- Projected CLE: 15.0 hours
- Price: $2195 or $2590 with Searching Workshop
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Instructors:
Justin Knapp
Matthew Rodgers
Geoffrey Thomas
- Course Times: AUG. 2010: 8:30-11:30; 12:45-4:15 (Mon-Tues); 8:30-11:45 (Wed) Workshop: 1:00-4:00 (Wed). OCT. 2010: 8:30-11:30; 1:30-5:00 (Thurs-Fri); 8:30-11:45 (Sat) Workshop: 1:30-4:30 (Sat)
- Download Syllabus
"I found the presenters to be experts in this field, and they were so knowledgeable and approachable that I was able to absorb quite a bit of information." -- Elizabeth Brown, Microfabrica, Art and Science of Patent Searching October 2009 attendee
Please note that the faculty members listed for this course are subject to change prior to the actual course date.
This course comprehensively teaches how to conduct a professional patent search. It provides direction for determining when a search is needed and what types and sources of information should be searched in the process. Patent searching is both an art and a science. Consequently, search capability improves with practice. But optimum practice requires a solid foundation for those who seek to conduct searches accurately and efficiently. The course teaches when, how, where and why to conduct a search and is appropriate for those who will conduct the search or commission it.
Designed for patent attorneys and agents, inventors, paralegals and research managers, the course and its materials will be understood by anyone from the inexperienced to advanced practitioners.
Unlike workshops that are taught by competing database providers, this global course is not tied to a particular search engine, a database product or a patent information service. Instead, the instructors teach skills that are applicable across databases, both proprietary and public, and without bias toward the features of a particular search engine. Unique among its many features, the course provides a comparison of the major patent search engines and teaches the strengths, weaknesses and benefits of the database providers who provide them.
The curriculum and text were designed and written by twelve practitioners: eight experienced patent information specialists and four former examiners with expertise in both English and foreign language searching. The curriculum reflects the combined expertise of Landon IP, which is one of only two companies selected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to conduct patent searches on its behalf with a view to reducing USPTO examiners' towering examination backlog.
Upon completion of the course, the attendee will have learned:
- How to approach a search in a systematic, methodical and exhaustive way.
- How to properly scope the search before even beginning.
- How to carefully search by classification, text query progression and citations, knowing the benefits and pitfalls of each.
- Both the major differences and subtle nuances in the steps of conducting a patentability, validity or infringement patent search.
- Issues unique to searching within specific technical disciplines.
- Approaches to searching non-English-language patents and published applications.
- Approaches to searching non-patent literature.
- Approaches to reporting search results.
- The differences between the major patent search engines and important considerations in selecting an appropriate search tool.
- Ways to get more high-level information from patent search results.
- The basics of several peripheral topics, including the use of the USPTO search templates, searching for Accelerated Examination, and searching using industry standards.
Optional Patent Searching Workshop
A patent search engine user account is required for this Workshop. Please contact PRG if you have any questions.
This Workshop is an optional add-on to the Art and Science of Patent Searching course. It gives attendees the opportunity to practice hands-on patent searching alongside the course instructors. The faculty will work with the attendees to answer questions and provide guidance as they execute their searches in real time. The Workshop is structured to test each attendee’s retention of the concepts covered in the course as they put their training to use in several sample search projects. Attendees will be provided with multiple sample disclosures, encompassing a wide variety of technologies, on which they will base their search. The informal, lecture-free setting will allow each attendee to work independently, but in close proximity to an instructor. Attendees must bring their own laptop computers and will be provided with wireless Internet access in the classroom. Attendees are also asked to bring their own search engine user accounts so that they will be able to practice using familiar search tools. The instructors will be able to provide assistance with any of the major patent search engines. The attendees will be guided through scoping the search, performing the search and analyzing their results. Answer keys will be provided at the end of the Workshop so that participants may gauge their progress and have a reference to use for additional practice following the class.
Requirements and Prerequisites:
- Completion of the immediately preceding Art and Science of Patent Searching course
- Wireless-enabled laptop computer (Internet Explorer or Firefox web browser, and Microsoft Office package recommended)
- Patent search engine user account (in an attempt to focus on course concepts and high-level searching techniques, publicly available search engines cannot be solely relied upon for the lab portion of this course)
- Unrestricted use of third-party wireless connection (please verify with your IT department that your security settings will allow access to the wireless hub necessary for the course.