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Author Archives: mjwhitekingston
Searching the USPC: Proximate Function
For novice patent searchers one of the most difficult concepts in the U.S. Patent Classification system is the idea that inventions can be classified on the basis of “proximate function.” Proximate function is one of four schemes in the USPC … Continue reading
Posted in A.C. Gilbert, Erector Set, proximate function, USPC
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A.C. Gilbert – Inventor of the Erector Set and the "man who saved Christmas"
The other day when I was channel surfing I happened across a movie called The Man Who Saved Christmas, starring Jason Alexander as Alfred C. Gilbert, the inventor of the Erector set, one of the classic American toys of the … Continue reading
Posted in A.C. Gilbert, Erector Set, Toys
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EPO Adds Latin American Patents
The EPO has added patent data from Cost Rica (CR), Peru (PE) and El Salvador (SV) to esp@cenet and some of its other patent data products. In addition, data from Cuba (CU) which had not been updated from 1996, will … Continue reading
Posted in Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Latipat, Peru
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Patented in China: New Report from Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters has published a new report called “Patented in China: the Present and Future State of Innovation in China.” Patent filings from China have been growing faster than any other region in the last few years and if the … Continue reading
Posted in China, economic development, Patent databases
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FreePatentsOnline Increases Personal Portfolios to 10,000 Documents
Individual accounts on FreePatentsOnline now can contain up to 20 portfolios and up to 10,000 patent documents. Users are still limited to exporting bibiliographic data from a maximum of 250 documents at a time. These improvements will be useful for … Continue reading
Posted in FreePatentsOnline, Patent databases
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Snow Bike Hits Slopes
Skiers and snowboarders may see something different on the slopes this winter… Two entrepreneurs from Vancouver Island hope to launch the next winter sports craze with their snow bike, a winter version of a mountain bike. Called the Ktrak, the … Continue reading
Posted in Canada, inventors, Ktrak, Snow Bike
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Betty James, Wife of Slinky Inventor Arnold James , Dies at 90
Betty James, wife of Richard James, the naval engineer who invented the world-famous Slinky spring toy in 1945, has passed away at the age of 90. Her obit is in the New York Times. Mrs. James named the toy ‘Slinky’. … Continue reading
Posted in Arnold James, Betty James, Slinky, Toys
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the States and in a few hours millions of Americans will be sitting down to a traditional turkey dinner. In honour of that noble and self-sacrificing bird, here are a few turkey-related patents. Of course, few … Continue reading
Posted in Thanksgiving, turkeys
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Canada Dry Ginger Ale at 100
A little over one hundred years ago, John James McLaughlin, a Toronto pharmacist, created one of the world’s most famous carbonated beverages, Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale, the “champagne of ginger ales.” McLaughlin started in 1890 manufacturing soda water and … Continue reading
Posted in Canada Dry, John James McLaughlin
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Patents and Biotech – a Broken System? Fixed by Information
A couple of months ago a Montreal-based non-profit IP consulting firm called The Innovation Partnership issued an interesting report calling for changes in the way biotechnology IP is created, disseminated and protected. In recent years there has been much debate … Continue reading
Patent Librarian's Notebook 