Access to patent information and the role of classification

Mikhail MakarovMikhail Makarov

World Intellectual Property World Intellectual Property OrganizationOrganization

IPC Forum 2006IPC Forum 2006

GenevaGeneva

Aspects of Patent Information

Legal - rights for inventionLegal - rights for invention Economic - assessing economic dynamicsEconomic - assessing economic dynamics Technological - technology transferTechnological - technology transfer

Advantages of Patent Information

Uniform structureUniform structure Most recent informationMost recent information Not published in other form of literatureNot published in other form of literature Industry-oriented informationIndustry-oriented information Problem-solving approachProblem-solving approach Over 50 million documentsOver 50 million documents Can be freely used to support research Can be freely used to support research

Uniform Structure of Patent Documentation

Presentation and data elements follow Presentation and data elements follow WIPO standardsWIPO standards

Abstract - concise summary of technical Abstract - concise summary of technical disclosuredisclosure

Description - background and details of Description - background and details of inventioninvention

Claims - new technical solutionClaims - new technical solution

Dissemination of Patent Information

Industrial Property OfficesIndustrial Property Offices Patent Information Centres (over 300 in Patent Information Centres (over 300 in

Europe)Europe) Commercial vendorsCommercial vendors Medium:Medium:

- paper- paper- optical discs - optical discs - Internet- Internet

Use of Patent Information

To avoid redundant researchTo avoid redundant research To evaluate specific technologyTo evaluate specific technology To identify new technical solutionsTo identify new technical solutions To identify state of the artTo identify state of the art To assess novelty and patentability of To assess novelty and patentability of

potential inventionspotential inventions To monitor technological progressTo monitor technological progress To monitor competitor’s activitiesTo monitor competitor’s activities To identify existing IP rightsTo identify existing IP rights

Unique Applications of Patent Classification

Use of patent information for:Use of patent information for:- investigating the state of the art- investigating the state of the art- preparation of patent statistics- preparation of patent statistics- organization of search files- organization of search files- selective dissemination of information- selective dissemination of information

Brief History of Patent Classifications

Alphabetical Lists of Patents (France, 1771)Alphabetical Lists of Patents (France, 1771) Classification Systems:Classification Systems:

- US Classification (1872)- US Classification (1872)- German Classification (1877) - German Classification (1877)

- British Classification (1880) - British Classification (1880) - Proposal for an international classification (1904)- Proposal for an international classification (1904)- European Classification - 1st edition of the IPC (1968) - European Classification - 1st edition of the IPC (1968)

Brief History of the IPC

1971 - Strasbourg Agreement1971 - Strasbourg Agreement 1974 - 2nd edition of the IPC1974 - 2nd edition of the IPC 2000 - 7th edition of the IPC2000 - 7th edition of the IPC 2006 - 8th edition of the IPC (reformed 2006 - 8th edition of the IPC (reformed

IPC) IPC)

IPC Growth(classification groups)

47,26351,428

55,46758,096

64,191 66,312 67,634

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

Nu

mbe

r of

Gro

ups

IPC 1 IPC 2 IPC 3 IPC 4 IPC 5 IPC 6 IPC 7

IPC Editions

IPC Growth for Some Rapidly Expanding Technologies

107 107

297374

517

706

296353

451 476602 632

453

779839

957

1,2981,418

1966

712718

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

IPC 1 IPC 2 IPC 3 IPC 4 IPC 5 IPC 6 IPC 7

IPC Editions

Nu

mbe

r of

Gro

ups

Biotechnology

Computers

Medicine

National Versions of the IPC ChineseChinese CroatianCroatian CzechCzech DutchDutch GermanGerman HungarianHungarian JapaneseJapanese KoreanKorean PolishPolish RussianRussian SerbianSerbian SpanishSpanish

Other Existing Patent Classifications

UK Patent Classification - 40,000 groupsUK Patent Classification - 40,000 groups DECLA (German Office) - 100,000 groupsDECLA (German Office) - 100,000 groups ECLA (EPO) - 130,000 groupsECLA (EPO) - 130,000 groups US Patent Classification - 150,000 groupsUS Patent Classification - 150,000 groups Japan Patent Classification - 190,000 groupsJapan Patent Classification - 190,000 groups

Different Kinds of Search with the Use of the IPC

Novelty SearchNovelty Search Patentability or Validity SearchPatentability or Validity Search Infringement SearchInfringement Search Informative Search (state of the art search)Informative Search (state of the art search) Legal Status SearchLegal Status Search

Searching of Patent Information

Text searching:Text searching:- Databases containing abstracts- Databases containing abstracts- Full-text databases - Full-text databases

Classification-based searching:Classification-based searching:- IPC- IPC- Other classifications- Other classifications

Text Searching

Advantages:Advantages:- Easiness to use- Easiness to use- all invention details may be retrieved - all invention details may be retrieved

Disadvantages:Disadvantages:- Problem of synonyms - Problem of synonyms - Various languages- Various languages- Inconsistent terminology - Inconsistent terminology

Classification-based searching

Advantages:Advantages:- Gives more complete results than text searching- Gives more complete results than text searching- Independent of the language of the text- Independent of the language of the text- Independent of the changes in terminology - Independent of the changes in terminology

Disadvantages:Disadvantages:- Complex structure of classifications - Complex structure of classifications - Requires study of classification rules- Requires study of classification rules

Searching of patent information

Classification adds information value to Classification adds information value to patent documentspatent documents

Combination of classification-based and Combination of classification-based and text searching gives best resultstext searching gives best results

Identify IPC for SearchSimilar documentsSimilar documentsCatchword indexCatchword index

SUBJECT OF SEARCH IPC:CLASSSUBJECT OF SEARCH IPC:CLASS

IPC IPC SectionSection ClassClass SubclassSubclass Main GroupMain Group One-dot GroupOne-dot Group

Three-Step Retrieval Strategy

F ull texts tudy

A bs trac t brow s ing20 - 50 docum ents

B ib liographic searchIP C + keyw ords

100 - 1000 docum ents