Andy,
Now, you can do comprehensive patent searching online with keyword.
This is my opinion - though others respectfully disagree.
The USPTO patent database ( <http://www.uspto.gov/>
http://www.uspto.gov/) includes all U.S. Patents from 1790 to the
present but full-text searching is only available beginning in 1976.
Prior to 1976, U.S. Patents can only be accessed by patent number and
class. There is no full-text searching, no abstract searching, no title
searching, or no inventor or assignee searching.
Within the past year, the EPO patent database (
<http://ep.espacenet.com/> http://ep.espacenet.com/) has made available
on the Internet (at no charge), a comprehensive archive of patent
documents - they say 30 million. The archive includes European national
and community applications and patents, PCT documents, Japan patent
documents, and even U.S. patents.
The U.S. patents in the EPO database are from 1920 . While there is no
full-text searching capability, U.S. patents can be searched by
front-page data (title, abstract, inventor, assignee, patent number,
issue date, and international class/subclass). This is an invaluable
search tool, since the timeframe between 1920 and 1976 is so rich in
prior art.
In addition, once the door to global prior art is opened, the searcher
is confronted with the decision to investigate the global art that is
included with the hits that show up.
And, we've been advised by Andy Gibbs, that
"I believe that over the next 12 months or sooner, we will see a new
genre of search tools emerge that will challenge "convention" and
advance Internet-based patent research to a new level."
But even with the enhancements to the EPO database, it's recommended to
begin searching in the USPTO patent database - using keywords. To
search effectively, keyword patent searching requires a full-text
searching capability. Then, the searcher can move to the EPO database
to search for additional U.S. prior art. Also, the EPO database - at
present - does not provide a forward search check capability (as does
the USPTO database).
Hope this helps.
--Gerald R. Black, esq.
Keyword Patent Searching Online - author (see
<http://www.keypatent.net/> http://www.keypatent.net/)
----- Original Message -----
From: Berks, <mailto:andrew_berks@MERCK.COM> Andrew
To: 'Elize Strydom' <mailto:elizes@wray.com.au> ; piug-l@derwent.co.uk
<mailto:piug-l@derwent.co.uk>
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 6:00 AM
Subject: RE: Online patent databases - 1993
I was an active patent searcher in that time frame, and I don't recall
any free public access databases covering EP patents at that time. I
recall the EP being very stingy with their data prior to 1998 or so.
They had a different attitude than the USPTO, which felt a greater
obligation to disseminate patent information at low or no cost to the
public. After the web came along, Europeans started complaining that
they had much greater access to US patent information than European
patent information, and the EP began to mend its ways.
An excellent database, existant in 1993, is EPAT, produced by INPI from
EP data and available on Questel. EPAT for several years had a great
feature - it made data available on the day of publication. There was a
ruckus, I can't recall exactly when but it may have been in 1993, when a
change of management at the EPO stopped sending INPI the tapes in
advance of the publication date, and it was infuriating for all
involved. Another database that I think was available in 1993 was
PATOSEP on STN. Of course, Chemical Abstracts also covered EP patents.
The IBM site was web based, and the web did not exist in 1993. Prior to
the web, IBM marketed their database as an inhouse resource to large
firms. It did not include EP data at that time. They started with the
low cost US data.
Andy Berks
Merck & Co.
-----Original Message-----
From: Elize Strydom [mailto:elizes@wray.com.au]
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 3:11 AM
To: piug-l@derwent.co.uk
Subject: Online patent databases - 1993
Would anyone perhaps be able to tell me which free public access patent
databases covering EP patents was available in 1993 (specifically June
1993) - if any? I've already worked out that Espacenet wasn't around
back then. Eg. what about Delphion (previously IBM IP database), which
used to be free until some time last year, I think?
Also, apart from DWPI and INPADOC, which other paid-for/subscription
patent databases covering EP patents were available back then?
Any light you can shed on this whould be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
_______________________________
Elize Strydom
Patent Searcher
WRAY & ASSOCIATES
PO Box Z5466
St. George's Terrace
Perth WA 6831
Australia
Phone: (+61) 8 9216 5100
Fax: (+61) 8 9216 5199
E-mail: elizes@wray.com.au
Web: www.wray.com.au
_______________________________
WRAY & ASSOCIATES
Progression through Protection
Phone: (+61) 8 9216 5100
Fax: (+61) 8 9216 5199
Address: Level 4, The Quadrant
1 William Street Perth 6000, Western Australia
http://www.wray.com.au <http://www.wray.com.au>
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