What are WPI and INPADOC databases used for in patent examination?

The World Patents Index (WPI) and International Patent Documentation Center (INPADOC) are two key databases used by USPTO examiners for retrieving foreign patent information. According to MPEP 901.07: WPI: Used for searches requiring abstracts, publication dates, patent families, inventor names, or International Patent Classification (IPC) searches. INPADOC: Primarily used for quick searches of publication dates…

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