Author Archives: mjwhitekingston

Boliven Acquired by CambridgeIP

Posted on April 15, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

Members of the Boliven Network were notified today via e-mail that the service has been acquired by CambridgeIP, a UK-based intellectual property research and strategy consulting firm. Details about the deal will be forthcoming.

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Ghost of Patents Past

Posted on April 9, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

Have you ever noticed old patent numbers printed on new products? I own a pie dough blender that I bought new about 15 years ago. Etched on its blade are three US patent numbers, 1486255, 1645052 and 1724356. A quick … Continue reading →

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Retrospective Kind Codes in Espacenet

Posted on April 1, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

The other day a colleague asked me why an “A” appeared at the end of older US patent numbers in espacenet records. I immediately answered that it’s a document kind code: “A” is used for the first publication, “B” for … Continue reading →

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US Patent Counts, Q1 2010

Posted on March 30, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

The USPTO issued 55,488 patents in Q1, 11.3 percent more than the previous quarter and a 12 percent increase over the same period last year. In fact, this was the largest quarterly total in five years. The number of published … Continue reading →

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Fostering Canadian Innovation

Posted on March 12, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

Today’s Globe and Mail has another op-ed piece arguing that Canada needs to do better at promoting innovation and investing in R&D. (“Innovation is Our Hidden Deficit“) It’s probably true that Canada could do more at home to support innovation … Continue reading →

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Hidden Gems in the USPC: Cross-References & Digests

Posted on March 11, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

I’m not a huge fan of the U.S. Patent Classification System. It’s not intuitive and its documentation can be intimidating. The structure of the USPC is a mish-mash of historical practices and applied theories. Although it’s frequently described as a … Continue reading →

Posted in cross-reference art collections, digests, USPC | Leave a comment

Bird Airbags?

Posted on February 26, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

Last year a large wind farm went up on an island near Kingston, Ontario, where I live. The installation consists of 86 turbines scattered around the island, dozens of which are visible from the city’s waterfront. The decision to build … Continue reading →

Posted in classification, Patent databases, patent searching | 2 Comments

Patent Database Review

Posted on February 23, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

There were a lot of developments in patent information last year. Below are some of the highlights from my favorite public patent databases and related websites. Canadian Patents Database (CIPO) The Canadian Patents Database, which is maintained by the Canadian … Continue reading →

Posted in Patent databases | 7 Comments

Converting CO2 into Fuel?

Posted on February 8, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

Most people believe that the only solution to global climate change is government-imposed regulations to curb the amount of CO2 spewing into the atmosphere. But perhaps there is a market based alternative? Neil Reynolds in the Globe & Mail recently … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

World Intellectual Property Day – 10th Anniversary

Posted on February 8, 2010 by mjwhitekingston

The theme of World Intellectual Property Day, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is “Innovation – Linking the World.” There are many innovations that have brought the world closer together. Here is my top ten list of representative … Continue reading →

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