Research Disclosures Reinstated in DWPI

 

Research Disclosures Reinstated in DWPI - June 2006

We are pleased to announce that we have reinstated coverage of Research Disclosures in Derwent World Patents Index® (DWPISM), starting update 200638.

What’s a Research Disclosure?
A Research Disclosure is a defensive publication that allows individuals/companies to protect an invention as an alternative to patenting. If they decide not to patent an invention on the grounds of cost or other reasons, but still wish to exploit it commercially, they can protect themselves by publishing (disclosing) the invention, as quickly as possible, and so establish prior art with a Research Disclosure.

Research Disclosures play an important part in comprehensive prior art searching, as they help you to evaluate freedom to operate.

Research Disclosures in DWPI
Research Disclosures go through the same editorial process as patents and appear in a similar format in the file. 

Each disclosure becomes an individual DWPI record, with:

  • an Abstract composed from the text in the original document
  • a unique, false “Patent Number” and “Priority Number”
  • relevant IPC codes, DWPI classifications and manual codes
  • “RD” identifier, to distinguish them from patent records

Present Coverage and Backfile
Coverage resumed from update 200638, with Research Disclosures published in May 2006. Research Disclosures are published monthly and ongoing will appear in the file once the editorial process is complete. The missing backfile, from March 2001 to May 2006, will be added to DWPI in stages over the coming months. Once complete, DWPI will have full coverage of Research Disclosures back to October 1978.

 

© Kenneth Mason Publications Limited June 2006
www.researchdisclosure.com