What are the foreign patent document services provided by STIC?
The Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC) offers several foreign patent document services to assist patent examiners:
- Comprehensive Collection: STIC maintains the most comprehensive collection of foreign patent documents in the United States.
- Online Access: Most current foreign patent documents are available through automated search tools.
- Patent Family Searches: The Foreign Patents Service Center performs online patent family searches for examiners.
- Document Retrieval: Staff can assist with difficult document retrieval searches and supplement online searches with manual searches of foreign patent journals and indexes.
- Translation Services: The Translations Service Center provides oral and written translations of foreign language patents and documents.
MPEP 901.06(a) states, “The Foreign Patents Service Center will process the request on behalf of examiners and deliver the reference upon receipt.” This service ensures that examiners have access to relevant foreign patent documents for their examinations.
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