Patents
(cont.)
While the internet is a
great place to browse abstracts and find patents on topics of general interest, it is
recommended that you obtain and review full text versions of patents where the results
of your investigation will impact important business decisions. You should
also consider having your patent search performed by a professional with experience in
patent searches. Some patent filers attempt to "disguise" their patent
filings by submitting non descript abstracts and titles, making important patents
difficult to identify using simple patent and abstract search methods.
In most cases full text copies of patents must be obtained
from fee based services. These include 1. the USPTO (fees range
from $3 -24, depending on how fast you want your patent delivered), and 2. IBM Micropatent (~$2.50 for shipping 24 hrs
after receipt of request, $9.00+ for 1 hour service). In addition, Micropatent has a handy
service to provide you searchable tiff images of the patents you select on CDROM for about $2.50 per patent.
The STO
- Source Translation & Optimization's (STO) Internet Patent Search System- provides
some links to searches on patents around the world, as well as information on the
patenting process in many countries around the world.
The US Dept of Agriculture provides full texts (USDA)
on line for ag biotech patents issued in the years 1994 and 1995.
Misc. Patent information.
- The USPTO provides a schedule of filing fees and filing forms for both Patents and
Trademarks.
- If there are specific companies or patent areas you would like
to track some services will notify you via email as patents become available. For
instance, TESCO will monitor Japanese
patents.
Trademarks
Background reading
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