As a complete outsider to the industry, but very interested in the
affect of the Internet on patent searchers, I believe that this post
describes the single most significant challenge and opportunity to
patent searchers today.
Like it or not, patent information is becoming much more accessible to
end users and this trend will continue. It is paramount that the
searcher profession preach that access is not equal to expertise and
clearly outline the consequences of confusing the two. At the same
time, the profession is being given a chance to introduce end-users to
one of the greatest repositories of technical literature ever compiled.
Done well, this can benefit both the profession and the end-user
tremendously.
-- Paul Albert (formerly of Questel-Orbit)
President, RouteLink
Internet-Based Freight Matching - "We Help America Run"
paul@routelink.com, (v)703-242-4444 (f)703-242-3998