Support : Publications : Chronolog Archives : November/December 2001

2001 Highlights in Intellectual Property

In April, monthly Alerts were introduced for the Derwent World Patents Index (File 351/352) and Derwent World Patents Index Extension (File 350) to give customers greater flexibility in keeping up with the ever increasing numbers of patent documents being published by the world's major patent authorities. Beginning in 1999, Derwent has steadily increased the number of updates issued each year to provide customers quicker access to patent data. With more frequent updating of the file, Alerts run with each update also reach the customer more often. Thus, the optional monthly Alert makes it possible for customers who do not need to receive their patent information as frequently as the files are updated, to receive it once a month. Monthly Alerts contain an average of six updates.

In April, the U.S. Patent Office began publishing patent applications. Prior to this, the U.S. published only granted patents, although most other patent authorities throughout the world publish applications. The published applications are already included in records from the Derwent World Patents Index (File 351/352) and Derwent World Patents Index Extension (File 350), INPADOC/Family and Legal Status (File 345), and CA Search (File 399). By year's end, they will also be in CLAIMS®/U.S. Patents (File 340), CLAIMS®/Uniterm (File 341), and CLAIMS®/Comprehensive (File 942).

In July and August, Engineering Information, Inc. (Ei), already an important information provider to Dialog, acquired three files and is now producing them. Chemical Business NewsBase (File 319) was formerly produced by The Royal Society of Chemistry. After acquiring the two files from the American Petroleum Institute, Ei changed the names of the files. The files are now Ei EnCompassPat™ (File 353/subscriber File 953), formerly known as APIPAT®, and Ei EnCompassLit™ (File 354), formerly APLIT® (subscriber File 954). The switch in information providers was made without any interruption in the updating of these files.

In August, Dialog's significant collection of domestic and international trademarks was expanded and enhanced by the addition of Trademarkscan® - Japan (File 669), which includes over 2.6 million active and inactive trademarks registered with the Japanese Patent Office since January 1, 1995. The addition of this file inaugurates Dialog's entry into the world of non-Western intellectual property databases.

In October, WIPO/PCT Patents Fulltext (File 349) was reloaded because of a change in information provider. The file now covers all patents published by WIPO since its beginning in 1978. The file also has been enhanced with additional bibliographic and legal status information.

Also, in October Derwent World Patents Index added Korean applications with English language titles and abstracts, for all patent documents published after January 1, 2001. Korean patent information can enhance any patent portfolio, especially in the areas of semiconductors, telephone and data transmission systems, broadcasting systems, audio or video recording systems or digital computers.

Another first in 2001 was the addition of trademarks to the BrandLine database in WorldSearch.

Dialog continues to add new sources and expand existing ones for Intellectual Property researchers around the world. Watch future issues of the Chronolog for more enhancements in 2002.

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