Search options available in STN databases - FIZ Karlsruhe

19.5.2 Patent assignee
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Guide to STN Patent Databases
A mixed index with system interpretation is used for Patent Assignees; individual words from the name therefore
appear in one list along with the name ranked as a phrase. Usually a search by single words is assumed. (S)
proximity is used automatically:
=> S PROCTER & GAMBLE/PA
11204 PROCTER/PA
11273 GAMBLE/PA
L2 11170 PROCTER & GAMBLE/PA
((PROCTER(S)GAMBLE)/PA)
If the name is to be searched as a phrase it must be entered with quotation marks:
or
=> S "PROCTER & GAMBLE CO"/PA
L3 11059 "PROCTER & GAMBLE CO"/PA
=> S "PROCTER & GAMBLE"?/PA
L4 11169 "PROCTER & GAMBLE"?/PA
The truncation character ? must immediately precede the slash and not be included in the quotation marks.
If several entries are contained in the name field every name will be treated as one sentence ((S) proximity). Names
in a record are always in alphabetical order (may be different from the Patent Gazette).
The complete name (up to 40 letters) is entered for each Patent Assignee. Until Derwent week 9216, a maximum of
24 letters were used.
Since Derwent week 9216, all Patent Assignees (including those of the Equivalents) are added to the PA field. Prior
to this, the number of the patent assignees was limited to 4. Differing patent assignees of the Equivalents have been
added since 1976 (Derwent-Week 7648). The names of Patent Assignees (/PA) are searchable since 1970 (year of
introduction into the database).
In addition to the name of the Patent Assignee, a code is entered into the database by the database producer (into
the PACO field). (For the years 1963 to 1969, only this code is available.) The code consists of four (three up to 1970)
letters and, where appropriate, a further symbol of identification:-
C for unambiguous codes of major companies (more than 500 documents in the database),
I for individuals acting as assignees,
N for companies which are not part of this group of major companies,
R for institutions of the former Soviet Union and Russia.
The codes are particularly useful as a search tool in the case of the mentioned major companies where they are
unambiguous. The patent assignee code can be searched in the /PA field together with the assignee name or
individually in the /PACO field. If an Equivalent carries a different name (e.g. because of a change of the company
name), the new name is entered in PA and a new code in PACO, where appropriate.
If two companies (having standard codes) merge the patents continue to be entered under both standard codes as
long as the companies apply for patents as independent companies. When they change to their new name Derwent
/ Thomson Scientific do not automatically assign a new standard code but the most suitable code is chosen (either a
new code or one of the old codes). The codes in existing documents are not automatically reassigned
retrospectively.
A list of codes (both standard and non-standard) and respective assignee names is available on-line in the DWPI
database or on the homepage of Derwent / Thomson Scientific (free of charge):
http://scientific.thomson.com/support/patents/dwpiref/reftools/companycodes/lookup/