Guide to STN Patent Databases – Basic Version - Paton - TU Ilmenau

28 Monitoring patents
28.1 Introduction
Types of search
By monitoring patents in patent databases it is possible to continuously gain information on intellectual property
rights or progress of technology. In this section the information available in the patent databases with respect to
monitoring patents is presented and various ways to perform current-awareness searches in these databases are
shown.
Current-awareness searches are made to continuously monitor a subject field, company, or inventor for new
patents or published patent applications. One benefit is that new intellectual property rights can be recognised in
good time to take action against infringements, for example by filing an opposition within the opposition period.
Another benefit is that the market can be monitored for example for the development of research priorities or
emerging competition.
Various names are used for patent monitoring:
Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI)
Current Awareness Service (or Control or Information),
Current Alert Services
Profile.
28.2 Types of search
Monitoring a subject field (search by subject):
Search by classification
Search by text
Search by index terms
Checking new patents and utility models in the subject field for possible infringement
Monitoring technological trends
Monitoring companies active in the field (competitors or cooperation partners)
Monitoring intended markets
Monitoring of competitors by name search:
Checking new patents and utility models of competitors for possible infringement
Monitoring the target markets of competitors
Monitoring competition research priorities
Monitoring patent families:
Monitoring patent families for new members (Equivalents)
Monitoring patent procedures for grant, lapse, entry into the national phase, etc.
Monitoring designation countries
Monitoring citations:
Where do our own patents get cited?
Checking for possible infringement
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