What services does the Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) provide for patent examiners?
The Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) provides a range of services to support patent examiners in their work. According to MPEP 901.06(a), these services include: Maintaining a collection of scientific and technical literature Offering online searching capabilities Providing document delivery services Assisting with foreign patent searches Supporting examiners with complex search strategies The MPEP…
Read MoreWhat is the purpose of the abstract in an international patent application?
The purpose of the abstract in an international patent application is clearly defined in MPEP 1812, which cites PCT Article 3(3): “The abstract merely serves the purpose of technical information and cannot be taken into account for any other purpose, particularly not for the purpose of interpreting the scope of the protection sought.“ This means…
Read MoreWhat types of technical information are classified in the CPC system?
The CPC system classifies two main types of technical information found in patent documents: Invention Information: This is mandatory to classify and represents an addition to the state of the art. The MPEP defines it as: “Invention information is technical information in the total disclosure of a patent document (for example, description, drawings, claims) that…
Read MoreWhat is the CPC database and how does it handle patent family information?
The CPC (Cooperative Patent Classification) database is a system that maintains technical information about patent family documents. According to MPEP 905.03(a): “The CPC database maintains technical information regarding the patent family documents for each patent document included.” In this database, CPC symbols are associated with patent families rather than individual documents. This means that when…
Read MoreWhat types of information can an examiner require under MPEP 704.10?
What types of information can an examiner require under MPEP 704.10? Under MPEP 704.10, an examiner can require various types of information from an applicant. These include: Technical information known to the applicant concerning the invention Commercial information regarding the invention or its development Prior art that may be material to patentability Factual information about…
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