icic 2014 tutorial: training for information professionals - how to analyse, visualise and...
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Tutorial: Training for Information Professionals - How to Analyse, Visualise and Understand Patent Families - A Critical SurveyTRANSCRIPT
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
WissensWert Tutorial
How to analyze, visualize and
understand patent families
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Soft top Hard top
Roof structure for convertible vehicle
Daimler-Benz AG DE 196 39 567 A1 26.09.1996
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Transparent rear part
Roof structure for convertible vehicle
Daimler-Benz AG DE 196 39 567 A1 26.09.1996
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Agenda
• What is a patent family?
• A simple patent family, priorities and different routes to patents
• What is all this for?
• A somewhat tricky simple patent family and the national familiy
• A complex family, multiple priorities and phantom family members
• An extended patent family, INPADOC and black sheeps
• The patent searcher‘s view
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is a patent family?
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is a Patent family?
• There is no definition of the patent family by
intellectual property law.
• There is no ultimate definition of the patent family
at all.
• Database producers define patent families
for their own convenience.
Steven Adams, Information Sources in Patents, 2006
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Patent family – a definition
World Intellectual Property Organisation – WIPO
A collection of published patent documents relating to the same
invention, or to several inventions sharing a common aspect, that
are published at different times in the same country or in different
countries or regions.
Each patent document in such a collection is normally based on the
data for the application(s) on which the basis for its „priority right“
has been claimed.
WIPO Handbook on industrial property information and documentation 2013 – Glossary of terms
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Patent family – another definition
European Patent Office – EPO
A patent family is a collection of related patent applications
covering the same or similar technical content.
EPO Virtual Classroom „Understanding Patent families at the EPO“ 10 October 2014
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Patent family – the basis
Terms used to define patent families:
• Priority
• Patent application
• Patent publication
• Invention
• Technical content
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
A simple patent family, the concept of
priority and different routes to patents
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Example
EP 0 832 774
First page
Application data
Priority data
Designated contracting states
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple patent family – Definition
The set of patent documents protecting the (most likely) same
invention filed in several countries which are related to each other
by one common priority filing.
Within 12 months one or
more multinational filings
First filing of an invention = priority filing
Priority
date
18 months
Publication of
applications
Publication of
granted patents
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
EPO Espacenet
Bibliographic data
EP 0 832 774
Equivalents or
Simple patent
family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
EPO Espacenet
INPADOC
Patent family
EP0832774
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple Patent family EP 0 832 774
Publication
number
Publication
date
Application
date Type of document
EP 0832774 A1 01.04.1998 15.09.1997 Published application
EP 0832774 B1 26.04.2000 15.09.1997 Granted patent
DE 19639567 A1 16.04.1998 26.09.1996 Published application
Priority application
DE 19639567 C2 26.11.1998 26.09.1996 Granted patent
JP H10175448 AA 30.06.1998 26.09.1997 Published application
US 5988729 A 23.11.1999 26.09.1997 Granted patent
First publication
First application
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Proquest – Derwent World Patent Index
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Minesoft – Patbase Family Information
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple Patent family EP 0 832 774
EP
97116015
Subseq. App.
US
93831297
Subseq. App.
JP
27798797
Subseq. App.
DE19639567A1
Published Appl.
EP832774A1
Published Appl.
US5988729A
Granted Patent
JPH10175448A
Published Appl.
DE19639567C1
Granted Patent
EP832774B1
Granted Patent
???
No Published
US Appl.
DE
19639567
Priority App.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Minesoft – Patbase Priority Relationship Diagramm
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple Patent Family EP 0 832 774
DE Prio
EP
US
JP
DE A1
EP A1
US A
JP A
DE C1
EP B1
1996 2000 1997 1998 1999
Patent Family Timeline
…
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Relecura Priority Map
Application Year
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Questel Orbit Family Graph
Year of event
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple Patent Family EP 0 832 774
DE Prio
EP
US
JP
DE A1
EP A1
US A
JP A
DE C1
EP B1
1996 2000 1997 1998 1999
Patent Family Timeline
…
Dead
or
alive?
Registry
information
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple Patent Family EP 0 832 774
DE Prio
EP
US
JP
DE A1
EP A1
US A
JP A
DE C1
EP B1
1996 2000 1997 1998 1999
Patent Family Timeline
JP ?
Registry
information
Rejected
Lapsed
Ceased
???
…
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Minesoft – Patbase Legal Status Timeline
Event date
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Patent
application
at the UK IPO
UK-Patent
Different routes to patent protection
Patent
application
at the DPMA
DE-Patent
Patent
application
at the USPTO
US-Patent
UK-Patent (EP)
Patent
application
at the INPI
FR-Patent
FR-Patent (EP)
Götting, Schwipps 2004
DE-Patent (EP)
Patent
application
at the EPO
Granted by
DPMA
Granted by
INPI
Granted by
UK IPO
Granted by
USPTO
EP-Patent Granted by
EPO
Validation by applicant
in each of 38 member states
No national documents
are published – in general!
National Regional
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple Patent Family EP 0 832 774
DE Prio
EP
US
JP
DE A1
EP A1
US A
JP A
DE C1
1996 2000 1997 1998 1999
Patent Family Timeline
JP ?
Registry
information
Rejected
Lapsed
Ceased
FR
GB
IT
SE
EP B1
…
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
New STN Family table
Designated states
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple Patent Family EP 0 832 774
DE Prio
EP
US
JP
DE A1
EP A1
US A
JP A
DE C1
1996 2000 1997 1998 1999
Patent Family Timeline
JP ?
Registry
information
Rejected
Lapsed
Ceased
FR
GB
IT
SE
?
?
?
?
EP B1
…
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Patbase Legal Status Timeline
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
SIP – Invention Navigator Family Chart
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Simple Patent Family EP 0 832 774
DE Prio
EP
US
JP
DE A1
EP A1
US A
JP A
DE C1
1996 2000 1997 1998 1999
Patent Family Timeline
JP ?
Registry
information
Rejected
Lapsed
Ceased
FR
GB
IT
SE
EP B1
All d
ead
!
…
Lapsed
Lapsed
Lapsed
Lapsed
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
The applicant‘s viewpoint:
Within 12 months one or
more multinational filings
First filing of an invention = priority filing
Priority
date
18 months
Publication of
applications
Publication of
granted patents Prior Art
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Patent offices‘ viewpoint:
• Simple patent family members can get joint IPC symbols in case
reclassification has to be applied.
• Simple patent family members are automatically assigned
the CPC symbol of the document that is first classified in CPC.
• Worksharing is under development between patent offices to
reduce duplication of search and / or examination work.
PPH – patent posecution highway
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Patent database producers‘ viewpoint:
As long as all patent family members protect the (most likely)
same invention, i.e. have one common priority,
the effort for abstracting and indexing can be reduced to one
member of the family.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Competitive intelligence analyst‘s viewpoint:
• Competitor‘s patent portfolio
– the overall number of patents
– the international scope
• On a family bases
– the value as given by size of family, duration etc.
– the invention as claimed and as finally protected
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Patent statistician‘s viewpoint:
• In general for economic and statistical studies
inventions are counted.
• This is why counting of patent families is preferred over
counting of single patent applications.
Catalina Martinez, Insight into Different Types of Patent Families, 2010
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5kml97dr6ptl-en
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Patent searcher‘s viewpoint:
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
A somewhat tricky simple patent family
and the national patent family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Example
WO 2006/039890
First page
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Patent
application
at the CPO
UK-Patent
Different routes to patent protection
Patent
application
at the EPO
EP-Patent
Patent
application
at the USPTO
US-Patent
Patent
application
at the INPI
FR-Patent
Götting, Schwipps 2004
Granted by
EPO
Granted by
INPI
Granted by
CPO
Granted by
USPTO
International National
PCT
application
at the WIPO
International
search
Passed by WIPO to
140+ member states
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
EPO Espacenet Bibliographic data
www.thefabricator.com
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
EPO Espacenet
INPADOC
Patent family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Relecura Priority Map
?
?
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Additional information in the Espacenet Priority data field
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Relecura Priority Map
National patent family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
National patent family – Definition
Patent family whose members are associated by
coming from the same patent office and not
necessarily sharing priorities.
Background:
Divisional applications, utility models, continuations,
continuations in part or provisionals
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
SIP
Invention
Navigator
Family
Chart
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Divisional application
• contains matter from a previously filed application
(parent application),
• claims a smaller part of the parent invention,
• is filed later than the parent application,
• retains the parent's filing date and priority.
• Reason: Lack of unity of the parent
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Minesoft – Patbase Legal Status Timeline
EPO Registry information: Observations by third parties
Oppositions filed
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
The plasma torch case
A somewhat tricky
simple patent family
DE
WO EP
DE U
DE div
National patent
family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Patent family statistics
An OECD study was published in 2010 with
calculations on the distribution of the different patent
families types in a given sample of about 45.000
patent families:
75 % of this sample were simple families.
Catalina Martinez, Insight into Different Types of Patent Families, 2010
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5kml97dr6ptl-en
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
A complex family, multiple priorities
and phantom family members
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
A complex
patent family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
5 JP-Priorities
EPO Espacenet Bibliographic data
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Background – Unity of invention
A patent application must relate to
• one invention only or to
• a group of inventions linked by a single inventive
concept.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Complex patent family – Definition
Each member of the complex patent family has at
least one priority in common with at least one other
member.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
5 JP-Priorities
A complex patent family
5 JP-Priorities
Simple
patent
family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Relecura Priority Map
5 JP-Priorities
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
EPO Espacenet
INPADOC
Patent family
4 JP Applications
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Questel Orbit Timeline
4 JP Applications
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Phantom family members
Phantom family members are patent applications
that have never been published.
Background:
Provisional applications or withdrawn priority
applications
Edlyn S. Simmons, “Black sheep” in the patent family, World Patent Information 31 (2009) 11-18
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Relecura Priority Map
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
SIP
Invention
Navigator
Family
Chart
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
A/D Converter case
Complex patent family.
JP1 JP2
JP3 EP
JP4
JP5
US
DET Simple
patent
family
National
patent
family
Phantom
family
member
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Extended patent family, INPADOC
and black sheeps
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Example
US 5 402 857
First page Application data
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Espacenet
Bibliographic data
US 5 402 857
Simple patent
family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
EPO Espacenet
INPADOC
Patent family
US 5 402 857
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Extended patent family – Definition
• All the documents of an extended patent family are directly
or indirectly linked via a priority document.
• The patents of an extended family can protect one or
several somehow related inventions.
The INPADOC patent family is a patent family based on this
definition.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
INPADOC Patent family US 5 402 857
US6
US2 US3 US4 US5 US1
US7 US8 US9 US10
US11
CA1
NL1
NO1
GB1
Simple
family 1
Sequence of US Continuations in Part
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
US Continuation in Part C-I-P
• Filed in case the inventor improved or expanded
the original invention
• Contains new matter that was not present in the
parent application
• With an additional priority date for the new
matter that is the filing date of the C-I-P
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
INPADOC Patent family US 5 402 857
US6
US2 US3 US4 US5 US1
US7 US8 US9 US10
US11
CA1
NL1
NO1
GB1
Simple
family 1
Sequence of US Continuations in Part
Sequence of improvements of the first invention
07/14 WissensWert Dr. Gabriele Kirch-Verfuß - 75 -
© by WissensWert Seminare ● Beratung – 2014 – Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Vervielfältigung, Aufführung und Verbreitung nur mit schriftlicher Genehmigung der WissensWert Unternehmensberatung
INPADOC
Patent family
US 5 402 857
in Espacenet
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Black sheep in the patent family
Any patent that disrupts the construction of a patent
family, e.g., with
• Typographical errors
• …
Edlyn S. Simmons, “Black sheep” in the patent family, World Patent Information 31 (2009) 11-18
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
9 10
07/14 WissensWert Dr. Gabriele Kirch-Verfuß - 78 -
© by WissensWert Seminare ● Beratung – 2014 – Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Vervielfältigung, Aufführung und Verbreitung nur mit schriftlicher Genehmigung der WissensWert Unternehmensberatung
INPADOC Patent family US 5 402 857
US6
US2 US3 US4 US5 US1
US7 US8 US9 US10
US11
CA1
NL1
NO1
GB1
Simple
family 1
USX
Split the extended family into simple families
07/14 WissensWert Dr. Gabriele Kirch-Verfuß - 79 -
© by WissensWert Seminare ● Beratung – 2014 – Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Vervielfältigung, Aufführung und Verbreitung nur mit schriftlicher Genehmigung der WissensWert Unternehmensberatung
Espacenet US 5 839 251 – Bibliographic data
4 Simple
patent
family
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© by WissensWert Seminare ● Beratung – 2014 – Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Vervielfältigung, Aufführung und Verbreitung nur mit schriftlicher Genehmigung der WissensWert Unternehmensberatung
INPADOC Patent family US 5 402 857
US6
US2 US3 US4 US5 US1
US7 US8 US9 US10
US11
CA1
NL1
NO1
GB1
Simple
family 1
USX
CA4
EP4
GB4
NO4
AU4
WO4
Simple
family 4
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
1
2
3
4
5
6 7
8
9
10
11
Relecura Priority Map
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
MaxVal 1
2
3 4 6
7
8
9
10
11
5
MaxVal Patent Family Tree
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
SIP Invention
Navigator
Family Chart
1 2
3 4
6
7 8
9 10
11 5
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INPADOC Patent family US 5 402 857
US6
US2 US3 US4 US5 US1
US7 US8 US9 US10
US11
CA1
GB1
NL1
NO1
Simple
family 1
USX
CA4
EP4
GB4
NO4
AU4
WO4
CA6
EP6
GB6
NO6
AU6
WO6
CA8
EP8
NO8
AU8
CA9
CA10
EP10
NO10
AU10
Simple
family 4
Simple
family 6
Simple
family 8
Simple
family 10
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Total Patent Authority Analysis
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Total Patent Authority +
Kind Code Analysis
C2 A B C
T
T3
T2 T8 D1
A1
B1 A1 A4 A2 A3
D0 B A
B2
B1 D0
A
A
A1 C
A B1
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Derwent World Patent Index DWPI Family
The Derwent patent family structure can be described as a
"technical" or "artificial" patent family (WIPO guidelines).
One database record in Derwent WPI represents one
invention and shows all the patent documents which Derwent
has collected relating to that invention.
At Derwent patents are allocated to families on an individual
basis.
No
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Proquest Derwent World Patent Index
1
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
CCD Viewer
Common
Citation
Document
http://ccd.trilateral.net/20111223/
1
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
The patent searcher‘s view
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Patent searcher‘s viewpoint:
• Less effort for keyword collection in different languages by
analysing keywords across family members
• Less effort for collection of appropriate classification
symbols by analysing classes across family members
This works as long as the members of a patent family protect
the same invention.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Patent searcher‘s viewpoint:
Some database providers allow for keyword and / or
classification searching across family members data
Sometimes results might be suprising.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Patent searcher‘s viewpoint:
• One record per patent family in the results list
Less effort for relevance checking
• One member per relevant family for deeper analysis
Best language selection and less effort for reading
This works as long as the members of a patent family protect
the same invention.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
What is all this for?
Patent searcher‘s viewpoint:
• Citation analysis across all family members
• Get deeper insight into the technology
• Quality check when compared with search
results
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
The Lens – Patent family data – Graphical analysis
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
TotalPatent Citation Map
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
If I could make three wishes …
• Do not confuse family trees by non-priority linking
of family members.
• Reduce the amount of „Black sheeps“ for less
falsification of patent families.
• Support splitting of extended families into
simple families.
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Summary
Cabriolet case • Simple patent
family
• European patents
in families
• Legal status
DE Prio
EP
US
JP
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Summary
The plasma torch case
DE
WO EP
DE U
DE div
• Somehow tricky
simple patent
family
• Divisional
application
• National patent
family
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Summary
US6
US2 US3 US4 US5 US1
US7 US8 US9 US10
US11
CA1
NL1
NO1
GB1
Simple
family 1
USX
CA4
EP4
GB4
NO4
AU4
WO4
Simple
family 4
Extended Patent family
Drill cuttings case
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
The worst case
PIUG web page: Global Record Breaking Patents
Category: Most family members
US20030060406 got
5402 family members Source: STN
http://wiki.piug.org/display/PIUG/Global+Record+Breaking+Patents
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Acknowledgements
Stephen Adams
Edlyn S. Simmons
Catalina Martinez
EPO
FIZ Karlsruhe
LexisNexis
Minesoft
Proquest
Questel
Relecura
© 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß © 2014 WissensWert Seminare Dr. Kirch-Verfuß
Thank you for listening!
Contact:
WissensWert Seminare – Beratung
Dr. Gabriele Kirch-Verfuß
T: +49-2361-9040-273
www.wissenswert-wm.de
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