1. The service I try to offer is not so much searching but FINDING. I =
never feel that I have satisfied a client unless I believe I have found =
the few patents that they simply must see in order to proceed =
effectively. Just running through a routine search procedure doesn't =
cut the mustard.
2. The FINDING has to be done quickly because the client is probably not =
waiting for me; the train is leaving and my report has to be on it.
3. I charge competitive rates (obviously) and I have to make a living at =
it so I have to balance the value of my time versus the money I pay to =
database vendors. Waiting for a "free" but overloaded web server to =
respond is expensive.
To get fast, cost-effective results, I have found, after trying =
everything, that well-maintained, value-added databases are powerful =
tools even though they cost money and require more skill to use.
I encourage my clients to search patents on the web. They often come =
back with the patents they have found and ask me to do a "proper" =
on-line search.=20
Graham Norgate
Norgate Research Ltd.
gnorgate@hookup.net
-----Original Message-----
From: md [SMTP:102337.1326@compuserve.com]
Sent: Monday, July 07, 1997 9:48 PM
To: Patent Users Information
Subject: Patent web sites vs commercial patent databases
Hello everyone!
I was describing the IBM patent website to a chemist and he said
"Oh it's just like Dialog..." I did my best to define the differences,
but what are the specific differences between:
the WWW USPTO, IBM, CAS and Micropatent patent web sites and
the patent databases such as Derwent, IFI, Patfull etc. on commercial
databases?
This fellow seemed to think that the patent searches he could do for
himself on the "free" (some are not free) patent databases on the
web were the same as the $$$ searches I run from commercial
databases.
How do you all respond to this perception from our clients that
the "free" patent web sites are the same as the commercial databases?
Was all our training for nought?