,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Introduction
Patent databases are stores of strategic technical, legal, and
business-related information. Their use in patent prosecution and litigation
has become commonplace, if not essential. In industry, they are increasingly
used to support reasearch and development, competitor intelligence, and
marketing activities. Academics call upon them for technical research
information and for university-to-industry technology transfer purposes. The
increased value of patent information has, not by accident, coincided with an
increased availability of electronic patent information resources. While this
is generally positive, it places greater demands on the information
professional, who must maintain awareness of what resources are available and
when to use them. Developing a working knowledge of the various patent
databases -- their scope, strengths and limitations -- is key to effective
patent searching.
Patent databases have been surveyed previously, n1 but the scene continually
changes. New databases that focus on specific technologies or that exclusively
cover specific national patent offices have appeared. New indexing structures
and search system features have been developed to lend access to patent
information that was outside the electronic environment only a few years ago.
In addition, many changes represent the maturing of what already exists: the
enhancement of database content, refinement of software to address special
requirements of patent searchers, the efforts of some vendors to provide
collections of complementary databases on their systems, and, in one
case, the merging of two strong, longstanding databases. Considering these
changes, an updated review of these resources is in order.
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n1 See, e.g., Carol S. Kulp, Patent Databases: A Survey of What is Available
from DIALOG, Questel, SDC, Pergamon and INPADOC, DATABASE, Aug. 1984, at 56;
Dorothy M. Raduazo, Online Patent Databases: A Review Article, 13 GOV'T
PUBLICATIONS REV. 277 (1986).
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This article offers a descriptive survey of commercially available databases
for patent searching, including online and CD-ROM formats. As an introduction
to the database descriptions, I have provided a brief discussion on patent
database types, content, vendors, and special search features. Patent database
vendors are listed at the end of the article. While this article emphasizes
resources for patent searching, there is much also to be said for becoming an
effective patent searcher. The ability to construct effective and efficient
search strategies comes with study, practice, and experience. n2 An
understanding of the various types of patent searches -- state-of-the-art,
current awareness, prior art, infringement, validity, equivalency, trend
analysis, and business-related -- is also recommended. n3
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n2 See, e.g., Edlyn S. Simmons, Patents, in MANUAL OF ONLINE SEARCH
STRATEGIES 84 (C.J. Armstrong & J.A. Large eds., 1988). Vendor documentation,
such as database chapters, guides, and manuals, are also recommended for
information on both database content and vendor-specific search strategies.
Also, many vendors and some producers offer regular workshops on patent
searching.
n3 These types of searches are discussed in John W. Lotz, Patents
(Literature), in 16 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY 889 (Martin Grayson ed.,
3d ed. 1981); R.M. Wilson, Patent Analysis Using Online Databases -- I.
Technological Trend Analysis, 9 WORLD PATENT INFO. 18 (1987); Marydee P. Ojala,
A Patently Obvious Source for Competitor Intelligence: The Patent Literature,
DATABASE, Aug. 1989, at 43; Edlyn S. Simmons, The Paradox of Patentability
Searching, 25 J. CHEMICAL INFO. & COMPUTER SCI. 379 (1985).
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Database Types
Patent databases are generally of two types: those for subject searching and
those for obtaining law-related information. This reflects the dual nature of
patents themselves: they are both technical and legal documents. n4 Databases
that represent the technical content of patents are often enhanced with special
indexing, abstracts, and other features to facilitate subject retrieval. Those
concerned with patents as legal documents track the actions taken on a patent
from its application throughout its post-issue life span. While some databases
are oriented strictly along these lines, others bridge the gap. Scope
characteristics, such as time period covered, patent-issuing countries included,
and focus on specific technologies, also account for the diversity among
databases.
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n4 A patent confers certain limited legal rights or claims to an invention in
exchange for disclosing the blueprint of the new technology.
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The wide range of patent databases presents challenges in database selection.
In facing a particular search problem, one should not assume that only one
database is fit for the task. Even some of the omnibus patent files,
those that cover all technologies for a desired time frame and country coverage,
cannot be solely relied on for exhaustive searching. Experienced searchers
regularly work with clusters of complementary databases to ensure comprehensive
retrieval. n5 The need for comprehensiveness in patent searching is underscored
by the demanding nature of certain efforts, such as infringement searches and
patentability studies, which aim for 100% recall.
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n5 See, e.g., Stuart M. Kaback, Online Patent Searching: The Realities,
ONLINE, July 1983, at 22: Bernd-Ruediger Weckend, Complementary Searching in
Patent Databases, 9 WORLD PATENT INFO. 140 (1987).
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Database Content
Much of the information in patent databases originates from national patent
offices or patent-issuing authorities. Some databases provide untailored data
directly from the issuing source. LEXPAT, for example, comes straight from the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tapes. Other database producers, such as
Derwent, invest considerable intellectual effort enhancing patent records to
improve subject retrieval. These handling policies account for some of the
differences in record elements among databases.
Overall, the majority of patent databases are bibliographic in nature.
Exceptions are LEXPAT and several CD-ROM products, which offer full text.
Typically, bibliographic patent databases have at least the following searchable
fields: patent title and number, issue date, inventor name(s), assignee,
application number and date, priority application data, continuation and
division data, and classification codes. In addition, many databases provide
inventor's or database producer's abstracts, text of claims, cited references,
field of search, examiner(s), patent attorney, and special indexing for subject,
status, or patent families.
Database Vendors and Special Search Features
Vendors provide electronic access to commercially available databases. The
important task of selecting a vendor for patent searching may be guided by two
objectives. First, for hard-core, exhaustive patent searching, one should
select a vendor that offers a complementary cluster of patent files. Using
cross-file search techniques, discussed below, a searcher can capitalize on the
strengths of multiple databases. Currently available database clusters are
shown in table 1, which links vendors with the online databases described in
this article. Second, because searches often require looking beyond the patent
literature proper, it may be important to consider the range of
relevant non-patent databases a vendor offers. For example, if it is important
to search not only the most recent patents by X Pharmaceutical Company on the
treatment of cytomegalovirus, but also product announcements, the medical
literature, and FDA clinical trials relating to the approval of a drug, it makes
good sense to select a vendor that offers the range of databases meeting these
plural requirements.
The vendors providing strong patent database clusters -- Orbit, Dialog, STN
International, and Questel -- also offer special patent search capabilities.
Two such capabilities that are worth discussion here are cross-file searching
and statistical analysis.
Cross-file searching is perhaps the most significant advancement to affect
patent searchers in recent years. n6 Cross-file techniques are used to enhance
search results by exploiting the strengths of various patent databases. In
"cross-filing," the vendor's search software enables an efficient transfer of
data retrieved in one database for searching in another of complementary
content. For example, the CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS database may be selected for a
particular subject search because of its indexing of detailed U.S.
classification codes. A search there on a specific subclass retrieves 100
patent records. A command is then given to "capture" and store all patent
numbers in that set. This captured data itself (the patent numbers retrieved
from CLAIMS) becomes a search statement and is run against World Patents Index
(WPI) database, which does not index U.S. classification codes, but does report
patent family equivalents. The result is retrieval of patent family information
from one database using the subject indexing of another. Cross-file
capabilities are offered on Orbit (Print Select), Dialog (MAPping), STN
International, and Questel (MEMory command).
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n6 Stuart M. Kaback, Crossfile Patent Searching: A Dream Coming True,
DATABASE, Oct. 1987, at 17.
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Statistical analysis allows the searcher to analyze a set of results by
almost any field in any database. As an example, a search to identify the top
ten corporations in patenting superconducting materials in the 1980s might start
with a subject search using keywords and class codes limited to the years
1980-89. With the set of retrieved records, a command is given to sort and
rank, in descending order, the top ten patent assignees from the set. This kind
of analysis may be used to an end in itself, as in the example above, or to
provide data for augmenting a search in progress. For instance, a prior art
search on cardiovascular balloon catheters would certainly use some degree of
keyword searching. But in this case, as in most patent searches, it might be a
mistake to rely solely on natural language for a comprehensive
retrieval. Classification codes, assigned to individual patents by patent
offices and, in some cases, by database producers, would likely be employed to
cast a more inclusive net. To pinpoint relevant classification codes, the
keyword-retrieved set could be analyzed to identify frequently used subject
classification codes assigned to the patents in the "balloon catheter" set. In
this case, it may be that patents describing catheters as "inflatable" or
"expandable" but not as "balloon" would bear similar classification as those
described as "balloon." These classification codes could then be reviewed and
factored into the next iteration of the search. As you can begin to see, the
use of this feature is limited only by a searcher's creativity. Statistical
analysis is offered by Orbit (GET command) and Questel (MEMory Sort command).
Database Descriptions
The database descriptions that make up the remainder of this article are
organized into the following sections: 1) Subject-Oriented Patent Databases, 2)
Law-Oriented Patent Databases, and 3) Patent Databases on CD-ROM. Within each
section, databases are grouped by coverage -- international, United States, and,
in some cases, foreign national. Due to disparities in pricing structures among
vendors and the frequency with which prices change, the costs of the databases
are not provided. However, comments are made if costs are considered
inordinate. Because of their simpler, fixed fees and prices, the costs for
CD-ROM products are provided. The information in this article was compiled in
fall 1991, and is subject to change.
Frequently used acronyms in this article include EPO (European Patent
Office), USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office), WIPO (World
Intellectual Property Organization), and IPC (International Patent
Classification).
I. Subject-Oriented Patent Databases
These databases emphasize the technology disclosed and novel inventive
features claimed in published patent documents. For this, they are first
choices for subject-based searches. Typically, records in these files include
standard patent bibliographic information, patent abstracts, text of patent
claims, subject indexing and classification codes for both searching and
display. Of particular note among these files are the relatively new Markush n7
structure-searchable databases -- WPIM, MARPAT, and
Table 1
Online Patent Databases/Vendors
ORBIT DIALOG STN QUESTEL MEAD
Subject-Oriented Databases
International
WPI X X X
CA SEARCH X X X X
APIPAT X X
WPIA/WPILA/WPAM X
MARPAT X
PHARMSEARCH X
GENESEQ
U.S.
CLAIMS/US PATENTS X X X
CLAIMS/UNITERM and /CDB X X X
LEXPAT X
US PATENTS X
Foreign National
JAPIO (Japan) X
CHINAPATS (PRC) X X
PATDPA (Germany) X
FPAT (France) X
Legal-Oriented Databases **
International
INPADOC/LEGAL STATUS X X X
EUROPEAN PATENTS REG. X
EDOC X
U.S.
CLAIMS REASSIGN. & REEXAM. X X X
PATENT STATUS FILE X
LITALERT X
LEXIS PATCOP LIBRARY X
WESTLAW INT. PROP. DB.
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** Includes databases reporting legal status, patent litigation activity, and
patent family data.
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Table 1
Online Patent Databases/Vendors
WESTLAW * LIFE SCL NET. INTELLIGENET.
Subject-Oriented Databases
International
WPI X
CA SEARCH X
APIPAT
WPIA/WPILA/WPAM
MARPAT
PHARMSEARCH
GENESEQ X
U.S.
CLAIMS/US PATENTS X X
CLAIMS/UNITERM and /CDB
LEXPAT
US PATENTS
Foreign National
JAPIO (Japan)
CHINAPATS (PRC)
PATDPA (Germany)
FPAT (France)
Legal-Oriented Databases **
International
INPADOC/LEGAL STATUS X
EUROPEAN PATENTS REG.
EDOC
U.S.
CLAIMS REASSIGN. & REEXAM. X
PATENT STATUS FILE
LITALERT
LEXIS PATCOP LIBRARY
WESTLAW INT. PROP. DB. X
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* All WESTLAW databases listed, except the WESTLAW INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
DATABASE, are made available through the DIALOG ON WESTLAW gateway.
** Includes databases reporting legal status, patent litigation activity, and
patent family data.
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MPHARM. Note that some of these databases have strengths other than
for subject searching. For example, WPI, a strong subject file, is also a key
database in the reporting of patent family equivalents. Table 2 capsulizes the
characteristics of databases described in this section.
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n7 Markush, or generic chemical structures, are frequently used in patents.
A generic structure is one that contains one or more structural variables,
defined by a given list of substituents. Markush claims cover each compound
implied by the generic structure and its variables. The name is derived from
Eugene Markush, an American scientist who brought a court case in 1925 that led
to the acceptance of generic structures in patent claims by the U.S. Patent
Office.
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A. International Coverage
WPI (World Patents Index)
Producer: Derwent Publications
Online Vendors: Orbit (WPI/L, WPAT); Dialog (file 350, 351, 352); Questel
(WPI/L); BIOSIS Life Science Network. Higher rates and limited access to
special indexing apply to non-Derwent subscribers.
Description: WPI provides bibliographic information, descriptive titles and
abstracts, deep chemical indexing, and patent family information from thirty-one
patent-issuing authorities of the world's leading industrial countries, EPO and
WIPO. Defensive publications Research Disclosure (from 1978) and International
Technology Disclosure (from 1984) are covered as well. n8 A WPI record is based
upon the first patent in a family that Derwent receives (called a "Basic"). It
is often, but not always, the first publication of an invention. Members of
WPI's patent families are linked by priority data. Upon review of the complete
patent document, Derwent's technical staff writes an informative title and
abstract to reflect the patent's main claims, inventive features, uses and
advantages. Intensive indexing is performed on chemical patents. As a result
of these enhancements, patents in WPI are searchable by some or all of the
following: keyword, controlled thesaurus terms, IPC codes, ring index numbers,
chemical fragmentation, polymer, and compound registry codes. Database records
list EPO and/or WIPO cited patents. Since 1981, full English-language abstracts
are provided for the basic patent in a family. For minor countries, an
English-language title is always available, but abstracts and code indexing
become available only if and when a major country equivalent appears. Abstracts
of patent equivalents may be added to the family record if they are deemed to be
significantly different from the Basic. This database has been merged with
APIPAT on Orbit to form WPIA/WPILA/WPAM (described below). A companion database
to WPI is:
* WPIM (WPI Markush, on Questel only) -- contains graphic representations of
generic Markush chemical structures indicated in pharmaceutical, chemical, and
chemically related patents from 1987 to the present. Excluded at this time are
polymers, oligosaccharides, and polypeptides. Generic structures are frequently
used in patents as a way to imply an entire series of chemical
Table 2
Subject-Oriented Online Patent Databases
Subjects Covered Period Covered
International
Coverage
WPI Chem. & all technologies n1 1963-date n2
CA SEARCH Chemistry & related 1967-date
APIPAT Petroleum, petrochemical 1964-date
WPIA/WPILA/WPAM Petro., chem. & all technologies n1 1963-date
MARPAT Markush chemical structures 1988-date
PHARMSEARCH Pharmaceutical 1986-date n4
GENESEQ Biotechnology 1989-date
U.S. Coverage
CLAIMS/US PATENTS Chem. & all technologies 1950-date n5
CLAIMS/UNITERM
& /CDB Chemistry & related 1950-date
LEXPAT Chem. & all technologies 1975-date
US PATENTS Chem. & all technologies 1971-date
Foreign National
Coverage
JAPIO (Japan) Chem. & all technologies Oct. 1976-date
CHINAPATS (PRC) Chem. & all technologies April 1985-date
PATDPA (Germany) Chem. & all technologies Oct. 1968-date
FPAT (France) Chem. & all technologies 1966-date
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n1 Varies with time period and country -- see full description for details
n2 Varies with country and technologies covered; see full description for
details
n4 With plans to add French patents from 1961 on; U.S. and European 1978 on
n5 Varies with technologies covered -- see full description for details
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Table 2
Subject-Oriented Online Patent Databases
Information Type Features (coded) *
International
Coverage
WPI Bibliographic, abstracts A, C, D, E, G, H
CA SEARCH Bibliographic, abstracts n3 D, E, F, G
APIPAT Bibliographic, abstracts E, G, H
PAGE 10
84 Law Libr. J. 121, *128
WPIA/WPILA/WPAM Bibliographic, abstracts A, C, D, E, G, H
MARPAT Bibliog., abst., chem. struct. D, G
PHARMSEARCH Bibliographic, abstracts D, E, G
GENESEQ Bibliographic, abstracts F, G
U.S. Coverage
CLAIMS/US PATENTS Bibliog., abst., claim(s) C,
CLAIMS/UNITERM
& /CDB Bibliog., abst., claim(s) C, E, H
LEXPAT Full text (no graphics) B, C
US PATENTS Bibliog., abst., all claims C
Foreign National
Coverage
JAPIO (Japan) Bibliographic, abstracts G
CHINAPATS (PRC) Bibliographic, abstracts A, G
PATDPA (Germany) Bibliog., abst., claim, & graphics n6 B
FPAT (France) Bibliographic, abstracts n7 B
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* Features (coded)
A = Patent family data available
B = Legal status data available
C= Cited reference searching available (directly or through companion database)
D= Markush graphical structure searching available (directly or through
companion database)
E= Searchable by chemical structure, fragment, and/or chemical codes (directly
or through companion database)
F= Searchable by protein and/or nucleic acid sequences
G = Informative or enhanced titles and/or abstracts
H = Restrictions on access to entire database or select search capabilities may
apply
n3 Abstracts available only through STN International
n6 In German
n7 In French
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substances, including prophetic substances, on the basis of a single
structural representation. Included are all compounds described as new,
products of new processes, new catalysts, compounds in novel methods of analysis
or detection, key ingredients of compositions, and compounds that are removed,
or used to effect removal, when this is an important aspect of the patent.
Using the Markush DARC search system, WPIM is structure-searched for compounds
indicated as totally or partially variable (generic). A list of compound
numbers retrieved from a search in WPIM can be linked to the WPI database to
obtain bibliographic and patent family information. Access to WPIM is
restricted to Derwent subscribers.
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n8 Research Disclosure and International Technology Disclosure are serial
publications that provide a forum for individuals to publish their inventions
without patenting them. In doing so, they establish priority and their rights
to the invented technology. The same effect is achieved by disclosing an
invention through other non-patent publications, but these two are dedicated to
that sole function.
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Period Covered: Coverage varies by subject and country: 1963-present for
pharmaceuticals, 1965-present for agricultural chemicals, 1966-present for
plastics and polymers, 1970-present for all other chemistry, 1974-present for
mechanical, electrical, and all other technologies. The United States is
comprehensively covered from 1974. Japanese coverage varies: unexamined and
examined chemical patents are comprehensively covered since 1970, and select
areas of electrotechnology since 1982.
Language: English (British).
Database Size: Over 5,500,000 records.
Updates: Weekly for new Basics and equivalents to recent patent families
established since 1981; monthly for new equivalents to patent families
established before 1981.
Pros: WPI is the premier database for both excellent subject access and
international patent family information. WPI's reporting of patent family data
eliminates redundant retrieval when searching internationally. It also
facilitates finding English-language patent equivalents, and aids in identifying
published patents equivalent to pending patents in the slower patent publishing
countries, such as the U.S. Descriptive patent titles and tailored abstracts
support superior keyword retrieval. Derwent's chemical fragmentation coding
facilitates substructure searching, important for searching Markush or generic
structures frequently used in chemical patents. Other chemical coding
identifies roles, properties, processes, and uses, and can be associated with
fragment or compound codes. Because of its depth, WPI serves as a logical "hub"
for cross-file searching.
Cons: The considerable intellectual effort Derwent invests in indexing and
abstracting does not come without a tradeoff-entry of new Basics into the
database can be slow. While WPI's indexing of generic compounds is particularly
strong, indexing of specific compounds is not (it does not use the Chemical
Abstracts Registry Number system, a widely accepted and used system for
identifying specific chemical structures). Coverage of noncore electrical and
mechanical Japanese patents is weak (WPI searching of Japanese patents should be
supplemented with the JAPIO database). Inventor names are only searchable since
1978. WPI's deep chemical indexing is limited to Derwent subscribers.
CA SEARCH (Chemical Abstracts)
Producer: Chemical Abstracts Service, American Chemical Society
Online Vendors: Orbit, Dialog (files 308-312,399), STN
International (CA), Questel (CAS), BIOSIS Life Science Network, BRS (CHEB,
CHEM), others
Description: CA SEARCH, the premier database for international coverage of
chemistry and related literature, also includes patents. On average, patents
comprise 16% to 17% of the 500,000 records CA adds annually, and searches can be
restricted to patent documents only. CA covers patents issued by twenty-seven
countries, including the United States, Japan, and the Soviet Union, and the two
international patent-issuing organizations, EPO and WIPO. For eight of those
twenty-seven countries (mostly Eastern European and Scandinavian), CA includes
only patents assigned to residents of those countries. In 1988, nearly 54% of
the patents indexed were of Japanese origin. The first member of a patent
family available to Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) is termed a CA "Basic" and
is abstracted. Patents that are not Basics (i.e., an "equivalent" patent to one
already abstracted) are not indexed in CA, but are added to the weekly Patent
Index, a print product. Therefore, a patent indexed in CA may not be the
earliest published patent document for that substance. Patent records contain
deep-subject-term indexing and Chemical Abstracts Registry Numbers for specific
compounds. Abstracts, written by technical professionals, are currently
available only through the database on STN International. Patent titles are
frequently enhanced to better reflect the novelty of the invention. Companion
databases to CA SEARCH are:
* REGISTRY - Nomenclature (name varies with vendors) -- an authority file of
over 11 million specific chemical substances reported in the literature and
registered by Chemical Abstracts Service from 1957 on STN, and, typically, from
1967 on other vendors. Chemical substances can be searched by name (including
systematic nomenclature, synonyms, and name fragments), molecular formula, and
registry number. Protein and peptide sequences are searchable on STN. Search
results from this database can be used to retrieve bibliographic information on
patents indexed in Chemical Abstracts or other files that include CAS registry
numbers.
* REGISTRY - Structure (REGISTRY FILE on STN International; EURECAS, POLYCAS on
Questel; both vendors integrate the Nomenclature and Structure segments into one
database) -- contains structural data on CAS registered chemical substances.
This data is graphically represented and searchable through STN's system and
Questel's DARC search software. Various levels of structure searching are
available -- substructure, closed substructure, family, and exact. Markush
structures are not in this database. Search results can be cross-filed to
databases containing CAS registry numbers to obtain patent and other
bibliographic references.
* MARPAT -- bibliographic database searchable by Markush structures appearing in
chemical patents (see description below)
Period Covered: 1967-present
Language: English
Database Size: Approx. 1,500,000 patent records (about 16% of database)
Updates: Biweekly for most vendors
Pros: Because of its international coverage and deep chemical indexing, CA
SEARCH is an important database for state-of-the-art and patentability
searching. Compounds synthesized in a patent's examples are indexed
graphically, by molecular formula, and by nomenclature in the enormous,
comprehensive REGISTRY FILE. Generic chemical structures appearing in patents
are now being indexed in the related file, MARPAT.
Cons: The most frequently voiced criticism of CA is political and legal: n9 that
the full-strength CA file, in which records have abstracts, is only available on
STN International. This is a major drawback for chemical patent searchers who
need to combine, by cross-file searching, the strengths of the complete CA
SEARCH database with WPI or other patent files unavailable on STN.
Interestingly, CA abstracts themselves have been the target of some criticism
from patent searchers. While CA's present abstracting policy is to provide "a
concise statement of the novelty of the invention and the technical disclosure
of the specification," abstracts in the past have been described as being too
short and for focusing on new chemical concepts, n10 which may or may not be
aspects of the invention claimed as novel. Although international in coverage,
CA SEARCH does not contain patent family data. CA's timeliness in indexing
patents has also been observed as slow and, for coverage of some countries,
unpredictable.
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n9 Dialog Information Services has accused the Chemical Abstracts Service of
violating antitrust law by monopolizing chemical information, and filed suit
against the American Chemical Society on June 7, 1990, in the U.S. District
Court of the District of Columbia. Court action is still pending.
n10 See Simmons, supra note 2, at 135; Stuart M. Kaback, Patent Information,
in 10 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POLYMER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 789 (H.F. Mark & J.I.
Kroschwitz eds., 2d ed. 1985).
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APIPAT
Producer: American Petroleum Institute
Online Vendors: Dialog (files 353, 953), STN International (APIPAT, APIPAT2).
Differential rates and access conditions apply to non-API subscribers.
Description: APIPAT covers worldwide patents relating to petroleum refining and
petrochemical technologies. Coverage is especially strong for petroleum
products, catalysts, and additives. Related subjects covered include synfuels
and other alternative energy sources, and patents on pollution control, waste
disposal, transport and storage, as related to the petroleum industry.
Beginning in 1981, patents relating to oil field chemicals are also
covered. Before 1982, patent coverage is limited to the United States, Great
Britain, France, the Netherlands, West Germany, Japan, South Africa, Belgium,
Canada, and the EPO and WIPO. This database has been merged with WPI on Orbit
to form WPIA/WPILA/WPAM (described below).
Period Covered: 1964-present
Language: English
Database Size: 210,000 records
Updates: Monthly
Pros: APIPAT is an important, deep-indexed patent database for searching
petroleum-related patents, particularly those in petroleum refining. It
provides exclusive coverage of early 1960s patents on hydrocarbon polymers.
APIPAT's hierarchical indexing scheme, the highly regarded API Thesaurus, offers
the versatility of inclusive searching using general concepts, as well as
precise terms for specific subjects. Role qualifiers (e.g., chemical reaction
product, or chemical reactant) are also assigned and can be linked to a full
compound or structural fragment to determine its function and/or performance.
APIPAT also contains Chemical Abstracts Registry Numbers, which can be
cross-filed to or from other databases.
Cons: Because APIPAT records are based upon information appearing in WPI and
Chemical Abstracts, there is considerable lag time between patent publication
and its entry into the database. Also; non-API subscribers are limited to a
total of three hours' connect time per calendar year, cannot display/print
abstracts (although they are searchable), and are charged a higher rate. Most
access restrictions may be circumvented by searching the merged file
WPIA/WPILA/WPAM on Orbit.
WPIA/WPILA/WPAM
Producer: Derwent Publications; American Petroleum Institute
Online Vendor: Orbit (differential rates for non-Derwent subscribers)
Description: WPIA/WPILA/WPAM is a merger of two powerful, longstanding patent
databases, APIPAT and WPI (see above for description of each).
Period Covered: WPIA, 1964-1980; WPILA, 1981-present; WPAM, 1963-present
Language: English
Updates: Weekly, WPI segment; Monthly, API segment
Database Size: over 5,500,000 records
Pros: This database represents an unprecedented merger of patent files by
combining the deep indexing of American Petroleum Institute and Derwent's
excellent subject coding and informative text fields. The need to
cross-file search between WPI files and APIPAT is eliminated. Merger of the
files also gives access to an additional 29,000 records in the field of
petrochemistry, including important early coverage of polymer patents that was
previously unavailable in WPI. Reciprocally, Derwent abstracts strengthen the
first fifteen years of APIPAT records, which previously had no abstracts. Other
synergistic results of the merged database are explored in detail by Kaback. n11
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n11 Stuart M. Kaback, WPI + APIPAT: The Sum of the Parts, DATABASE, Apr.
1990, at 22.
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Cons: Slow indexing -- API's contributions to the file are based upon
information first published in WPI and Chemical Abstracts, creating multiple
indexing lag times. Rates for non-Derwent subscribers are higher.
MARPAT
Producer: Chemical Abstracts Service, American Chemical Society
Online Vendor: STN International
Description: MARPAT covers patents containing Markush structures, which have
been published since 1988, and are indexed in Chemical Abstracts. At present,
coverage is limited to Markush structures that represent organic or
organometallic molecules. Excluded are alloys, metal oxides, inorganic salts,
intermetallics, and polymers (although Chemical Abstracts Service has immediate
plans to add polymers to the database). Each record contains a graphically
searchable structure found in the patent's claims and, in some cases,
disclosure. Search results provide bibliographic information, including patent
title, inventor, application and issue data, IPC classification, publication
date, and the same abstract found in CA SEARCH (Chemical Abstracts). Except for
the U.S.S.R., the same countries covered in Chemical Abstracts (twenty-seven
countries plus the two international issuing organizations) are included.
MARPAT complements the REGISTRY FILE, Chemical Abstract Service's
structure-searchable database of specific chemical substances. For
comprehensive substance coverage, both MARPAT and the REGISTRY FILE should be
searched.
Period Covered: Patents published January 1988-present
Language: English
Database Size: Approx. 35,000 documents and 110,000 Markush structures
Updates: Biweekly
Pros: MARPAT and its Markush database brethren, WPIM and MPHARM, provide
powerful graphical access to chemical patent information. n12 For Chemical
Abstracts Service, which has provided excellent indexing of specific
chemical substances in the past, indexing of generic structures is a major
innovation. MARPAT answer sets can be cross-filed into the Chemical Abstracts
bibliographic file (CA SEARCH) for further refinement, such as intersecting with
index terms, registry numbers, etc. MARPAT has been reviewed in detail by Ebe,
Sanderson, and Wilson. n13
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n12 Kathleen A. Cloutier, A Comparison of Three Online Markush Databases, 31
J. CHEMICAL INFO. & COMPUTER SCI. 40 (1991); Norman R. Schmuff, A Comparison of
the MARPAT and Markush DARC Software, 31 J. CHEMICAL INFO. & COMPUTER SCI. 53
(1991).
n13 Tommy Ebe et al., The Chemical Abstracts Service Generic Chemical
(Markush) Structure Storage and Retrieval Capability. 2. The MARPAT File, 31
J. CHEMICAL INFO. & COMPUTER SCI., 31 (1991).
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PHARMSEARCH
Producer: Institut National de la Propriete Industrielle (INPI)
Online Vendor: Questel
Description: PHARMSEARCH covers pharmaceutical patents published by European,
French, and U.S. patent offices. Included are therapeutically active compounds
with novel preparation processes or activities, new synthesis intermediates,
active ingredients of new pharmaceutical compositions, and new therapeutic uses.
Patents on peptides having up to 1,023 amino acids are covered. Standard
bibliographic data and English abstracts are provided. In-depth indexing covers
claimed and analogous effects, drug interactions, and toxic and other side
effects. A companion database to PHARMSEARCH is:
* MPHARM (Markush PHARMSEARCH) -- for Markush chemical structure searching of
compounds found in patents indexed in PHARMSEARCH. Questel's Markush DARC
graphical search system is used to search MPHARM for either generic or specific
chemical structures. Compound numbers retrieved by searching MPHARM can be
crossfiled to the PHARMSEARCH database to retrieve full bibliographic
information.
Period Covered: 1986-present for EPO, French, and U.S.; coverage will be
extended back to 1978 for EPO and U.S., and to 1961 for French patents.
Language: English, French
Database Size: Approx. 30,000 records
Updates: Biweekly
Pros: Timely -- EPO and French patents are entered into the database six weeks
after publication date; for the United States approx. Fourteen weeks after
issue date. Structure searching capability, deep-term indexing, and informative
abstracts facilitate precise subject retrieval. An in-depth review of
PHARMSEARCH is offered by O'Hara and Pagis. n14
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n14 Michael P. O'Hara & Catherine Pagis, The PHARMSEARCH Database, 31 J.
CHEMICAL INFO. & COMPUTER SCI. 59 (1991).
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GeneSeq
Producer: Derwent Publications; IntelliGenetics
Online Vendors: IntelliGenetics Timesharing Service
Description: GeneSeq indexes protein sequences and nucleic acids indicated in
published patent applications and granted patents from around the world.
Indexed are all protein sequences over three amino acids, all nucleotide
sequences greater than nine bases, and probes of any length. In addition to
standard patent bibliographic information, database records include type and
length of molecule, sequence description, genus and species of the organism from
which the sequence was obtained, and table of sequence-specific features.
Patents published by the EPO, JAPIO, and the USPTO are reviewed for inclusion.
Period Covered: Patents published since 1988; Derwent has plans to extend
coverage back to 1981 by the end of 1992.
Language: English
Database Size: Approx. 10,000 sequences
Updates: Biweekly
Pros: Studies by IntelliGenetics indicate that approximately 60%-70% of the
information in GeneSeq does not appear in nonpatent, literature-based sequence
databases. Accession numbers from GeneSeq can be cross-referenced (but not
cross-filed) to Derwent's WPI for full patent family data or to refine the
search through use of subject or nonsubject parameters.
Cons: There is considerable lag time between patent publication date and
database entry.
B. U.S. Coverage
CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS
Producer: IFI/Plenum Data Corp.
Online Vendor: Orbit; Dialog (files 23-25, 125, 340); STN International
(IFIPAT); WESTLAW (gateway to Dialog); BIOSIS Life Science Network
Description: CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS provides current and retrospective coverage of
U.S. utility, design, and reissued patents, and defensive publications. Records
contain select front-page information, abstract (since 1971) and the patent's
exemplary claim (1950-70, 1975-present for chemical patents; 1965-70,
1978-present for electrical and mechanical patents). An exception to this is
Dialog's CLAIMS, which provides all front-page information and all patent claims
(searchable and displayable) for records back to 1982 (DIALOG plans to extend
similar coverage back to 1975 by the end of 1992). For chemical patents through
1979, equivalent patent numbers issued by Belgium, France, Great Britain, the
Netherlands, and West Germany are included. CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS is the
bibliographic base for the family of CLAIMS databases:
* CLAIMS/UNITERM and CLAIMS/COMPREHENSIVE. Both databases contain the
same bibliographic data found in CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS, but have enhanced indexing
for searching chemical patents (see full description below).
* CLAIMS/REASSIGNMENT & REEXAMINATION -- covers reassignments, reexaminations,
expirations, and extensions of U.S. patents (see full description below).
* CLAIMS/CITATION for U.S. patent citation searching, allowing searches for U.S.
patents that cite, or are cited by other patents. Cited patents are covered
from 1836-present, citing patents from 1947-present.
* CLAIMS/CLASS (or CLAIMS/REFERENCE) -- dictionary index of the USPTO
classification codes used to support subject searching.
Period Covered: Chemical and chemically related patents from 1950-present,
mechanical and electrical patents from 1963-present, design patents from
1980-present.
Language: English
Database Size: 2,100,000 records
Updates: Weekly/monthly (varies with vendor)
Pros: CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS offers exclusive retrospective coverage of all U.S.
chemical patents from 1950-70, and of all mechanical and electrical patents from
1963-70. Special features for chemical patent searching include: enhanced
titles, chemical names indexed as complete words and as chemically significant
name fragments (lending flexibility to searching with chemical nomenclature),
chemical structures in patents displayed linearly in the database record, and
Chemical Abstracts Registry Numbers for records through mid-1979 (on Dialog,
Orbit, and STN; STN provides partial coverage beyond 1979). In CLAIMS, both
U.S. class and IPC codes are searchable, and patent records are updated annually
to reflect changes that occur in the U.S. classification scheme. CLAIMS also
uses standardized assignee names and codes, which gives authority to searching
companies, their divisions and subsidiaries. CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS is also among
the least expensive of all bibliographic patent databases.
Cons: Subject searching in CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS should not rely solely upon
keywords. Because CLAIMS' basic index consists of patent title, abstracts, and
exemplary claim verbatim, with no text enhancement or subject-term indexing, and
because the language often found in these fields is generic and obfuscatory,
recall suffers. Keywords should be supplemented with class codes; cross-filing
patent numbers or class codes from WPI or another subject-strong database can
also improve subject retrieval in CLAIMS. The CLAIMS/CITATION database is
inordinately expensive (compare to cited reference searching on other databases,
such as US PATENTS).
CLAIMS/UNITERM and CLAIMS/COMPREHENSIVE
Producer: IFI/Plenum Data Corp.
Online Vendors: Orbit (CLAIMS/U and CLAIMS/C); Dialog (files 223-225, 341 for
UNITERM, 923-925, 942 for COMPREHENSIVE); STN International (IFIUDB and IFICDB).
Note: Non-IFI subscribers may access UNITERM up to 12 hours connect time per
calendar year, but are completely restricted from COMPREHENSIVE.
Description: UNITERM and COMPREHENSIVE are enhanced versions of CLAIMS/U.S.
PATENTS for searching chemical and chemically-related U.S. patents. UNITERM
adds a minimum of 40 terms from a controlled vocabulary of general concept and
specific compound terms (uniterms) to each chemical patent record in CLAIMS/U.S.
PATENTS. COMPREHENSIVE further enhances UNITERM with deep-indexing by chemical
fragment codes, role indicators (indicating function of a substance, such as
reactant, product, etc.), and systematic indexing of polymers. Both UNITERM and
COMPREHENSIVE include the same bibliographic and textual information found in
CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS. A detailed description of the COMPREHENSIVE database,
including search techniques, is presented by Lambert. n15 A companion database
to CLAIMS/UNITERM is:
* CLAIMS/COMPOUND REGISTRY -- a dictionary file of terms, codes and compound
numbers used to identify specific chemical compounds indexed in CLAIMS/UNITERM;
it contains only compounds that have been referenced in the UNITERM files five
or more times since 1950.
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n15 Nancy Lambert, How to Search the IFI Comprehensive Database Online: Tips
and Techniques, DATABASE, Dec. 1987, at 46.
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Period Covered: Chemical and chemically related patents from 1950-present,
mechanical and electrical patents from 1963-present, varies for design patents.
Language: English
Database Size: 850,000 chemical patent records; 2,100,000 total records
Updates: Monthly
Pros: COMPREHENSIVE's indexing offers powerful access to both specific and
generic chemical structure information found in U.S. patents. Fragment codes
enable substructure searching of chemical substances, particularly useful when
searching for Markush structures. Compound terms and codes give access to
specific structures, and are particularly effective for searching polymers.
UNITERM's general concept terms identify associated properties, uses, and
processes. Comments under CLAIMS/U.S. PATENTS also apply here.
Cons: Access limited or restricted to IFI subscribers.
LEXPAT
Producer: Mead Data Central, Inc.
Online Vendor: Mead Data Central, Inc. (as a NEXIS database)
Description: LEXPAT contains the full text of all U.S. patents (utility, design,
and plant) since 1975. All text, which includes front page information,
abstract, disclosure, specifications, and claims, can be searched and displayed.
Drawings are not included. LEXPAT also includes revised status information
regarding corrections, reclassifications, and reassignments. Utility, design,
and plant patents may be searched together or separately in subfiles. Companion
databases for LEXPAT are:
* Index to Patent Classification (INDEX) -- index to the Manual of
Classification
* Manual of Classification (CLMNL) -- hierarchical schedule of U.S. patent
classification codes
* Patent Classifications File (CLASS) -- linking patent numbers to U.S. patent
class/subclass codes
Period Covered: 1975-present for U.S. utility patents, 1976-present for U.S.
design and plant patents
Language: English
Database Size: Over 1,000,000 records
Updates: Weekly
Pros: To date, LEXPAT is the only online full-text patent database. Full text
offers an important advantage to patent attorneys who must often review all
claims, the disclosure, and specifications of a patent in their searches.
LEXPAT, along with US PATENTS, remains the most current databases of U.S.
patents with lag time between issue and database entry being only about one
week.
Cons: Full-text searching is very powerful, and for the inexperienced can result
in a high proportion of false drops, while still not guaranteeing the requisite
level of recall. While full-text subject searching may be effective in
retrieving records using highly-specialized terminology, such precise language
is often suppressed in patents. When using keywords, experienced searchers will
make heavy use of classification codes and proximity operators to improve
recall, and filter out false results. Another point to consider: LEXPAT is not
clustered with other Mead patent databases. For some patent searches, where a
complement of coverage and search strengths is desirable, this may prove to be
too limiting.
US PATENTS
Producer: Derwent Publications
Online Vendor: Orbit (USPB, USPA, USPM)
Description: US PATENTS contain bibliographic records for U.S. utility, design,
plant, reissued, and reexamined patents. Continuations, divisionals, and
defenses are also covered. Like LEXPAT, US PATENTS is produced from
the full-text version of USPTO tapes. Records include complete front-page
information, including examiners' cited references (patents and literature) and
field of search, names of associated attorneys and examiners, patent abstract,
and the full text of all claims (searchable from 1970-present, and displayable
from 1982-present). A companion database to US PATENTS is:
* US CLASSIFICATION -- dictionary index of the U.S. Patent Classification
schedule for determining the original, cross-reference, and unofficial
classification of a U.S. patent, or all the U.S. patents that have been assigned
a particular classification.
Period Covered: 1970-present for utility patents, continuations, divisionals and
defensive publications; 1977-present for design, plant, reissued, reexamined
patents.
Language: English
Database Size: 1,450,000 records
Updates: Weekly
Pros: Like LEXPAT, US PATENTS is a key file for infringement and validity
searches because all claims in a patent document can be searched and displayed.
Both files also are the most current of all U.S. patent databases, with patent
records available 7-10 days after they are announced in the Official Gazette.
Because it is part of a strong patent database cluster on Orbit, US PATENTS is
sought by some searchers as an alternative to LEXPAT (Dialog's enhanced CLAIMS
will provide an additional alternative in this respect). US PATENTS also offers
affordable citation searching, compared to CLAIMS CITATION's exorbitant citation
search charge.
Cons: Although it doesn't have the retrospective depth that CLAIMS offers, US
PATENTS' 17 + year coverage will suffice for many searches. A drawback for
subject searching: the U.S. classification in patent records is never updated to
reflect ongoing changes in the dynamic U.S. classification scheme. The assigned
U.S. classifications at the time of issue remain in the patent record, even if
they become obsolete.
C. Foreign National Coverage
JAPIO
Producer: Japan Patent Information Organization (JAPIO)
Online Vendor: Orbit
Description: JAPIO provides extensive coverage of published unexamined Japanese
patent applications (Kokai Tokyo Koho). Examined patents, utility models, and
design patents are not included. English-language titles and abstracts are
available for approximately 65% of the database. Corresponds to the print
Patent Abstracts of Japan.
Period Covered: October 1976-present
Language: English (titles and abstracts)
Database Size: approx. 3,200,000 records
Updates: Monthly
Pros: JAPIO includes Japanese patents for periods not covered by other
subject-oriented databases (particularly the 1976-1982 period for non-chemical
patents, and since then for select areas of technology). Also, English
abstracts for Japanese patents are available in many cases where they are not
provided on WPI (especially non-core chemical areas). Derwent patent and
priority numbers are given to enable crossfile searching to WPI (on Orbit).
JAPIO uses numeric company codes (for patent assignees) which gives authority to
searching a company with variant names, divisions, and subsidiaries. In
addition to IPC codes, Japanese patent classification codes are searchable.
Cons: Considerable lag time -- about 3 months -- between patent publication date
and its entry into the database. Not all Kokai have abstracts. Although the
abstracts are detailed, the use of technical terms can be weak.
CHINAPATS
Producer: European Patent Office (EPO), with English-language abstracts supplied
by the Patent Documentation Service Center of the People's Republic of China
Online Vendor: Orbit; Dialog (file 344 -- Chinese Patent Abstracts in English)
Description: CHINAPATS contains bibliographic records of all patents published
in the People's Republic of China since the opening of the Patent Office of the
People's Republic of China in April 1985. English language abstracts are
included for all applications filed by Chinese applicants. Equivalent
non-Chinese patents are included through data supplied by the EPO. Corresponds
to Patent Abstracts of China.
Period Covered: 1985-present
Language: English (titles and abstracts)
Database Size: About 33,000 records
Updates: Biweekly/Monthly (varies)
PATDPA (Deutsche Patent Datenbank)
Producer: Deutsche Patentamt (German Patent Office)
Online Vendors: STN International
Description: PATDPA provides bibliographic data on all patent applications,
granted patents, and German utility models published by the Deutsche Patentamt.
German-designated applications at the EPO and WIPO are also covered.
In addition to standard bibliographic data, records since 1981 also contain a
searchable abstract (in German), automatically indexed terms (PASSAT terms), and
thorough legal status information for all published applications. Companion
database to PATDPA is:
* PATGRAPH -- contains the drawings, chemical structures and complex
mathematical formula located on the front page of the first patent publications
cited in PATDPA. These images are displayable on graphics workstations loaded
with the STN Express software package.
Period Covered: October 1968-present
Language: German
Database Size: 1,700,000 records
Updates: Weekly
Pros: PATGRAPH recognizes the importance of images to patent searching. While
its graphics capability is presently unique to online patent databases, it is
hoped that we will see more like it in the future.
FPAT
Producer: Institut National de la Propriete Industrielle (INPI, the French
Patent Office)
Online Vendor: Questel
Description: FPAT provides information on all patents applied for and published
at the INPI, French Patent Office. FPAT contains standard bibliographic data,
IPC codes, titles and abstracts (in French), English-language index terms, and
legal status data. Corresponds to the Bulletin Officiel de la Propriete
Industrielle.
Period Covered: 1966-present; pharmaceutical patents (BSM), 1961-present
Language: French with English descriptors from 1987
Database Size: Approx. 900,000 records
Updates: Weekly (on the day of publication)
Pros: Timely -- new patent data is available immediately, the day it is
published. For this reason, FPAT is used to supplement WPI and INPADOC when new
French patent data is anticipated or being monitored.
Cons: French language titles and abstracts limits subject searching for many.
D. Other Databases for Subject Searching
These databases are mostly subject-specific literature files, which include
some coverage of patents. Because of their selective patent coverage, they are
most appropriately used for state-of-the-art searches, current
awareness, and supplementing searches run in the major patent files. Further
information can be found in Snow's reviews of patent coverage in a number of
non-patent subject databases. n16
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n16 Bonnie Snow, Patents in Non-Patent Databases: Bioscience Specialty Files,
DATABASE, Oct. 1989, at 41; Bonnie Snow, Patents in Non-Patent Databases: Food,
Agriculture and Environment Files, DATABASE, Dec. 1989, at 115.
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BIOSIS PREVIEWS -- primarily a life sciences literature database, which includes
references to recent patents in the areas of biotechnology, biomedicine, food
and agricultural technologies; available on Dialog, STN International, WESTLAW
(gateway to Dialog), BRS Information Technologies.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ABSTRACTS -- primarily a literature database with patent
references in such areas as genetic manipulation, pharmaceuticals, plant
breeding, cell hybridization, and more; produced by Derwent; available on Orbit,
Dialog.
CERAMIC ABSTRACTS -- primarily a literature database; also provides references
to U.S. and U.K. patents related to all aspects of ceramic materials,
products, processes, and equipment; available on Orbit, Dialog.
CURRENT PATENTS FAST ALERT -- a fast-reporting, current awareness database of
select pharmaceutical, and agrochemical patent information, including
therapeutic areas of biotechnology and immunology. About 250 patents are
selected each week from published patent applications from the EPO, WIPO, United
Kingdom, and Germany, and issued patents from the United States. Abstracts
include therapeutic classification and examples of preferred compounds. Time
period covered is from July 1989. CURRENT PATENTS EVALUATIONS contains similar
data with the addition of annotated titles, references to the patent and journal
literature, and evaluations of the patent in the context of current research by
third party experts (extracted from Current Opinion in Therapeutic Patents);
both are available on Orbit.
DOE ENERGY -- U.S. Dept. of Energy database containing all unclassified
technical literature and select patents relating to energy; 1974-present;
available on Dialog, STN International.
DRUG PATENTS INTERNATIONAL (DPIN) -- provides select coverage of worldwide
pharmaceutical patents; covers patented drugs under development as well as those
already marketed; selective coverage emphasizes top-selling or "most promising"
drugs, especially in the area of anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and
cardiovascular therapeutic agents; drugs are searchable by generic name,
tradename, laboratory code; in addition to standard bibliographic data, patent
family data records indicate marketing exclusivity and projected patent
expiration date; corresponds to printed Patents International; available on
Orbit.
FSTA (Food Science and Technology Abstracts) -- covers literature and patents
from 20 countries related to food and nutritional science, engineering and
allied disciplines; coverage from 1969 to present (for most vendors);
produced by the International Food Information Service; available on Orbit,
Dialog, STN International, BIOSIS Life Science Network.
PAPERCHEM -- worldwide coverage of literature and patent references pertaining
to the pulp, paper, and board industries; produced by the Institute of Paper
Chemistry; available on Dialog.
PATDATA -- U.S. utility patents, with abstracts, from 1971; reissues and
defensive publications from 1975; searchable cited references; updated weekly;
available on BRS Information Technologies.
RAPRA ABSTRACTS -- all literature types, including patents, on the topics of
rubber, plastics, polymer composites, and adhesives, covered from 1972 to the
present; available on Orbit.
TULSA -- an international petroleum resource and engineering literature database
with some patents covered; corresponds to Petroleum Abstracts; available on
Orbit.
WELDASEARCH -- patents, literature, and other documents related to joining
materials, especially metals and plastics, covered from 1967 to the present;
available on Orbit.
WORLD TEXTILES -- covers U.S. and British patents, and worldwide literature
regarding the synthesis and manufacture of textiles and related materials;
coverage from 1970 to the present; corresponds to World Textile Abstracts;
produced by the Shirley Institute; available on Dialog.
II. Law-Oriented Patent Databases
The following databases provide legal status, patent family, and litigation
activity information for United States, foreign national, and international
patents. Legal status databases report changes in the legal scope or effect of
a patent after it has been granted. Reexaminations, expirations, withdrawals,
and reassignments are some of the actions covered by these files. Generally,
patent legal status databases do not contain abstracts, subject indexing, or
text of patent claims, which makes them inadequate for subject searching. At
times, however, it is necessary to use these databases for minimal subject
retrieval using title keywords, or international or national patent
classification codes. In addition to the summaries offered here, Lambert
provides a detailed comparison of databases covering the legal status of United
States patents. n17
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n17 Nancy Lambert, After the Grant: Online Searching of Legal Status
Information for U.S. Patents, DATABASE, Aug. 1991, at 42.
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Databases that provide patent family data link equivalent patents published
by different issuing countries or authorities. There are several reasons to
search patent family equivalents. One is to get an "early look" at patents that
may be pending in the United States or other slow-publishing
countries by locating an equivalent published by the EPO, the United Kingdom, or
another fast-publishing authority. n18 Another is to find an English-language
equivalent of a foreign-language patent. Simmons provides additional
information on searching patent family databases. n19
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n18 Typically, there is a twelve- to eighteen-month differential between
publication of a patent in a fast-publishing country and a slow-publishing
country, provided that priority data is with the latter.
n19 Edlyn S. Simmons, Patent Family Databases, DATABASE, Feb. 1985, at 49.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End Footnotes- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Litigation databases cover court case decisions involving patent, trademark,
and copyright contests.
A. International Coverage
INPADOC (FAMILY and LEGAL STATUS)
Producer: European Patent Office (formerly produced by International Patent
Documentation Center -- INPADOC)
Online Vendors: Orbit (segmented in two files: INPADOC for bibliographic and
patent family data, and LEGAL STATUS; INPANEW also available for the most recent
six to ten weeks of INPADOC data); Dialog (file 345); STN International (also
offers INPAMONITOR for most recent four weeks); WESTLAW (through Dialog). Each
vendor has organized the database differently.
Description: INPADOC provides bibliographic, patent family, and legal status
information on patents and utility models published around the world. For
bibliographic and patent family data, fifty-six patent offices are covered.
Most countries are covered from 1968; Japan, the Soviet Union, and the Eastern
European countries are covered from 1973. Both unexamined (Kokai) and examined
(Kokoku) Japanese patents are covered in all areas of technology. INPADOC's
patent families are created by linking together references to all published
patent documents covering a single invention (patent equivalents). Legal status
information is provided for eleven issuing entities: Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United
States, and the EPO and WIPO. For most countries, legal status data is
extensive. Over thirty post-issue actions are reported for U.S. patents from
1983 (reissues back to 1969). Patent office gazettes are the sources of legal
status information. The quantity and depth of all information varies from
country to country.
Period Covered: 1968-present; country coverage will vary.
Language: Citations are provided in the original language with legal status data
in English; some countries submit citations in English translation or
transliteration.
Database Size: Over 8 million patent families, 17 million patent documents, and
20 million legal status documents.
Updates: Weekly
Pros: INPADOC is the most comprehensive patent status database in the world,
providing country coverage and a range of legal actions not available elsewhere.
It clearly provides the broadest coverage of post-issue legal actions on U.S.
patents. Although INPADOC reflects little of a patent's technical content,
search results can be cross-filed to other databases, such as WPI, where
abstracts and other descriptive information can be retrieved. Of course, this
process may be reversed if one needs to check on the patent family or legal
status of a patent retrieved in a subject-oriented database. Generally
speaking, INPADOC provides worldwide patent information faster than any other
source.
Cons: With no abstracts and patent titles in the original language, INPADOC is
not recommended for subject searching. Only IPC codes provide subject access,
but the IPC is applied too inconsistently from country to country to be solely
relied upon for subject retrieval. Displaying full patent family records is
expensive, so if family data is needed on only the major industrialized
countries, WPI may suffice for less expense. Information regarding patent
litigation is limited to notifications; court action is not indicated.
EPAT (European Patents Register)
Producer: European Patent Office (EPO), and the Institut National de la
Propriete Industrielle (INPI)
Online Vendor: Questel
Description: EPAT provides bibliographic, administrative, and legal status
information on all European and EURO-PCT (European Patents Convention) patents
and published applications. Records include patent title, IPC codes, inventor,
agent, first claim (added within one month of issue), opponents, dates of
opposition, designated countries of the EURO-PCT, and legal status changes.
Corresponds to the European Patent Bulletin.
Period Covered: 1978-present
Language: French, English, and German
Database Size: Approx. 450,000 records
Updates: Weekly (on the day of publication)
Pros: Timely -- new patent data is available immediately, the day it is
published. For this reason and its wide coverage of the European states, EPAT
is used to supplement WPI and occasionally INPADOC when new European patent data
is anticipated or being monitored.
EDOC (European Patent Office Documentation File)
Producer: European Patent Office (EPO), and the Institut National de la
Propriete Industrielle (INPI)
Online Vendor: Questel
Description: EDOC covers published applications and issued patents of eighteen
major industrialized countries, the EPO, international applications (PCT), and
OAPI (African Intellectual Property Organization). Database records contain
minimal information -- patent and application numbers and dates, priority data,
and ECLA subject classification codes assigned by the EPO. EDOC does not
provide patent titles, inventor or assignee information, abstracts or claims.
Patent documents can be linked by priority data to identify patent families.
Companion database:
* ECLATX (ECLA Classification System of the EPO -- full text internal
classification scheme of the EPO. Using the International Patent Classification
scheme as a base, ECLA provides an additional 30,000 codes to represent emerging
technologies.
Period Covered: Widely varies with country covered; some data goes back to the
1800s
Language: French (note: database is largely numeric)
Database Size: Approx. 19,000,000 documents
Updates: Monthly
Pros: EDOC is used primarily by Questel users to conduct patent family
searches. Retrospective depth for some countries is unique (e.g., coverage of
German patents begins in 1877). Bibliographic data for documents identified on
EDOC can be obtained through crossfiling data to other Questel databases (WPI,
EPAT, CAS).
B. U.S. Coverage
CLAIMS/REASSIGNMENTS & REEXAMINATION
Producer: IFI/Plenum Data Corp.
Online Vendor: Orbit (CLAIMS/RXX); Dialog (file 123); STN International
(IFIRXA); WESTLAW (through Dialog)
Description: This database tracks four post-issue actions on U.S. patents: 1)
registered reassignments from the original assignee to another entity; 2)
reexaminations by the USPTO at the request of a second party raising substantial
new questions regarding the validity of any claims of a patent (included in
records for reexaminations are name of requestor, request number and date,
reexamination certificate date, and text from certificate reflecting results,
e.g., which claims have been cancelled); 3) patent expirations due to failure to
pay maintenance fees; 4) patent extensions granted beyond the usual
seventeen-year term (usually given to pharmaceutical- and medical-related
patents that are subject to a long regulatory review).
Period Covered: 1980-present for reassignments; Dec. 1981-present for
reexaminations; 1985-present for expirations; 1984-present for patent term
extensions.
Language: English
Database Size: 116,000 records
Updates: Bimonthly
Pros: CLAIMS' coverage of reassignments is unique among patent status databases.
All actions relating to an individual patent are reflected in a single record.
This database, like others reporting patent expirations, is scanned by
technology scavengers looking for inventions that have fallen into the public
domain.
Cons: Compared to INPADOC and PATENT STATUS FILE (described below), CLAIMS'
coverage of post-issue actions is limited. Reassignments reported reflect those
of record at the USPTO. Given that registering a patent reassignment is
voluntary, not regulated, it cannot be assumed that if a reassignment is not in
the database, it has not occurred.
PATENT STATUS FILE
Producer: Research Publications
Online Vendor: Orbit
Description: PATENT STATUS FILE reports on eighteen post-issue legal status
actions on U.S. patents since 1973 (affecting patents dating back to 1969) as
printed in the Official Gazette. Actions covered include certificates of
corrections, expirations due to failure to pay maintenance fees, requests for
reexaminations, reissues, withdrawals, disclaimer/dedications, adverse decisions
(but no details on the decision) and others. Database records consist of patent
number, document type (e.g., utility, design, etc.), notice date, and action
type (searchable by code). Corresponds to the Patent Status File, which covers
twenty-eight post-issue legal status actions.
Period Covered: 1973-present
Language: English
Database Size: Over 310,000 actions
Updates: Monthly
Pros: Provides coverage of a broad range of actions on U.S. patents; only
INPADOC's coverage is more extensive. In extending back to 1973, PATENT STATUS
FILE offers the best retrospective coverage for many actions.
Cons: Like most of the patent status databases, PATENT STATUS FILE reports only
notifications of litigation; case decisions are not reported. Reassignments are
not covered. Of the legal status databases, PATENT STATUS FILE is perhaps the
most expensive.
LitAlert
Producer: Research Publications
Online Vendor: Orbit
Description: LitAlert tracks U.S. patent and trademark infringement cases in the
94 U.S. District Courts. Details of both resolved and unresolved cases are
included. In addition to brief bibliographic data, LitAlert provides the names
of the plaintiff and defendant, district court, docket number, court filing,
patent numbers involved, and description of action. Corresponds to the printed
publication LitAlert: The Patent and Trademark Litigation Alert.
Period Covered: 1970-present
Language: English
Database Size: 17,000 records
Updates: Weekly
Pros: Although it covers but one post-issue action -- infringement -- LitAlert
is unique for reporting specific actions taken by the courts; PATENT STATUS FILE
and INPADOC list only notifications of litigation, not resultant action.
Although patent litigation suits are required by law to be reported to the
Commissioner of Patents, many are not. LitAlert's producers claim to cover even
these unreported cases by going directly to the courts for source information.
Cons: As mentioned, infringement is the only post-issue action covered; INPADOC
and PATENT STATUS FILE cover a broader range of actions. Also, in LitAlert a
separate database record is created for each court action. This has
implications for search costs since a single case may generate several distinct
court actions.
LEXIS Patent, Trademark & Copyright Library (PATCOP)
Producer: Mead Data Central
Online Vendor: Mead Data Central (as a LEXIS database)
Description: PATCOP is a collection of full-text databases covering court cases,
administrative decisions, and regulations related to intellectual property. It
contains decisions from the following courts: the Supreme Court (since 1790),
the Courts of Appeals (since 1789), the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals (since
Oct. 1982), the U.S. District Courts (since 1789), U.S. Court of Customs and
Patent Appeals (1952 to Sept. 1982), U.S. Court of International Trade (since
1980), U.S. Customs Court (from 1960 to 1980), Claims Court (since Oct. 1982),
and the Court of Claims (from 1940 to Sept. 1982). Also available are decisions
of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (since 1981), the Patent and
Trademark Office Board of Appeals (since 1981), and the Commissioner of Patents
and Trademarks (since 1981). It also contains full text of BNA's Patent,
Trademark, & Copyright Journal (since 1982), BNA Patent, Trademark, &
Copyright Law Daily (since 1990), the American Bar Association's Patent,
Trademark & Copyright Law (since 1981), Journal of Law and Technology, and Title
37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The PATCOP library also gives access to
full text of U.S. patents since 1975 (see above description of LEXPAT for
details).
Period Covered: Varies with each database in the Library (see description)
Language: English
Updates: Court opinions within 72 hours; administrative decisions within 14 days
Pros: PATCOP offers the most extensive coverage of court case decisions related
to patents. Notable vendor services include "Shepardizing," which uses
Shepard's Citations Service to identify all references to a case in subsequent
cases, and Veralex's "Auto-Cite" service, which verifies the accuracy of case
law citations.
WESTLAW Intellectual Property Database
Producer: West Publishing Company
Online Vendor: West Publishing Company
Description: Like PATCOP on Lexis, this is a collection of full-text databases
covering cases, administrative decisions, and federal regulations related to
intellectual property. Cases covered are from the Supreme Court (since 1790),
the Courts of Appeals (since 1891), the U.S. District Courts (since 1789), the
U.S. Claims Court (since 1929). Decisions of the USPTO since 1987 are
available, as well as the U.S. Code, Federal Register (since 1980), and the
current Code of Federal Regulations (since 1987).
Period Covered: Varies (see description)
Language: English
Updates: From daily to quarterly, varying with source
Pros: WESTLAW offers Shepard's Citations Service and Shepard's PreView, as well
as the WESTLAW Insta-Cite Service. The availability of Dialog databases through
WESTLAW widens the number of patent databases available to WESTLAW subscribers
for both technical and legal status searching.
C. Other Law-Oriented Patent Databases
FPAT -- includes legal status data for patents published at the INPI, French
Patent Office (described in Part I, infra page 141).
JURINPI (Jurisprudence Related to French Patents and Trademarks) -- covers
published or unpublished French or European (EPO) patent or trademark
litigation; coverage for patents is from 1823 to present; produced by INPI
(Institut National de la Propriete Industrielle) in French; available on
Questel.
LEXPAT -- includes select legal status data for U.S. patents (described
in Part I, infra page 138).
PATDPA -- produced by the Deutsche Patent Datenbank; contains legal status
information on all German patent publications, including German-designated
applications at the EPO and the WIPO (described in Part I, infra page 140).
World Patents Index -- contains patent family data for thirty-one countries and
the two international patent issuing organizations (described in Part I, infra
page 127).
III. Patent Databases on CD-ROM
Ever since the first patent database on CD-ROM was commercially introduced in
late 1989, patent CDs have proliferated. In spite of their rapid takeoff, it is
too early to cast final judgments on the CD-ROM format for patent searching. A
few observations can be made, however, on the basis on what has been offered and
experienced thus far. Clearly, patent databases on CD present both significant
advantages and disadvantages. Many of the pluses are obvious: cost containment
and predictability, no connect time pressures, and the freedom to browse and
scour. Some researchers are attracted to the menu-driven software or the
report-generating capabilities that many of the products offer. Others simply
prefer the microcomputer environment for ease of downloading and data
manipulation.
Another notable development in patent CDs is the appearance of several
full-text/image databases. These products represent documents in their
entirety, including all text, drawings, figures, tables, and charts.
Full-text/image databases introduce an intriguing new function for the CD format
-- that of an electronic document storage medium. One vendor goes as far as to
say that full-text/image CDs make microfilm look like "stone tablets." Other
than for building a full-document collection, prospects here include a kind of
high-tech document delivery system, with a variety of electronic transmission
options. Some products are capable of faxing copies automatically from the CD
without making a paper copy.
The major drawback of patent CDs is perhaps a critical one. It returns to a
point made previously: for many patent searches, comprehensive retrieval
requires a complement of databases. Even the enormous size and scope of some
online databases, such as WPI, are insufficient when searched alone. Whereas
the online environment facilitates combining strengths of multiple databases
through crossfile searching, a CD-ROM database is searched in isolation.
Questioned also is the adequacy of optical disks as a storage medium when
stacked up next to some of these enormous patent files, especially those which
are supporting full text. Related concerns include the inconveniences of
searching multiple-disc databases. As always, tradeoffs are brought into focus
by knowing your general patent search needs and the resources available to
address them.
Described below are currently available patent databases on CD-ROM. All
products are in ISO 9660, and include search software. Microcomputer system
requirements are available from the database vendor.
A. International Coverage
ESPACE-ACCESS
Data Source and Producer: European Patent Office (EPO)
Vendor: MicroPatent
Description: ACCESS provides bibliographic data with abstracts for European
(EPO) patent applications. Searchable fields include title, abstract, patent
number, application and issue data, inventor, assignee, status, and
classification. Corresponds in part to the online EPAT (European Patents
Register). A related CD-ROM database is ESPACE-EP, providing full-text/images
of EPO applications (described below).
Period Covered: 1978-present (on 2 discs)
Language: English
Updates: Quarterly; cumulative
Cost: Approx. $ 650-$ 1150/yr. subscription rate
ESPACE-FIRST
Data Source and Producer: European Patent Office (EPO) and the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Vendor: MicroPatent; Research Publications
Description: FIRST contains scanned images (text and graphics) of the first page
of all European patent applications and published PCT international
applications. Standard bibliographic fields and patent titles (in English,
French and German) are searchable; abstracts are not. Corresponds in part to the
online EPAT. Related CD-ROM databases: ESPACE-EP and ESPACE-WORLD, which
provide full-text/image of complete EPO and of PCT patent applications
respectively (described below).
Period Covered: 1989-present
Language: English, French, and German
Updates: Bimonthly (5 discs/yr.)
Cost: Approx. $ 450/yr. subscription rate; backfiles available at $ 350/yr.
ESPACE-EP
Data Source and Producer: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and
the European Patent Office (EPO)
Vendor: MicroPatent; Research Publications
Description: ESPACE-EP contains full-text/images (including drawings) of the
approximately 60,000 European patent applications published annually.
Searchable fields are limited to select front-page data -- title, IPC
classification, inventor, application dates, designated countries, etc.
Corresponds in part to the online EPAT. ESPACE-EP complements the coverage of
ESPACE-WORLD, another CD-ROM full-text/image database (described
below). Both are prospects for patent collection development and document
delivery. Research Publications also markets ESPACE-EP-B, which contains
granted European patents only.
Period Covered: 1989-present
Language: English, French, and German
Updates: Weekly (85-90 discs/yr.)
Cost: Approx. $ 3200/yr. subscription rate
ESPACE-WORLD
Data Source and Producer: European Patent Office (EPO)
Vendor: MicroPatent; Research Publications
Description: ESPACE-WORLD provides full-text/images of approximately 15,000
international patent applications filed annually under the Patent Cooperation
Treaty (PCT) and published by WIPO. Standard bibliographic data are searchable,
including keyword-searchable titles in English, French, and German. A related
database is ESPACE-FIRST, which provides full-text images of the first pages of
the documents covered in ESPACE-WORLD and ESPACE-EP. Complements the coverage
of ESPACE-EP, which provides full-text/images of EPO applications.
Period Covered: 1990-present
Language: English, French, and German
Updates: Bimonthly (35-40 discs/yr.)
Cost: Approx. $ 1700/yr. subscription rate
B. U.S. Coverage
APS (Automated Patent Searching)
Data Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Vendor: MicroPatent
Description: APS contains bibliographic information on granted U.S. patents.
Searchable fields include title, abstract, patent number, issue date,
application number, filing date, title, inventor(s) and state or country of
residence, assignee, status, both U.S. and International Patent classifications,
cited references, abstracts, exemplary claim, etc. Related CD-ROM databases:
FullText and PatentImages (see below).
Period Covered: 1975-present
Language: English
Updates: Monthly; discs delivered within two weeks of final issue date
of each month; updates cumulate to 1 disc every 3 years
Cost: Approx. $ 1110/yr. subscription rate
FullText
Data Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Vendor: MicroPatent
Description: FullText contains completely searchable full-text of granted U.S.
patents, which includes front-page data, background and summary of invention,
descriptions of drawings, examples, tables, and all claims. Drawings are not
represented. Related CD-ROM databases: APS, PatentImages (described below).
Period Covered: Begins in 1991
Language: English
Updates: Monthly; discs are delivered within two weeks of final issue date of
each month; noncumulating; 12 discs/yr.
Cost: Approx. $ 1450/yr. subscription rate
PatentImages
Data Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Vendor: MicroPatent
Description: PatentImages is a full-text/image database of issued U.S. patents.
Searchable fields include all front-page data, except abstracts; all other text
and graphics, including drawings, chemical structures, and tables are
displayable only. PatentImages presents possibilities for patent collection
development and document delivery. Related to other U.S. patent database
products by Micropatent: APS and FullText.
Period Covered: 1990 to present; backfiles for 1975-present available
Language: English
Updates: Weekly (7 to 14 days after patent issue date); noncumulating; 100
discs/yr. for utility patents version, 25 discs/yr. for chemical patents
version.
Cost: Utility patents (chemical, electrical, and general and mechanical) at
subscription rate of $ 5500/yr; chemical patents $ 2750/yr.
OG/PLUS
Data Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Vendor: Research Publications
Description: Enhanced electronic version of the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office's Official Gazette. OG/PLUS offers bibliographic patent data,
displayable full-text/images, and current information on patent status changes
and patent infringement litigation activity in three searchable subfiles:
* PATENTS ISSUED -- exact page replications of the Official Gazette (text,
drawings, equations, and chemical formula) may be retrieved by the following
searchable fields: patent number, title, issue date, inventor and assignee data,
application and filing data, related patents and applications, U.S. original and
cross-reference classification and IPC codes, and priority data. Includes a
searchable abstract (not included in Official Gazette) and exemplary claim for
each newly issued patent.
* PATENT STATUS FILE -- a subset of the online database of the same name
(described above), which tracks over twenty post-issue actions, including
reissues, reexaminations, reassignments, withdrawals, corrections, expirations,
cancellations, litigation, and adjudication. Data fields include patent number,
status change, and effective date of change.
* LitAlert -- corresponding in part to the online database of the same name
(described above), this version contains a record of all patent violation suits
filed with the USPTO by the U.S. District Courts during the current year.
Period Covered: 1990-present
Language: English
Updates: Monthly; updates cumulate to 6 discs/yr.
Cost: Approx. $ 700/yr. subscription rate
PATENT HISTORY
Data Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Vendor: Research Publications
Description: PATENT HISTORY provides a status history of all active patents
granted by the USPTO, and is intended as a retrospective complement to OG/PLUS.
It also contains the full-text of the USPTO's Manual of Classification and
Assignee File (which reports the total number of U.S. patents issued over the
seventeen-year period to a specified assignee). The main body of PATENT HISTORY
is comprised of three subfiles:
* PATENTS BACKFILE -- contains minimal information on patents issued in the past
seventeen years. Database fields are patent number, title, assignee code, state
or country, U.S. original and cross-reference classification codes, and issue
year.
* PATENT STATUS FILE -- contains approx. 200,000 references to twenty post-U.S.
issue actions (see OG/PLUS for details).
* LitAlert -- contains references, with abstracts, to suits involving
U.S. patent infringement filed with the USPTO by the U.S. District Courts for
the seventeen-year period (excluding those cases already covered in the Official
Gazette earlier in the period).
Period Covered: Most recent seventeen years (perpetual)
Language: English
Updates: Annual
Cost: Approx. $ 500/yr. subscription rate
CASSIS
Data Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Office of Patent
Depository Library Programs
Vendor: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Office of Electronic Data Conversion
and Dissemination
Description: CASSIS is the Classification and Search Support Information System
produced by the USPTO for searching U.S. patents. CASSIS is comprised of three
subfiles:
* CASSIS/BIB (Bibliographic Information Files) -- contains bibliographic data
for U.S. utility patents from 1969 and for other patent documents from 1977 to
the present. Keyword searching is available on patent abstracts for the most
recent three years and utility patent titles from 1969. Full U.S.
classification assignments are provided as well as status data (withdrawn,
expired for failure to pay maintenance fees, etc.). Also contains the Manual of
Classification, which lists the classes and subclasses of the U.S. Patent
Classification System (USPC).
* CASSIS/CLSF (Classification Information Files) -- contains current
classification assignments for all utility, design, plant, and reissue patents,
as well as defensive publications and statutory invention registrations,
issued from 1790 to the present.
* ASSIST -- contains a number of files that may aid in the patent search and
application process, including the Index to U.S. Patent Classification, the
IPC-USPC Concordance, the attorney roster information from Attorneys and Agents
Registered to Practice Before the U.S. PTO, and others.
Period Covered: CASSIS/BIB 1969-present; CASSIS/CLSF 1790-present
Language: English
Updates: Bimonthly
Cost: $ 210/yr. subscription rate for each CASSIS/BIB and CASSIS/CLSF; and $
161/yr. subscription rate for ASSIST
At the time this article was submitted, announcements regarding the
following CD-ROM products were made:
PATENTVIEW, containing full-text/images of U.S. utility patents, is being
introduced by Research Publications; annual subscription rate $ 4,995;
mechanical, electrical, and chemical subsets are also available; available in
January 1992.
CLAIMS/Patent CD -- This stripped-down version of the complete CLAIMS/U.S.
PATENTS database covering U.S. patents from 1950, marketed by Silverplatter
Information, is being discontinued.
IV. One Last Database
One relatively new database does not fit neatly anywhere, but may be of
interest to many. The Tech-Line database, available through Mead Data Central's
NEXIS/LEXIS database services, identifies scientific, technological, and
economic trends through large scale analyses of patent data. Here, patent
citations and assignment data of over 400,000 patents are analyzed for over
1,000 large companies, domestic and foreign. The database contains reports of
these studies, indicating trends at the national, industry, and company level.
Produced by CHI Research, Tech-Line covers 1983-89 and is scheduled for annual
updates.
V. Vendors Offering Patent Databases
BIOSIS Life Science Network
2100 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-1399
(800) 523-4806
(215) 587-4800
BRS Information Technologies
8000 Westpark Drive
McClean, VA 22102
(800)289-4277
(800) 955-0906
(703) 442-0900
Dialog Information Services
3460 Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(800) 334-2564
(800) 387-2689 (in Canada)
(415) 858-3785
IntelliGenetics Timesharing Service
IntelliGenetics, Inc.
700 East El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
(415) 962-7300
Mead Data Central, Inc.
P.O. Box 933
Dayton, OH 45401
(800) 227-4908
(513) 865-6800
MicroPatent
23 Science Park
New Haven, CT 06511
(800) 648-6787
(203) 786-5500
Orbit Search Service
8000 Westpark Drive, Suite 400
McLean, VA 22102
(800) 456-7248
(703) 442-0900
Questel
5201 Leesburg Pike, Suite 603
Falls Church, VA 22041
(800) 424-9600
(703) 845-1133
Research Publications, Inc.
12 Lunar Drive, Drawer AB
Woodbridge, CT 06525
(800) 336-5010
(203) 397-2600
STN International
c/o Chemical Abstracts Service
2540 Olentangy River Road
P.O. Box 3012
Columbus, OH 43210
(800) 848-6538
(800) 848-6533
(614) 477-3600
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Office of Electronic Data Conversion and Dissemination
Crystal Park 2, Room 914
Washington, DC 20231
(703) 557-6154
West Publishing Company
50 West Kellogg Blvd.
P.O. Box 6452
St. Paul, MN 55164
(800) 328-0109
(612) 328-3600
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