Thomson Scientific Publishes 2008 Patent Focus Report
21 February 2008 - 4:01PM
PR Newswire (US)
Report Examines Recent Developments at Major Patenting Authorities
Worldwide PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC;
TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information solutions to the
worldwide research and business communities, has published its 2008
Patent Focus Report. Authored by Joff Wild, editor of Intellectual
Asset Management magazine, and published in Thomson Scientific's
KnowledgeLink(SM) eNewsletter, this report explores recent
activities at each of the world's major patenting authorities (USA,
Europe, Japan, China and India). The report is available free at
scientific.thomson.com/newsletter. Key findings from Thomson
Scientific's 2008 Patent Focus Report include: -- Patenting
activity: 2007 was a record year with ever increasing numbers of
patent applications. China passed a significant milestone when it
received its four millionth application in December 2007. As well,
the US Patent and Trademark Office examined its highest ever number
of applications: 362,227. While Europe and India's patent offices
saw increases in patent applications, Japan saw a decrease in
activities with patent applications dropping by 4.3%. -- Resources:
With the overall growth in patenting activities, the report
highlights the need for additional resources in most of the world's
patenting authorities. India, as a relative newcomer to patenting,
has been the hardest hit with less than 200 patent examiners
available to manage an ever-increasing flow of applications. --
Changes to legislation and rules: New legislation in China that
enables scientists, institutions and universities to own any
patents resulting from their research is driving a new wave of
patent applications. At the same time, changes in patenting rules
in Europe and the USA have either simplified patenting procedures
through eliminating the need for translations during the
application process (Europe) or have enraged patent attorneys by
allegedly making it harder and more expensive to prosecute patents
effectively (USA). In addition to status reports for the world's
five main patenting offices, the report also examines significant
patent disputes and their outcomes. Published as part of the newly
relaunched, customizable KnowledgeLink eNewsletter, the 2008 Patent
Focus Report draws on the expertise of Thomson Scientific
specialists and guest authors, and delivers unique insight into
trends in information management and cutting-edge research for
information professionals, research scientists and intellectual
property specialists. KnowledgeLink is distributed every two months
to subscribers who can register for free and select their
customized content at scientific.thomson.com/newsletter. "The 2008
Patent Focus Report delivers a winning combination of thought-
provoking editorial content mixed with expert insight from our
information specialists," said Marisa Westcott, VP Marketing,
Thomson Scientific. "Relaunching our KnowledgeLink eNewsletter gave
us the opportunity to spotlight our analyst experts and thought
leaders - the people who drive product development and innovation
at Thomson Scientific." About The Thomson Corporation The Thomson
Corporation (http://www.thomson.com/) is a global leader in
providing essential electronic workflow solutions to business and
professional customers. With operational headquarters in Stamford,
Conn., Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and
applications to professionals in the fields of law, tax,
accounting, financial services, scientific research and healthcare.
The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and
Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). Thomson Scientific
is a business of The Thomson Corporation. Its information solutions
assist professionals at every stage of research and
development-from discovery to analysis to product development and
distribution. Thomson Scientific information solutions can be found
at scientific.thomson.com. DATASOURCE: Thomson Scientific CONTACT:
Eoin Bedford of Thomson Scientific, +44 207 433 4691, Web site:
http://www.scientific.thomson.com/ http://www.thomson.com/
http://thomsonscientific.com/news/newsletter
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