SPECIAL EDITION

In the April Intellectual Property News, I asked you to keep tuned for more news on INPADOC. Make sure to read the first article below for an important update on INPADOC. I also recommend that you try out the ONTAP INPADOC database (File 253) for a preview of record changes and search enhancements to come to the file later this year.

Other articles I think might be of interest encompass changes to patent activity around the world.

I encourage you to attend the Thomson Scientific presentation at the PIUG conference to be held in San Francisco from May 2-5. I look forward to talking to you there.

Ron Kaminecki, Director
Intellectual Property Applications

Important INPADOC Update

In our last Intellectual Property Newsletter, we advised you that, due to a change in the source format from the EPO, INPADOC on Dialog (File 345) would be temporarily split into two files.

Today, we are pleased to inform you that we are not splitting the INPADOC file as previously announced. File 345 will continue to update in its current form for the foreseeable future without change or interruption.

Be assured we are working to implement the many enhancements planned for INPADOC and will alert you when the new, improved INPADOC (File 345) is released.

For your convenience, we will continue to update the special INPADOC web page to keep you informed of any changes. In the meantime, please continue to use INPADOC as you always have.

We hope that our previous message did not cause any undue concern or confusion. Should you have questions, please contact the Knowledge Center at +1 800 334 2564 (North America) or +00 800 33 34 2564 (Outside North America), or at www.dialog.com/contacts/webform/.

Thomson Scientific Supports World Intellectual Property Day

Thomson Scientific, supported World Intellectual Property Day (WIPO) this year with a special report on worldwide intellectual property activity. Stephen Trotter, Senior Patent Analyst of Thomson Scientific, indicated his particular enthusiasm for this year's topic, "Encouraging Creativity." He feels it "appropriate to evaluate the global IP landscape to determine which countries are forging change in the areas of patents and technology innovation."

World IP Today: A Thomson Scientific Report on Global Technology Innovations from 1997-2006 finds, among other things, that global patent activity has grown by 72 percent over the past decade. While Japan is still the leader, the U.S. and China are surging up behind with impressive growth. Moreover, inventions relating to semiconductors, telecommunications and computing have experienced a huge growth rate since 1997; Japan is credited with the current state of today's high tech market; and Samsung led the way in diversified multinationals in terms of tri-lateral inventions in 2006.

For more information on the Thomson Scientific Report, please visit the Thomson Scientific web site. For further information on World Intellectual Property Day, held April 26, 2007, please visit http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/world_ip/2007.

Korea Transforms Its Patenting Operations

South Korea, a country of approximately 40 million people, has taken the lead in upgrading its patent operations. Intellectual property (IP) is a priority area for the Korean government to help it strengthen developments in science and technology.

Read Professor Ruth Taplin's article entitled, "Transforming IP in Korea" to learn more about many recent changes in Korea's patent information systems and databases, the South Korean Patent Act, and the South Korean Patent Courts. Professor Taplin is the author/editor of 13 books and over 200 articles.

Thomson Scientific 2007 Focus Report

A rise in patenting worldwide indicates the importance of keeping up with this topic. The Thomson Scientific 2007 Focus Report examines the struggle of patenting authorities to keep up with the increase in patenting activities, as well as other key developments in the world of patenting over the past 12 months. The Report focuses primarily on the Trilateral Patent Issuing Authorities of Europe, Japan and the United States, plus the increasingly important Chinese and Indian jurisdictions.

A PDF copy of the report is also available.