Why networking organizations are so valuable in patent information - together we are strong Monika Hanelt (Agfa Graphics, Belgium) During this talk it will outlined why the patent information community needs networking organizations - national working groups as well as multinational organizations as PDG and Cepiug here in Europe. The Patent Documentation Group (PDG) is one of the oldest organization in this field and the patent information communtiy owes a lot to PDG and their working groups. Progress regarding data availability and quality due to this organization will be examplified. In recent years the networking of patent offices extended the range of patent information and improved the quality of data as well. A look on actual and future challenges will conclude.

1. Why networking organizations are so
valuable in patent information together we are strong
Monika Hanelt
Agfa Graphics NV

2. Outline
 Patent Information (PI) specialists:
tasks and demands
 Networking organization of PI esp. in
Europe
 Examples of Networking
 Outlook
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
2

3. Patent information professional tasks
Deliver
comprehensive
patent & NPL
information to
our customers
The right information
At the correct place
In the right context
NPL= non-patent literature
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
3

4. Demands of a corporate patent attorney to PI
Provide reliable patent
information for his freedom-tooperate assessment
Provide patent
information for
evaluating
validity of third
party patents
Statement made by B. Rauber, Patent Attorney,
Hoffmann La Roche, Switserland
Providing state-of-the-art information
for filing of high quality patents which
meet the patentability standards and
which are held valid by a final court
decision.
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
4

5. Requirements
To fulfill this task we require:
Accurate,
comprehensive,
reliable
and
up-to-date
patent information & databases
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
5

6. Without networking organizations
You are alone - surrounded by an ocean of information
Where are shallows and depths? Gaps & incomplete data,
delays in timeliness, lack of
standardization
Which speedboat allows to pass through the ocean?
Databases, search tools
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
6

7. What’s your preference ?
Or
Alone
Network
Knowledge Networking*:
A number of people, resources and relationships
among them, who are assembled in order to
accumulate and use knowledge primarily by means of
knowledge creation and transfer processes,
for the purpose of creating value.
(*Towards knowledge networking: A Seufert, G Von Krogh, A Bach - Journal of knowledge …,
1999 - emeraldinsight.com)
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
7

8. European national PI user groups
Why is Patent Information especially important in Europe?
AGM, Germany
AIDB, Italy
BEPIUG, Belgium
BPIP, Great Britain
CFIB, France and French speaking
parts of Belgium and Switzerland
PATMG, Great Britain
PIF, Denmark
SIPIG, Sweden
WON, The Netherlands and Dutch
speaking part of Belgium
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
8

9. Worldwide PI user groups
Europe:
PDG – company based, open to
European patent filing companies
CEPIUG open to Patent Information
User Groups in Europe
America
PIUG
US based, open to all individuals in PI
on the world
Asia:
JIPA – company based Japanese
intellectual property organization
Others?
I-HIPP – company based Indian
intellectual property organization
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
9

10. Networking organization : PDG
Patent Documentation Group (PDG) –
the long established organization
Purpose and Objectives:
Debate, discuss and
stimulate improvements
and new developments in
patent information products
Cooperation in patent
information and
documentation
PDG
Exchange knowledge and
experience in all areas
relating to patent information
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
Determine and
communicate proposals to
third parties involved in IP
information
10

11. PI in Europe in begin 1950’s
Priority date but
missing application no.
No inventor
information
No
company
address
No abstract
Foundation of PDG in 1957:
13 Companies united to
share the burden of patent
information (PI) work
 Abstracting patent
documents
 Finding equivalents and
creating ‘patent families’
 Distributing the information
between companies
 Developing common
indexing system
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
11

12. Achievements in PI
1960 - 2013
 Derwent‘s Abstract db
 International patent
classification IPC launched
 European Patent office
 Inpadoc legal event db
 WIPO/PCT
 Online chemical sub structre searching
 Markush structure
searching
 Patent fulltext db
 Correction procedures at
patent offices/vendors
 Extension of Inpadoc
coverage
 Machine translation of
patents started
db=database
Success story of PDG: involved in all these
developments, via the PDG working groups
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
12

13. Networking in PI 2
Why is Patent Information especially important in Europe?
Confederacy of European Patent
Information User Groups
CEPIUG
CEPIUG’s aim is to be a platform
for cooperation between the
Patent Information User Groups in
Europe.
Members:
AGM, Germany
PATMG, Great Britain
AIDB, Italy
PIF, Denmark
BEPIUG, Belgium
SIPIG, Sweden
BPIP, Great Britain
CFIB, France and French speaking parts of Belgium and Switzerland
WON, The Netherlands and Dutch speaking part of Belgium
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
13

14. Networking in PI 3
• Identification of the
requirements for being
certified as a professional
patent searcher.
• Identification of a certifying
body.
• Development of examination
papers.
• First Mock exams in Europe
and US
PDG
Certification Project
CEPIUG
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
PIUG
14

15. Trilateral Co-operation (founded 1983)
European
Patent Office
Japan
Patent
Office
EPO
Working
together towards
a sustainable
patent system
JPO
United
USPTO
States
Patent and
Trademark
Office
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
15

16. Significant achievements of Trilateral offices
Paperless search
Common system architecture
Electronic filing
Harmonisation of patent
practices
Common Patent Information
Dissemination policies
Exchange of Priority Documents
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
16

17. IP5 Co-operation (founded 2008)
EPO
JPO
USPTO
 Growing number
of filings and
pending
applications
 Impact on
operation of the
patent system
SIPO
KIPO
Account for 90% of
patent applications
worldwide
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
17

18. Agreement of IP5 - Heads
European Patent
Office (EPO)
Japanese Patent
Office (JPO)
United States
Patent and
Trademark
Office(USPTO)
“The elimination of
unnecessary duplication
of work among the
offices,
enhancement of patent
examination efficiency
and quality, and
guarantee of the stability
of patent rights".
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
Korean
Intellectual
Property Office
(KIPO)
State Intellectual
Property Office of
the People's
Republic of China
(SIPO),
18

19. Success-story: Cooperative Patent Classification
Consultation of user PDG :
USPC
ECLA
PDG consultation at early
stage
PDG proposal of a
"Classification Day" –
1. meeting in February 2013
was a great success.
PDG questionnaire with
feedback sent out to EPO
PDG feedback after
implementation direct to EPO
management
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
PDG IMPACT's task force on
CPC will continuously give
feedback to the EPO
19

20. New Networking story: Global Legal Status Project
PDG
approached
EPO and WIPO
Patentscope
Enhancing the coverage of
legal status data
&
INPADOC
Formulating a minimum
set of data to be delivered
by offices to central
repositories (Inpadoc,
Patentscope)
 Task force for preparing
a new WIPO standard
started in April 2013
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
20

21. Networking challenges in PI
 Certification project
 IP5
 Patent Classifications
 Global Legal Status
 Patent Information
Development
ICIC Vienna 14-16.10.2013, Monika Hanelt - Agfa Graphics, NV
21