Here are detailed and structured notes on “Patents as Primary Sources of Information”, tailored for UGC NET, SET, KVS, NVS, PSC and Librarian Exams, and based on authoritative sources (like eGyanKosh, NISCAIR, WIPO, etc.).
Topic: Primary Sources of Information (Print and Electronic) -Patents
Definition of Patents
A patent is a legal document granted by a government authority or agency to an inventor, giving them exclusive rights to make, use, sell, and distribute an invention for a specific period (usually 20 years), in exchange for public disclosure of the invention.
Why Patents Are Primary Sources of Information?
Original Content: Patents contain first-hand technical information about a new invention or process.
Unpublished Elsewhere: Over 80% of information in patents is not published in journals or books.
Technical and Legal Value: Provides technical specifications, diagrams, claims, and inventor data.
Time-sensitive and Indexed: Useful in R&D, competitive intelligence, innovation tracking.
Types of Patents
1. Utility Patents – Inventions or discoveries (e.g., machines, processes).
2. Design Patents – Aesthetic features of an article.
3. Plant Patents – New varieties of plants.
4. Software Patents – Algorithms (in specific jurisdictions).
5. Business Method Patents – Methods of conducting business (limited jurisdictions).
Timeline of Key Patent Information Sources
International Milestones
- 1474 – First patent law in Venice.
- 1624 – Statute of Monopolies (England) formalizes patent system.
- 1883 – Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property signed.
- 1970 – Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) established.
- 1978 – European Patent Office (EPO) created.
- 1998 – WIPO launches PATENTSCOPE.
Indian Milestones
- 1856 – First Indian Patent Act introduced (based on British Act of 1852).
- 1911 – Indian Patents and Designs Act.
- 1970 – The Patents Act, 1970 (still the main framework today).
- 2005 – Amendment to TRIPS compliance (product patents included).
- 2007 – Launch of Indian Patent Advanced Search System (InPASS).
- 2020 – Indian Patent Office digitized all filings.
Important Patent Organizations
Organization Country Role
- WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) International Administers PCT, PATENTSCOPE
- USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) USA Issues US patents
- EPO (European Patent Office) Europe Grants European patents
- IPO (Indian Patent Office) India National patent body
- JPO (Japan Patent Office) Japan National body
- CIPO (Canadian Intellectual Property Office) Canada National body
Components of a Patent Document
1. Title of the Invention
2. Abstract
3. Background and Prior Art
4. Summary of Invention
5. Description (Drawings/Specifications)
6. Claims (What is protected)
7. Inventor and Applicant Details
8. Filing and Publication Date
Major Patent Information Sources & Databases
International
- PATENTSCOPE (WIPO) – https://patentscope.wipo.int
- Espacenet (EPO) – https://worldwide.espacenet.com
- USPTO – https://www.uspto.gov
- Google Patents – https://patents.google.com
India
- InPASS – https://ipindiaservices.gov.in/publicsearch
- IP India – https://ipindia.gov.in
Uses of Patents in LIS and Research
- R&D Intelligence: Analyze innovation trends.
- Competitive Benchmarking: Who is inventing what.
- Technology Transfer: From lab to market.
- Bibliometric Studies: Patent citation analysis.
- Reference Services: Provided by LIS professionals to industries, scholars, scientists.
Key Patent Classification Systems
1. IPC – International Patent Classification (by WIPO)
2. CPC – Cooperative Patent Classification (USPTO + EPO)
3. FI/F-Term – Used in Japan
4. USPC – US Patent Classification (now deprecated)
Patent Search Tools and Techniques
- Boolean Search (AND, OR, NOT)
- Field Search (Inventor, Assignee, Title, Abstract)
- Patent Family Search
- Classification Search (IPC/CPC codes)
Notes on Patents as Primary Information Sources
United Kingdom (UK)
- 1331 – First known royal privilege granted (early form of patent).
- 1449 – First English patent for invention granted to John of Utynam.
- 1623 – Statute of Monopolies: First formal legislative recognition of patent rights.
- 1852 – Patent Law Amendment Act: Centralized administration, introduced publication of specifications.
- 1883 – Consolidation Act: Introduced “exhibition” clauses and novelty rules.
- 1907 – Patents and Designs Act: Unified patent and design laws.
- 1949 – Consolidation of patent laws for post-war innovation.
- 1977 – UK Patent Act aligned with European Patent Convention (EPC) and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
- 2014 – Intellectual Property Act: Updated IP rights including patents, based on Hargreaves Review.
United States of America (USA)
- 1790 – Patent Act of 1790 passed; first U.S. patent granted to Samuel Hopkins.
- 1793 – Simplified act; dropped examination process (restored in 1836).
- 1836 – Major reform: Established U.S. Patent Office, introduced examination system.
- 1870 – Introduced unified patent legislation.
- 1952 – Patent Act of 1952: Still the backbone of modern U.S. patent law, introduced "non-obviousness" concept.
- 1980 – Bayh-Dole Act: Allowed universities to patent government-funded research.
- 2011 – Leahy–Smith America Invents Act: Switched to “first-inventor-to-file” system, aligned more with global practices.
India
British Period (Colonial)
- 1856 – Act VI of 1856: First Indian patent legislation, based on UK Act of 1852.
- 1859 – Act XV: Added novelty, working condition, import exclusion.
- 1872 – Patterns and Designs Protection Act introduced.
- 1883 – Laws extended to apply novelty globally.
- 1888 – More provisions added, including opposition before grant.
- 1911 – Indian Patents & Designs Act, 1911: Consolidated laws, introduced the Controller of Patents.
Post-Independence
- 1949 – Bakshi Tek Chand Committee formed to revise patent laws.
- 1950 – Minor amendment to 1911 Act.
- 1957 – Rajagopala Ayyangar Committee recommended indigenous innovation and process patents for drugs.
- 1970 – Patents Act, 1970 passed, effective from 1972:
- Allowed only process patents for chemicals, food, pharma.
- Introduced compulsory licensing.
- Set patent term as 14 years (7 for food/pharma).
- 1999 – Patent (Amendment) Act introduced mailbox facility under TRIPS.
- 2002 – Second Amendment: Conformed to more TRIPS obligations.
- 2005 – Third Amendment:
- Allowed product patents (esp. pharmaceuticals).
- Introduced Section 3(d) to restrict evergreening.
- 2006 – Patent Rules amended: Filing system improved, timelines reduced.
Other Notable Developments
- WIPO Established (1967) – Coordinates international IP treaties (PCT, Paris Convention).
- TRIPS Agreement (1995) – India joined WTO; began reforms for global IP compliance.
- PCT System (1970) – One application, multiple countries; India joined in 1998.
- e-Filing of Patents in India (from 2007) – Facilitated electronic documentation and digitized specifications.
List of major international patent information sources, including their launch year, organization, and key features. This list is arranged strictly by year of establishment or public release, making it especially useful for UGC NET, SET, and other librarian exams.
International Patent Information Sources
1. Derwent World Patents Index (DWPI)
Launched: 1963
Organization: Derwent Information (now part of Clarivate Analytics)
Type: Commercial patent database
Coverage: 50+ patent-issuing authorities
Features: Value-added patent abstracts, standardized titles, manual coding
Website: https://clarivate.com
2. INPADOC (International Patent Documentation Center)
Launched: 1972
Organization: European Patent Office (EPO)
Type: Global patent family and legal status database
Features: Tracks patent legal status across jurisdictions
Now integrated into: Espacenet
Website: https://www.epo.org
3. European Patent Office (EPO) – Online Access
Launched: 1978 (EPO formed under the EPC)
Database Access Initiated: 1998
Coverage: 40+ countries
Features: Patent search, family tracking, legal status
Website: https://www.epo.org
4. USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database (PatFT & AppFT)
Launched: 2000
Organization: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Coverage: US patents from 1790 onward
Website: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search
5. Espacenet (EPO Worldwide Patent Database)
Launched: 2000
Organization: European Patent Office (EPO)
Coverage: 130+ million documents from 100+ countries
Features: Patent family, legal status, full-text search
Website: https://worldwide.espacenet.com
6. WIPO PATENTSCOPE
Launched: 2005
Organization: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Coverage: All PCT applications + 70+ national/regional offices
Features: Multilingual interface, advanced search
Website: https://patentscope.wipo.int
7. Google Patents
Launched: 2006
Organization: Google
Coverage: USPTO, EPO, WIPO, and more
Features: Simple UI, machine learning-based categorization
Website: https://patents.google.com
8. Lens.org
Launched: 2009
Organization: Cambia (Australia-based non-profit)
Coverage: Global patents + scholarly articles
Features: Integrated patent + scientific literature search
Website: https://www.lens.org
9. Global Dossier
Launched: 2014
Organization: IP5 (USPTO, EPO, JPO, KIPO, SIPO)
Purpose: Unified platform for cross-office patent examination reports
Features: Legal status, file wrappers, translations
Website: https://globaldossier.uspto.gov