Program

The PIUG is pleased to announce the program (subject to change) at the Plenary Sessions for the PIUG 2018 Annual Conference. When planning your trip to the conference, please keep the following events in mind so that you do not miss out on a valuable opportunity.

PLEASE BE ADVISED that attendees and speakers who are not members of PIUG will not have post-conference access to the conference presentations posted on the PIUG wiki, which is a PIUG member benefit. To enable post-conference access to PIUG conference presentations, and to also save significantly on PIUG conference registration fees, BECOME A MEMBER of PIUG by going to the PIUG Membership page.

Registration

The deadline for Early-bird registration is March 16, after which rates will increase. Register soon. Rates are available by clicking details under the PIUG 2018 Annual Conference on the PIUG Calendar Page.

Conference Program at a Glance

Technical Session - Monday to Wednesday

The PIUG would like to inform all conference attendees that the use of photographic or recording devices of any kind to create recordings of the conference proceedings including the technical program and workshops is strictly prohibited. This includes recordings by the audience for personal use.

Please note that the speakers listed below may change if circumstances arise. Accordingly, please monitor this web page for updated information.

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Conference Abstracts and Biographies

Keynote Address

Joseph Matal, Formerly Performing the Functions and Duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Abstract

The last 30 years have seen an unprecedented increase in the pace of innovation in all fields. The expanding importance of intellectual property to the US economy has led to major changes in the way the USPTO gathers, categorizes, and makes quality available information to its stakeholders. This keynote will address how legislative, legal, international, and technological developments have improved access to patent information.

Biography

In his former role performing the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Joseph Matal provided leadership and oversight to one of the largest intellectual property offices in the world, with over 12,000 employees and an annual budget of over $3 billion. Mr. Matal also served as the principal advisor to the President, through the Secretary of Commerce, on domestic and international intellectual property policy matters.

Prior to this, Mr. Matal served as acting Chief of Staff for the agency, and advised the director on legislative matters. Mr. Matal has also been an Associate Solicitor in the USPTO's Office of Solicitor. In this role, Mr. Matal briefed and argued appeals of patent and trademark decisions before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the US District Court, and assisted in the development of legal positions taken by the US Solicitor General in patent and copyright cases before the US Supreme Court.

Mr. Matal previously served as the General Counsel of the Judiciary Committee for former Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and as a Judiciary Committee Counsel to former Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ). He was the principal staff drafter and negotiator of legislation that became the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, the first comprehensive patent law overhaul since 1952. Mr. Matal has a bachelor's degree from Stanford University, and a law degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

The Way We Were – The Founding and Early Days of PIUG

Edlyn Simmons, Simmons Patent Information Service, LLC

Thirty years ago, 17 industrial patent searchers got together in a hotel conference room, block away from the USPTO public search room, to decide whether we should form a formal network of patent information professionals. By the time we left the room we had a name – Patent Information Users Group – a chair, a secretary, a treasurer, a newsletter editor, a host of committee chairs, and a plan to involve individual patent scientists, as opposed to corporations, in educating one another about patent resources and influencing the development of improved databases and technologies. This paper will discuss ways in which PIUG and patent searching changed and evolved over the years.

Edlyn S. Simmons founded Simmons Patent Information Service, LLC, in 2009 after retiring from her positions as Principal Information Scientist in The Procter & Gamble Co.'s Infolytics group and Manager of the Patent Information Group in the Patent Department of Hoechst Marion Roussel, Inc. She received BS and M. degrees in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati and is a registered U. S. patent agent.

Ms. Simmons is a founding member of PIUG and served as Chair in 1990-1992 and Director-at-Large in 2000-2004 and 2005-10. She has been a member of the American Chemical Society Joint Board-Council Committee on Patents and Related Matters, in 2001-2011 and 2013-present. She received the International Patent Information Award in 2005.

30 Years of Patent Information: Past, Present & Future

Alan Porter, Nils Newman, Search Technology, Inc.

Abstract

"30 Years of Patent Information: Past, Present & Future" warrants examination of trends and patterns in patent data. Those data provide a stage from which to explore future possibilities as well. Stimulated by this perspective, we profile three decades of patent data, using the Patstat database. This serves to address "Who, What, Where, and When?" questions. We show interesting shifts over time in patent concentrations and players.

We zoom in on the most recent full year of data to compare that to the prevailing 30-year tendencies. We focus on "what's different?" and the implications thereof. Drawing on both the 30-year profile and this most recent one, we advance prospects for future directions in patenting behavior. Those have implications for patent searchers, analysts, and decision-makers.

Biographies

Alan Porter is Professor Emeritus and Co-director of the Georgia Tech Program in Science, Technology & Innovation Policy (STIP). He is also Director of R&D for Search Technology, Inc., Norcross, GA (producers of VantagePoint and Thomson Data Analyzer software). He is author or co-author of some 240 articles and books, including Tech Mining (Wiley, 2005) and Forecasting and Management of Technology (Wiley, 2011). Current research draws on National Science Foundation support to investigate technical emergence scoring. Publications available at: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alan_Porter4.

Nils Newman is the President of Search Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. For over two decades, Mr. Newman has worked on the development of analytical tools to assist in the management of technology. His work focuses on the use of bibliographic and patent information in research evaluation, competitive intelligence, and strategic planning. Mr. Newman has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Technology and Science Policy from Georgia Tech. In his spare time, he continues to pursue a PhD in Economics from UNU-MERIT at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands studying the economics of technical change.

I Didn't Know You Had That! – Improving Your Search Results with Lesser Known Data in STN Databases

Scott Hertzog, Applications Specialist, CAS

Abstract

STN is well known as the IP service of choice for professional searchers. But beyond the data you search every day, and the STN tools you routinely use, there are additional data and tools that can help you be more efficient with your searching. We'll show you how to improve your searching by using Digital Object Identifiers, Electronic Publication Dates, Numeric Property Values, Patent Expiration Dates, and precision searching of term fragments within words.

Biography

Scott Hertzog is an Applications Specialist with CAS, supporting users throughout the mid-Atlantic region, as well as strategic accounts throughout North America. After earning a BS in Chemistry, he worked as a patent examiner at the US Patent & Trademark Office, then as a searcher for Science IP, the CAS Search Service, where he performed small molecule structure searching, as well as more general chemical and technical searching. Later, he worked as a searcher for the US Patent & Trademark Office, searching primarily semiconductor patent applications, and then in the IP department of a major manufacturer, performing freedom to operate, validity and invalidity searches.

Additive Manufacturing – The Developing IP Landscape

Kevin J. Hess, PhD, Patent Technics LLC

Abstract

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, is approaching the inflection point for high volume manufacturing. Several printing technologies have been commercialized that are competing for a wide range of materials and end applications, from metal structural components to fitted shoes to food. Patent information can provide insights into the key players and technologies in a field. An IP landscape provides a structure for organizing patent data into a form from which competitive insights can be drawn.

In this presentation, a patent landscape for Additive Manufacturing is developed. An overview of 3D printing technologies is presented and used as the basis for a technical taxonomy to direct the patent search strategy. The data set is augmented with the results of semantic matching against company press releases and product literature. The compiled landscape highlights the key companies and trends in print platforms, materials, and applications. Overlaying assignee business information and derived patent quality metrics can identify the companies that have the IP position and financial means to lead the market.

Biography

Kevin Hess is an intellectual property analyst at Patent Technics, an Austin-based technology consulting firm for the semiconductor, consumer, and automotive systems markets. Prior to establishing Patent Technics, Kevin was engaged as a subject matter expert, supporting patent licensing, litigation and portfolio strategy at semiconductor and investment firms. Kevin's technical background includes R&D and product engineering positions in the semiconductor, chemical, and polymer fields. He has published on patent search strategy, semiconductor design and reliability, and materials formulation, and he is a named inventor on over 60 patents in electronics and materials. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His interests include music and guitar collecting.

Do Mergers Stifle Innovation? – The European Commission's Use of Patent Quality Metrics to Assess the Dow/DuPont Merger

Christopher Baldwin, Senior Consultant, North America, PatentSight

Abstract

The European Commission (EC) recently investigated the potential anti-competitive effects of a Dow/DuPont merger within the crop protection market. The end result was an unprecedented, scalpel-like set of conditions that had to be met before any approval would be entertained. These conditions included such actions like: 1) the divesture of DuPont's herbicide and insecticide divisions, including key products specifically selected by the EC; 2) the divestment of the DuPont R&D division including much of the existing pipeline and; 3) granting to the acquiring entity an exclusive license to sell Picoxystrobin for rice use in the European Union. So, how was the EC able to establish such precision and selectivity? In this presentation, we will discuss the methodology that was adopted by the EC to assess the state of innovation competition within the crop protection market, how they determined where there was potential for innovation stifling, and how the use of patent quality metrics enabled them to craft these remedies with such precision.

Biography

With nearly 20 years of experience in the IP analysis and benchmarking field, as a Senior Consultant with PatentSight, Christopher has helped research intensive organizations maximize their IP potential through sound insight backed by thorough technology and competitive IP assessments. Prior to joining PatentSight, he was a patent analyst for the DuPont Company focusing on maximizing the value of intellectual property generated within Central Research & Development. Many of these activities included: identifying M&A targets, finding open innovation partners, and monetizing the portfolio through licensing, targeted academic donations or asset divestitures. Christopher began his career in patents back in 1999 as a DuPont patent searcher under the direction and mentorship of, one of PIUG's founding members, Pat Dorler. Christopher lives in Newark, DE with his wife Carrie and two children Ryan and Kaytelin.

Defining the Future of Patent Data & Analytics

Daniel Videtto, President, Intellectual Property and Standards, Clarivate Analytics
Bob Stembridge, Marketing Communications Manager, Clarivate Analytics
Paul Torpey, Director of Product Management, Derwent Innovation

Abstract

The history of patent searching traces back to the requirement in patent law that an invention be new - that is, never before publicly disclosed or used anytime, anyplace, anywhere, and advancing ideas and innovation.

That simple concept embodies all the challenges we face today in mining zettabytes of global data to identify the relevant information for our purpose, be that prior art, patentability, freedom to operate/infringement or competitive/technology intelligence. For over sixty years, Derwent has partnered with the patent information community to address these challenges.

This presentation will celebrate the history and development of patent information solutions throughout the market and the role they play in defining the future of patent data &analytics.

Biographies

Daniel Videtto joined Clarivate Analytics in February 2017 as President of the IP and Techstreet businesses. Dan was most recently an Executive Committee Member of Interactive Data (IDC), where he was the Managing Director and President of Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. Prior to that, Dan was a member of the Executive Committee at Information Holdings where he was President of the MicroPatent and Master Data Center businesses.

Dan graduated from California State University - Long Beach with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian Studies and then went on to earn his Master's in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, AZ.

Bob Stembridge is based in London, UK, and is responsible for IP analytics marketing projects and for liaison with customer user groups for Clarivate Analytics. He joined Derwent (one of the founding components of Clarivate Analytics) in 1980 and has held various roles in editorial, marketing, sales and product development over the years. Leaving in 1988 for interludes working as Senior Information Analyst specialising in patent analytics at British Petroleum and European Sales Liaison with Dialog, he returned to Clarivate in 1996. His current responsibilities include authoring specialist reports and white papers based on IP analysis and providing media background and commentary.

Bob graduated from University of Sussex, UK with an Honours degree in Chemistry. He belongs to several professional bodies (ACS, CILIP and PIUG) and serves as Treasurer of CSA Trust and is immediate past-Chair of PATMG. He has spoken at numerous conferences and symposia over many years.

Paul Torpey has been with the Clarivate Analytics business for more than 15 years and has held several roles across the organization. In his current role as Director of Product Management, Paul is directly responsible for managing the product life cycle for Derwent Innovation, including the product roadmap. Prior to joining the Derwent team in 2010, Paul spent a significant amount of time in the Scientific and Academic Research business of Clarivate Analytics supporting platforms such as the Web of Science.

In his spare time Paul is involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and is the team captain for the Clarivate Analytics Philadelphia cycling team that participates in fund raising activities for MS research and patient care.

Reflections on Legal Patent Search Types – Looking Back Nearly 30 Years

Lucy Teixera Antunes, DuPont Nutrition and Health

Abstract

The author started her career in patent searching in 1989. In this paper she will reflect on some of the things that she has learned during her career doing patent information research for patentability, invalidity and freedom to operate studies. These reflections will include technical comments comparing the search types (e.g. how to select references for patentability vs. FTO, date and geography issues, etc.), about claim language, tips for search strategy development and for reporting results. They will also include reflections about soft skills such as courageous communication, pushing back on attorneys, the importance of creativity, as well as more general comments and recommendations about the life of a searcher.

Biography

Lucy Teixeira Antunes (formerly Lucy Akers) is a US Patent Agent with over 28 years of experience in the patent information field. She has formerly held patent information positions at Shell and ExxonMobil, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and is currently a patent analyst with DuPont. From 2000-2004, Ms. Antunes was Chair of the Patent Information Users Group, whose membership grew over 20% during her term. Her leadership and work with the PIUG and connections with other professional organizations, such as with the Patent and Trademark Group in the UK, and with WON in the Netherlands, makes her a recognized international figure in the patent information world, particularly for her active role in patent information development, training and education. She is currently the Chair of the Selection Board for the International Patent Information Award and helps to organize the International Patent Information Conference and Exposition (IPI-ConfEx). Lucy holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts and a MS in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University.

Exemplified Compounds Table Display Linked to Citing Publications

Maddy Marley, GlaxoSmithKline

Abstract

Exemplified compounds resulting from a substructure search are key to making filings based on novelty and inventive step. Conversations with our attorney clients revealed that they prefer to see a table of structures with hyperlinks to references, rather than a list of references with the structures beneath them. To provide this structure-led display we have had to rely on internal macros written many years ago, to reorganize the output from Chemical Abstracts, but the macros are not supported by GSK lT and often crash with large volumes of data. Analytical table tools in third party software have not been able to provide a solution either. We use BizInt Smart Charts for Patents to deliver reports, but it did not have the capability to include hit structures and was reference rather than structure oriented. We have now further collaborated with BizInt to develop a method enabling us to present our structures in an easy to read tabular format hyperlinked to their references. These tables are now used in our search reports for the chemistry attorneys, giving a succinct view of the compounds exemplified within a publication (patent and literature) to facilitate decision making.

Biography

I am a Senior Information Scientist in Global Patents. I support the pharma and consumer patent attorneys, providing database searching expertise to support decisions on patent filings, freedom to operate determination, patent litigation/opposition. I take part in external activities to gain insights into the strategic plans of our main vendors, and to seek out new information and software providers for our industry. My skills and expertise lie in the areas of structure and formulation searching, as well as key word searching in areas related to chemistry and pharmacology. I graduated with a degree in Medicinal and Pharmaceutical chemistry and have had over 25 years’ experience in the Information industry.

Chemical Searching Made Possible by Automated Chemical Structure Extraction

Daniel Lowe, Senior Software Developer, Minesoft

Abstract

In the field of chemistry, the chemical structure is the lingua franca. As a result, prior art searching must tackle the fact that a chemical structure can be expressed in a myriad of forms e.g. names, line formulas, chemical sketches, or even combinations of sketches with text.

We have chosen to tackle these issues using automated approaches that can scale to handle the vast quantity of patents that are being published. This allows patents to be indexed within hours of publication, as well as putting no limits on the number of chemicals that can be indexed from a patent.

In this talk, Daniel Lowe will cover the ways in which Minesoft has tackled the issues of extracting different representations of chemical structures, including, how we capture molecules expressed as R-group tables, tackling OCR errors and recognising chemical names in non-Latin languages.

Biography

Daniel Lowe worked with Minesoft previously in the development of Chemical Explorer and TextMine. Daniel has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge, his previous work was focused on the extraction of information from scientific literature, including chemical properties, chemical-disease relationships and chemical reactions. This led Daniel to discover an interest in patent literature as a vast source of unencumbered scientific data.

Daniel joined Minesoft as a Senior Software Developer in 2017. In his role, he maintains and continues to enhance Chemical Explorer and TextMine, as well as working on the development of other Minesoft solutions.

Panel Discussion on Partnerships and Patent Offices (PPO) Collaboration

Moderators - Cynthia Barcelon Yang, PPO Committee Chair, Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Elliott Linder, Panel Co-Moderator, PIUG Immediate Past Chair

Participants

Stephen Adams, PPO Co-Chair
Sandrine Ammann, WIPO
Sujin Jess Choi, KIPI
Jessica Patterson, USPTO
Heiko Wongel, EPO
Linus Wretblad, CEO Uppdragshuset
Zheng Wu, PIUG China subchapter Lead, PIUG-China Patent Annual Conference Asia Planning Co-Chair

Abstract

An overview of the PIUG Partnerships and Patent Offices (PPO) Committee will be presented, including its long-term goals. Specifically, PIUG's long-standing partnerships with the major patent offices (USPTO, EPO, WIPO) will be shared, including recent collaborations and activities with Asian patenting authorities/affiliates, such as, Intellectual Property Publishing House (IPPH)/China Patent Annual Conference (CPAC), Korean Institute of Patent Information (KIPI)/PATINEX, and JAPIO/Patent Information Fair and Conference.

The panel will include delegates from partner organizations who will share their insights regarding what value they see from interacting with PIUG, and the mutual benefits that have been derived or are expected to be derived from these partnerships and collaborations for the parties involved, as well as benefits for the patent information community at large. It is also expected that delegates will share their recommendations on ways to strengthen relationships between PIUG and partner organizations.

Biographies

Cynthia Barcelon Yang, Panel Moderator, PPO Committee Co-Chair, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Cynthia S. Barcelon Yang is Director of the Scientific Information & Patent Analysis Group within the Intellectual Property/Law Dept. at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), leading the team in providing legally significant and value-add analysis of the scientific and patent literature, across R&D, Law Dept, and Business Development. Cynthia has been actively involved in PIUG as past PIUG Chair (2009-2010), Immediate Past Chair (2011-2012) and Director-at-Large (2012-2016). She is currently the Co-Chair of PIUG Partnerships and Patent Offices Committee. Cynthia has been an invited speaker in past events organized by the US Patent & Trademarks Office (USPTO) and World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO).

Elliott Linder, Panel Co-Moderator, PIUG Immediate Past Chair

Elliott has spent nearly his entire career working with sci-tech NPL and patent information. Positions have included: Indexing Manager at the American Petroleum Institute's Central Abstracting &Information Services; Senior Information Specialist, on contract to NASA's Scientific and Technical Information Program; Senior Product Manager at Chadwyck-Healy, a British humanities publisher; Senior Information Specialist, on contract to the USPTO's Search and Information Resources Administration; and, most recently, Sales Manager and Marketing Director at Questel, from which he retired in 2010 after eight years on the job.

Stephen Adams, PPO Co-Chair (see biography)

Sandrine Ammann, Marketing &Communications Officer, WIPO

Sandrine Ammann is the Marketing &Communications Officer for the global databases: PATENTSCOPE, the Global Brand Database and the Global Design Database at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland. After earning a degree in translation, Sandrine worked as a PCT abstract translator, then she took care of the translation outsourcing budget. Later she joined the Global Infrastructure Sector as Marketing &Communications Officer in charge of the promotion of the global database.

Sujin Jess Choi, Project Planning Specialist, KIPI

Sujin Jess Choi is a Project Planning Specialist for the International Business Team at the Korea Institute of Patent Information (KIPI), a non-profit subsidiary of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Since joining the organization in 2012, she has been responsible for organizing PATINEX (PATent INformation EXpo), Korea's largest annual patent information exhibition &conference, as well as for facilitating cooperative alliances with major patent offices and organizations such as EPO, PIUG, and IPPH. She holds a BS in Hotel Administration, with a specialty in meetings and events management, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is a certified Convention Planner.

Jessica Patterson, USPTO

Jessica Patterson is Director of International Outreach and Administration in the Office of International Patent Cooperation (OIPC) and oversees the implementation of key initiatives and outreach in support of the organization.

Ms. Patterson oversees and directs OIPC's outreach program and directs analytical functions and program management for the numerous international programs under the purview of OIPC, including Global Dossier and Access to Prior Art. She coordinates OIPC's IP5 activities and efforts, including leading USPTO's efforts in the Global Dossier Task Force, which is comprised of the IP5 Offices, WIPO, and the IP5 Industry. She leads OIPC's stakeholder engagement efforts, ensuring the organization establishes and builds relationships and coalitions with all stakeholders.

Ms. Patterson began working at the USPTO in 2006 and has served in many leadership roles throughout her career. She has been involved with the Global Dossier project since 2012. In 2014, Ms. Patterson also served as President of the USPTO's Asian Pacific American Network, a voluntary employee organization comprised of more than 800 members.

Ms. Patterson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government & Politics and Criminal Justice & Criminology from the University of Maryland, and a Master's in Public Policy, with a focus on International Governance, from George Mason University.

Heiko Wongel, EPO (see biography)

Linus Wretblad, CEPIUG

Linus Wretblad is the CEO and co-founder of Uppdragshuset. Linus has a Master of Science degree from the Technical Physics and Electrical Engineering, Linköping University, Sweden and holds a French DEA degree in microelectronics and computer systems. He also studied MBA on Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Stockholm. Linus 20 years of experience of innovation processes and IPR with a focus on prior art searches and analysis, starting as an examiner at the Swedish Patent office. Since 2008 he is on the steering committee of the Swedish IP Information Group (SIPIG) and was during 2012-2017 in the board of the Confederacy of European Patent Information User Groups (CEPIUG), and the chair during 2014-2017. Linus is also one of the coordinators in the ongoing certification program for information professionals. Recently he is also involved in a EUROSTAR research project on the use of automated search approaches.

Zheng Wu, VP, Zhejiang Intellectual Property Exchange Center

John (Zheng) started at Beijing East Linden Sci & Tech Co. Ltd to design patent database and managing Chinese patent data processing for CAS contract in 2004. And in 2005 Dec, he joined Thomson Scientific to promote patent information in China such as patent searching, landscape, competitive intelligence etc. In 2008, working with Mrs. Lixing Nie from Dow Chemical China and Mrs. Liang SUN from P&G China, he started PIUG China Chapter in China. In 2014, he joined Beijing Iptalent Consulting Co. Ltd to lead patent search services team. In 2017, he joined Zhejiang Intellectual Property Exchange Center to promote technology transfer from university to corporate.

Intelligent Presentation of Sequence Search Results

Stephen Allen, Senior Product Manager, GQ Life Sciences

Abstract

Presenting search results in an easy to understand format is almost as important as searching. By their nature, sequence search results are especially challenging to report. They contain data in many different formats from multiple sources, potentially pulled from different downloaded files, a mixture of numeric and text, and possibly even a large number of different fields. There can be duplicate records, or the same result related to multiple query sequences, each with a different significance. There are potentially hundreds to thousands of reportable results.

This talk will focus on different ways to organize results and potentially combine differing data formats through the use of various tricks and tips, including combining sequences with related analysis data, simultaneously viewing results for multiple query sequences, organizing by family, and potentially linking out to other data sources via Excel formulas.

Biography

Steve Allen joined GQ Life Sciences in September of 2017, he is the Solutions Consultant for GenomeQuest & LifeQuest. Steve previously worked at Dupont and his background includes work in a patent group and work as a computational biologist in an agricultural discovery group. Steve has been working with sequence data of one form or another for over 20 years.

Computer-Assisted Deep Analysis of Chemical Patents at Document Level

Árpád Figyelmesi, ChemAxon

Abstract

A precise understanding of the chemical coverage of complex Markush claims is critical in FTO analysis, patent drafting and many other use-cases. Creating a claim that covers all of the desired structures without any overlap with prior art documents - is a challenging task and a huge responsibility. In the case of FTO, it can be difficult to determine if a large set of structures is covered when you have complex Markush claims over multiple pages. There are many well-known examples where patent attorneys failed with these tasks resulting in very expensive mistakes. Document level computer-assisted analysis of chemical patents simplifies such challenges; it helps individuals double-check their work, and automatically draws attention to any problematic parts to prevent mistakes.

Biography

Árpád Figyelmesi received his MSc degree in Chemical Engineer from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He completed his postgraduate diploma in IT Management from Corvinus University of Budapest. After years of industrial experience, he joined the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office as a patent examiner, and later as a business analyst. Since 2013, he has been with the ChemAxon team, leading the development of Markush technology and patent information related solutions.

Aim for the Goal of Intellectual Property Information Professional with Artificial Intelligence

Ben Kiriyama

Abstract

This talk will provide a list of the TOP10 events or articles which impressed the author in the past year on AI and a description of what an enhanced & augmented IP Information scientist (EAIPIS) is, including proposing the 5 levels of EAIPS. Self-learning of Python as a basic knowledge is also proposed. The talk also mentions case studies of Question 2 of Japanese GrandPrix2016 (Chemistry and Medicine field) by API systems with AI and that binary classification is necessary to be examined in next steps. Finally conclusions are presented including that our required knowledge & skills may be inevitably increasing exponentially in the next 3-5 years. Previous preparation will be recommended but our knowledge & skills will continue to depend upon basic classical thinking of Boolean search, patent map analysis and so on even in near future.

Biography

In March 1973, the author obtained his degree from Doctor of Organic Chemistry at Nagoya University Graduate School of Engineering. He joined Teijin in April 1973 and engaged in technology development and R&D until April 1994. He worked at Teijin Intellectual Property Center from May 1994 to February 2006. He retired at the age of 60, but until February 2009 he worked at Teijin Intellectual Property Center as a senior employee.

He has become an IP Research Fellow of Japio Patent Information Laboratory from March 2018 after he had been a guest researcher from April 2006 to February 2018. He has also been Chair of PDG of INFOSTA, Japan from April 2004 to the present. He has also been a schoolmaster of Patent Information Map Analysis school held by Raytec Ltd., from 2006 to present. He has also been an adviser of HAYABUSA(falcon) International P.O. from April 2013 to the present.

What You Don't Know has Already Hurt You – Digging into Neglected Corners of IP Rights Information

Stephen Adams, Magister Ltd.

Abstract

PIUG has existed for 30 years, promoting the profession of the patent searcher and, latterly, patent analyst. The P in our name refers to Patents, but increasingly we need to consider a wider range of IP rights in order to carry out a comprehensive job. Today's search requests (at least, those from the corporate environment) tend to be much more focussed on FTO-type enquiries than on patentability, and so searchers need to maintain a broader perspective on the entire portfolio of IP right protecting a given product line. In addition, the boundaries between different IP rights are becoming blurred, and prior art can be found in the most unexpected places. This talk will discuss the challenges which the "patent searcher" will face as Industry 4.0 impacts global manufacturing practices.

Biography

Stephen Adams is the managing director of Magister Ltd., a UK-based consultancy specialising in patents information founded in 1997. Mr. Adams holds a BSc in chemistry from the University of Bristol and an MSc in Information Science from City University, London, and is a Member of both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). He is the author of two editions of "Information Sources in Patents", published by Walter de Gruyter KG, and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Elsevier journal "World Patent Information". He received the IPI Award in 2012 for outstanding contribution to patent information. He is the current Vice-Chair of PIUG Inc., the International Society for Patent Information.

Resuscitating the Elusive Patent Description

Kristine Atkinson, PhD, A/A Patent Investigations

Abstract

We've been operating as patent information users for over 30 years, a miraculous ride. Can anything be more important in the patent world than the second of the 5 W's, What? The patent description is paramount, in that you can only have one What. And to a searcher, "I'll know it when I see it" may be too late.

The clarity of what an invention is has been under assault: in the face of obscuring, alternative or ambiguous language, we often resort to the Duck Test, Elephant Test or Zebra Test. This is an exploration of the legal ramifications of the patent description, and how they relate to patentability, the seduction and mutability of words, and psychological closure and assumption. We will use examples of PTAB decisions, seminal invention specifications, operational quirks of modern search contrivances such as Alexa and Google Home, and the subtle practice of novation. Considerations for quality control in the face of daunting data complexity argue for the human function in rising above automated processes.

Biography

Kristine Atkinson holds a doctorate in genetics, master's degree in cell biology, and an undergraduate degree in foreign languages and linguistics. She has written and presented analyses of nonpatent literature, lossy data compression, sequence analysis and inclusive patent search paradigms. As principal of A/A Patent Investigations she presently specializes in patent case advisement and training for biotech and medical device initiatives. Dr. Atkinson has supervised laboratories in electron microscopy, flow cytometry, immunology and protein purification, and has been a professor of legal writing, physiology, immunology, parasitology, tissue culture and communicable disease. She has worked in public and private sectors, and is a USPTO-registered patent agent. She has co-chaired PIUG's training and education committee, was an instructor in patent informatics for WIPO, and is presently on the PIUG membership committee.

State of the Art in Patent Search – a Technologist's Perspective

Mihai Lupu, PhD, Studio Director, Research Studios Austria, Data Science Studio

Abstract

Search Technology has changed considerably over the decades, and the last few years clearly show a renewed enthusiasm for everything under the generic label "Artificial Intelligence". Experience tells us that previous periods of enthusiasm for AI have existed before (in the late 1950s, early 1980s, mid 2010s) separated by "AI Winters". Thus the question arises: are we now doomed to disappointment, most notably in a complex domain such as intellectual property?

Disappointment is part technology failure and part unrealistic expectations. In my talk, I will discuss what the technology today can do and how it should be objectively assessed in order to manage expectations. In terms of technology, I separate my discussion on three areas: 1. What to search on, 2. What to search for, and 3. How to search – all strictly presented from a technology perspective. In terms of evaluation, I will show how we have implemented this is a scalable and reproducible manner in one of our recent applied research projects, SelfOptimizer, a collaboration between TU Wien and Uppdragshuset.

Finally, I conclude with a couple of future directions that are visible today in the academic and technology landscape, and let the audience ponder on how these might affect the patent information usage tomorrow or ten years from now.

Biography

Mihai Lupu is a computer scientist with a background in Search Technologies, who has been working in the patent domain since finishing his PhD studies in 2008. Currently, he is associate editor of World Patent Information, and Studio Director for the Data Science Studio at Research Studios Austria. He has been previously a Post-doctoral researcher at TU Wien, where he worked on semantic search technology and the means to objectively quantify improvements in this area. As such, he was an invited speaker at EPO's Patent Information Conference in 2016 and at the International Conference on Search, Data, Text Mining and Visualization in 2017. Mihai Lupu has over 100 publications, of which 2 editions of the Current Challenges in Patent Information Retrieval book and the Patent Retrieval book, and has been co-organizing patent-related evaluation campaigns at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US, and at the Conference and Labs of the Evaluation Forum (CLEF) in Europe.

Uniting Patent Data Sources with BigQuery

Janice Stevenson, IFI CLAIMS Patent Service

Abstract

In this presentation, we'll combine multiple sources of data to shed light on patents concerning VEGF, a kinase inhibitor that promotes the growth of new blood vessels. Using Google BigQuery as the conduit, we'll start with the large collection of public patent data provided by Google, connect that to IFI data enrichments to identify patent family information, and then link chemistry and legal information. Our exploration will illustrate how details about patents may enhance the understanding of a topic for a wide range of colleagues from R&D to the general counsel's office.

Biography

Janice Stevenson applies her vast client support experience to providing IFI clients the foundation they need to bring their applications to full fruition. She draws on past experience as a trainer, sales manager, and developer focused on intellectual property and patent applications.

"Scour the Earth" Invalidity Searching: When Deep Dive Searching is Appropriate and Strategies to Support It

Matthew Benavides, CPA Global

Abstract

A "Scour the Earth" invalidity search is a global prior art search conducted over every available patenting jurisdiction in multiple languages, and incorporates a heavy emphasis on non-traditional resources, seeking to find hidden gems in collections that would not have been consulted during a typical prior art search. It is essential for any invalidity search to have a global scope, so a "Scour the Earth" search is conducted in multiple languages using skilled native language searchers, rather than relying on machine translated patent collections. This type of search employs multiple approaches and database tools for both patent and non-patent literature, with the goal of leveraging all known search techniques, including bibliographic search strategies, classification and citation searching, classical (Boolean/proximity) keyword search strategies, and semantic search technology, over the widest possible data collection.

Biography

Matthew Benavides, is a Senior Customer Success Manager at CPA Global. He received his JD and LLM, in Intellectual Property Law, from the Thomas Cooley Law School, and a BS in Cellular Biology/Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Mr. Benavides is a registered patent attorney and is currently an adjunct professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School where he teaches "Patent Research and Analytics". Areas of expertise: extensive patent research and analytics experience in Medical Device/Mechanical, Life Science, and Chemical areas.

Exploring New Business Fields from the Core Technology by "Stepwise Conception" Method

Izumi Tsuzuki, PhD, HIT Institute

Abstract

As future business development is very important for the sustainable growth of companies, many methodologies have been proposed. At the 3i study group, we have developed a new methodology named "Stepwise Conception" which can explore new business fields from the core technology by expanding the exploratory scope based on the co-occurrence of words in the same sources. In our case study for an existing company "K", whose core technology is microlens manufacturing, a large variety of potential new business opportunities were discovered by using patents, academic papers, newspapers, social media and website information. I will discuss the method and results of the Stepwise Conception and compare with conventional methods.

Biography

Izumi Tsuzuki worked for Maruzen for more than 10 years as an instructor of Dialog Information System and patent databases. After leaving that company, she joined a private patent office in Osaka. After some years, she joined KMK Digitex and G-Search, which provided information systems as Dialog agencies. From April 2005 to March 2014, she was an associate professor in the Graduate School of Intellectual Property at the Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT) in Japan. Until March 2015, she was one of the vice chairpersons of the Patent Search Grand Prix (PSGp) organized by IPCC in cooperation with OIT and JAPIO. She established HIT Service Institute in April 2015, and has continued working in the field of patent information, especially education and patent information analysis. She received the Patent Agency Director Award for Patent Information Dissemination Activity Achievement in 2015. She holds a PhD in physical chemistry from Kyoto University in Japan.

Panel Discussion with Independent Patent Research Professionals:
Lessons From Outside the Box

Moderator - Cathy Chiba, Dauratus Research Inc.

Participants

Andrea Davis, Managing Director, Bodkin IP LLC
Yateen Pargaonkar, Managing Partner, Riser IP, LLC
Tom Wolff, Principal, Wolff Information Consulting LLC

Abstract

What lessons do we learn when patent researchers step outside the confines of corporate or organizational employment? Does the experience of setting up an independent practice tell us anything about the current prospects for patent researchers, or the future of patent information work?

No matter what our organizational contexts, there may be strategies we can all use to help us thrive as professionals, even in times of uncertainty and change.

Like a number of active PIUG members, all are patent research specialists who have founded their own firms. All have also worked as part of larger organizations. Andrea and Yateen are both experienced patent professionals with recent histories in corporate environments, while Tom brings his many years as an independent consultant. Tom is also an active member of both PIUG and AIIP (the Association of Independent Information Professionals). How do their insights, observations, and strategies for surviving and thriving compare? Are there common challenges? Emerging issues?

Whether you run your own business or work within a larger entity, we hope you will join us for the conversation. What are your questions, observations, and insights?

Biographies

Cathy Chiba, Dauratus Research Inc.

Cathy Chiba's first real exposure to patent literature came in a history course, while doing a study of innovation in musical instrument design.

She spent the next few years blowing things up for a living. She did, however, eventually return to patent research after her MLIS - first as a technical librarian for Ballard Power Systems (fuel cells), and then as the patent research specialist for Creo Products (graphic imaging software and hardware). After Kodak acquired Creo, Cathy stayed on, helping with data transfer, research platform assessment, and patent research while discovering life as part of a large corporate entity. In 2010, she dubbed herself Chief Research Geek of Dauratus Research and began life as an independent researcher. She is a member of both PIUG and AIIP (the Association of Independent Information Professionals) and has been an active volunteer in both.

With fellow professionals, Cathy focuses on helping experts communicate their value outside their fields, so that they can devote more time and energy to the work of making a difference.

Cathy writes, thinks, and creates performances about communication, productivity, and value. She is also one of the founding organizers of the < Patent Olympiad, http://patentolympiad.org, an international competition to celebrate the people who understand the joy of patent research.

Andrea Davis, Bodkin IP LLC

Andrea is an accomplished intellectual property professional with expertise in medical devices and the mechanical sector. Extensive experience both in-house and at outside firms has shaped an understanding of patent process requirements and the need for high quality patent searching. Andrea is passionate about the science of patent searching and maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of tools that increase efficiency. Co-founder of an olympic style international event for patent searchers, the Patent Olympiad. Participating in the creation of a certification for patent information professionals and involved in PIUG, the Patent Information Users Group.

Yateen Pargaonkar, Managing Partner, Riser IP, LLC (see biography)

Tom Wolff, Wolff Information Consulting LLC

Tom Wolff is a Patent Information Specialist with 26 years experience providing R&D, legal, and marketing departments and law firms with expert consultation and search services, including on-demand and ongoing technical information reports and patentability, invalidity, and freedom-to-operate searches in the chemical arts. Tom formed Wolff Information Consulting LLC in 2006 following a career at Amoco Chemical Co., BP, and Innovene Chemical Co. Tom graduated from MIT with a BS in Chemistry and with a PhD in Chemistry from Stanford University. He has two US patents and is a registered as a patent agent with the USPTO.

Patentscope: A Use Case Scenario

William Keyser, WIPO

Abstract

Finding all patents relating to a given topic or a given field is not an easy task, especially if you a looking for documents in different languages. A single word might have several translations in a given language; which one will you use? And what about the result itself? How can you tell if the first ten documents returned are actually what you are looking for if they are in Japanese or French?

PATENTSCOPE search engine has some nice features to help you in these situations. This presentation will guide you through the steps you need to take to perform a multi-lingual search using PATENTSCOPE.

Join us to see the latest features in PATENTSCOPE and how it can help you find what you are looking for!

Biography

William Keyser is a Java and Web developer at WIPO in the Global Databases unit of the Patent Database section. He’s been working on PATENTSCOPE for nearly 2 years now. William has been working with Java technologies for more than 15 years as developer, consultant and teacher. William is a Computer Science Engineer and graduated from EPFL, Switzerland.

AI meets IP: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning to improve IP Discovery and Monitoring

Joy L. Bryant Joy L. Bryant, PC, and Sven Brueckner, PhD, Convergent AI

Abstract

Patent Search is still rooted in a search and filter approach that is based on the searcher iteratively excluding results. Its limitations include dependency on searchers lexicon knowledge, adaptability to changes in terminology and inability to find adjacent areas of invention. AI and Machine Learning can be brought to bear on these challenges using a system that learns from the IP Professional though simple interactions to augment and improve their search. This presentation will explore how AI can learn from the IP Professional in order to enhance the patent search process.

Biographies

Joy L. Bryant is registered to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as an attorney and is licensed to practice law in Virginia and Washington, DC. She holds a BS degree in Chemistry from Valparaiso University; an MS degree in Polymer Science from the University of Akron; an MA degree in Applied Science - Patent Practice and a JD both from the College of William and Mary. Ms. Bryant has been practicing patent law since 1991 and started her own patent practice in 1995, providing representation before the USPTO Ms. Bryant's practice remains open and is limited to existing clients only.

In 1996, Ms. Bryant founded the National Association of Patent Practitioners (NAPP), a nonprofit professional organization for patent agents and patent attorneys, where she served as the Executive Director and on the Board of Directors from its founding in 1996 until 2006. Ms. Bryant is also an entrepreneur; starting a specialty food business in 2009 and sold in 2017. Ms. Bryant now runs a consulting business working with start-ups and entrepreneurs.

Dr. Sven Brueckner is the CTO of ConvergentAI. Dr. Brueckner has over 20 years of experience in multi-agent systems research. Prior to joining Convergent, Dr Brueckner managed research efforts for more than a decade in the Agent-Based and Complex Systems research group at Jacobs Technology, Inc. Other prior work includes research on information retrieval in massive dynamic data sets (IARPA CASE, ODNI C3E), opinion dynamics in groups of analysts (IARPA CiceroSeed), and crowd-sourcing of forecasts (IARPA ACE). Dr. Brueckner has authored over twenty papers on agent-based and complex systems' theory and application and has several patents on the subject.

Emerging IP and Litigation for IoT Technologies

Kenie Ho, Partner, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) pulls together thousands of devices to deliver futuristic solutions. From wearables, to smart cities, to smart environments, IoT spans the entire globe and the possibilities to create innovative applications are endless. But such a massively distributed network raises many IP issues, opening a company to legal disputes if it haphazardly operates in this space. As the IoT market develops, competitors will look towards their patent portfolios to keep others out of their sector. Join us to hear some of the emerging patent and IP issues for IoT technology.

Biography

Kenie Ho is a partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP and is the chair of the law firm's Internet of Things (IoT) legal group. He has litigated more than 60 patents in US district courts and at the US International Trade Commission (ITC), primarily focusing on electrical, software, and consumer electronics technology. In addition to enforcing and defending against patent infringement lawsuits, he helps startups and large companies strategically develop and prosecute their intellectual property (IP) portfolios. When not practicing law, he teaches advanced IP law and policy in the United States, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. He was an adjunct professor of law at the Howard University School of Law from 2012 to 2017. He is also a member of the Patent Information Users Group (PIUG), which is a non-profit organization promoting the strategic and practical use of patent information.

From the Early Days of Patent Searching to a New Espacenet and Future Tools

Heiko Wongel, European Patent Office

Abstract

In the early days, on-line patent searching used to be an expensive exercise and was often limited to just a few technical fields. The creation of esp@cenet (now Espacenet) by the EPO in 1998 was a remarkable milestone in making patent information available to everybody free of charge. Several other suppliers followed, leading to today's "democratisation" of patent information. While search techniques and data availability have developed a lot in the last decades, many patent search tools still look like they used to in those early days. The EPO will take a big step in modernising the way we search for patents with a completely revamped Espacenet. But how will new technology change our profession in the near future? Will semantic searching, AI and other trends lead to another revolution in the way we search? While it is not possible to give concrete answers to these questions today, this talk tries to extrapolate from the history of patent searching to what we might experience in the years to come.

Biography

Heiko Wongel is the director of the Patent Information Promotion directorate of the EPO.

He holds a physics degree from the University of Hamburg. He started at the EPO (The Hague) in 1990 as patent examiner. In 1999 he moved to the classification department. He oversaw this department from 2009 to 2011. Since 2011 he has been leading the patent information promotion team in the Vienna office of the EPO. The tasks of his team include promotion, marketing and feature planning for the EPO's patent information tools, the organization of patent information events like the EPO Patent Information Conference as well as user support and training of patent information users.

Trust – The Key Factor When Outsourcing the Search and Analysis of Data

René Sørensen

Abstract

In a world where everything is moving ever faster and where the information load is constantly increasing, the demands for cost-effective prior art searching are on the rise. Whether based in-house or working as an external search provider, we all face the constant need to prove our worth and the value we provide with our searches. In this presentation, I will discuss the challenges we are facing with more and more competition on price as well as with the rapid results provided by increasingly sophisticated automated search tools. I will try to identify some of the main challenges that this can have on the process, the quality and outcome of the search and analysis. As searchers, we are constantly challenged with convincing our clients of the quality and value of our search and analysis work. When faced with a mountain of data it is vital that the searcher has a thorough understanding of the subject, the ability to ask the right questions up front and during the search, and the experience to search efficiently and make the right decisions during the culling process. These steps are essential to establishing a trusting relationship between the client and the searcher.

Biography

René Sørensen has worked as a patent examiner at the Nordic Patent Institute (NPI) and the Danish Patent and Trademark Office (DKPTO) since January 2014. Apart from searching and examining national and PCT patent applications, he also delivers IP services to businesses throughout the world. René has a background in electronics engineering and has experience from electronics/mechanics design, managing a startup company and, lately, as R&D Director for a Danish/French tech company. At DKPTO he also has been involved in coaching trainees and advising independent inventors. He enjoys working together with his colleagues in Denmark and Norway and enjoys track cycling and boxing workout.

Case Studies in Deep Learning-based Patent Analytics

Sumeet Sandhu, PhD, Elementary IP

Abstract

Following our talks at PIUG 2016 and PIUG 2017 on Deep Learning-based word models and document models, respectively, we will present real-world case studies in document search, classification, and clustering. Examples will include (1) numerical comparisons of AI-based analytics to legacy technologies, and (2) a deep scrutiny of results to provide insights on optimal usage scenarios.

Biography

Dr. Sumeet Sandhu is CEO and Founder of Elementary IP, which is an Enterprise Software company providing next generation software tools for patent search, classification and analysis based on Deep Learning. Before EIP, she served in various R&D, management and business roles at Intel for 10 years. She is an inventor on over 55 patents, with several implemented on millions of wireless devices worldwide. She holds Electrical Engineering degrees from Stanford (PhD) and MIT (MS, BS).

An Exemplary Patent Landscape Analysis Linking Patent Documents from NIH Grant Recipients to Drug Development for the Cancer Moonshot Challenge

Yateen Pargaonkar, Managing Partner, Riser IP, LLC

Abstract

There are very few publicly accessible examples of patent landscape analysis that combine patent data and different types of non-patent literature (NPL) data. This presentation provides a publicly accessible example. It reveals new insights on technology trends, policy implications, and opportunity areas for NIH funding of cancer research. The curated patent data used in this case study was supplied by the USPTO during the Cancer Moonshot Challenge. It included 269,353 cancer related patent documents (published patent applications and granted patents) spanning the 1976 to 2016 period. NPL data included non-patent technical publications, NIH Reporter data, FDA Orange Book data, news, drug sales and clinical trial data.

Biography

Yateen Pargaonkar is the Managing Partner of Riser IP, LLC, a patent information service provider, specializing in patent searches, patent landscapes, and IP competitive intelligence. Yateen's patent analytics and competitive intelligence experience includes roles of increasing responsibility in the Energy sector, Consumer Goods, Legal, Biotechnology, and Pharmaceuticals. Till recently, Yateen had leadership roles in Abbott Laboratories, Chevron, and at Procter & Gamble. He has also worked at different IP law firms and taught a course at UCSD on Patent Searching & Internet Research. Yateen has degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology, as well as three years of laboratory research experience at Columbia University. He is a registered US Patent Agent, an editorial advisory board member to the Journal "World Patent Information," and an active member of PIUG.

Classification Fundamentals – How Documents are Classified

Tonya Heyboer and Brett Johnson, Serco North America

Abstract

Classification is a fundamental tool for searching that presents a steep learning curve for searchers. Serco has served as USPTO's classification contractor for 11 years and classified over 3.8 million patent applications into the USPC, CPC and IPC systems. This presentation describes how newly filed patent applications are classified-the nuts and bolts of how Serco performs initial classification for the USPTO from receiving applications, to assigning classifications, to acceptance and publication. We will also compare and contrast Serco's approach in handling unpublished applications with other processes. This includes classifying grants, the European Patent Office's (EPO) approach to classification, and reclassification of documents arising from scheme revisions. An understanding of these processes can aid a searcher in making informed decisions while developing a search strategy. The presentation will conclude with a consideration of future trends. Serco's interactions with the USPTO and EPO since the launch of CPC suggest the future will entail an increased role for collaboration, alignment and education across all stakeholders as well as evolving and important roles for harmonized data, human expertise, and artificial intelligence. We welcome feedback to better understand how the classifications Serco provides are utilized by the patent community.

Biographies

Tonya Heyboer is the Knowledge and Training Manager for Serco, IP Services. Serco is a leading global service provider for government and commercial clients. Serco's IP Services unit provides the USPTO with full expert CPC classification of unpublished patent applications, routing classification, and reclassification services. Prior to joining Serco in 2006, Tonya provided training and consulting services across a suite of research products for searchers and librarians at corporate, government and academic institutions.

Brett Johnson is the Team Lead of the Industrial Chemistry department for Serco covering classification of subject matter including molding, stock materials, metallurgy, and gas/liquid separation. Brett's more than 10 year tenure with Serco also includes classification and quality assurance experience in subject matter areas including recombinant DNA-technology, immunoassays, protein chemistry, immunology, organic chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, polymers, industrial processing and stock materials.

More Bang for Your Buck – Assessing Return on Investment in Public Research

Leo Ming Hei Lai, IP Australia

Abstract

Innovation is important to Australia's economy. Successful commercialisation of Australian research funding contributes to a relatively high GDP global ranking compared with population. Significant Australian innovations include Wi-Fi, plastic money and the bionic ear.

Although it is important to assess return on investment from publicly-funded research, this is difficult. One measure to assess return on investment is business-research collaboration, which indicates both business growth and research innovation.

The OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2013 showed that Australia ranked last out of all 33 OECD countries for business-public research collaboration. This surprising finding prompted us to investigate Australian collaboration using patent data, which is consistent across countries and openly available. The presence of multiple applicants on a patent application can be used as a proxy indicator for collaboration.

We used patent data to identify Australian universities that co-filed patent applications with businesses. Our analysis showed that Australia ranked 13th out of all 33 OECD countries for business-university collaboration. We also analysed technology-specific collaboration. Our presentation includes discussion of these findings.

IP Australia will continue to develop this work to support commercialisation outcomes from Australian publicly-funded research.

Biography

Leo Lai is an Assistant Director in IP Australia's Patent Analytics Hub, which provides patent information to support Australian innovation. Leo has also been a patent analyst since 2015 and was previously a patent examiner at IP Australia. As a patent analyst he has worked with universities and research institutes to deliver patent analytics that inform their commercialisation decisions. Leo also has an interest in collaboration. Collaboration can help assess return on investment for publicly funded research. He has studied this by using patent information, such as applicants and technology sector data as measures to identify the types of collaboration and key collaborators in a network.

Leo's academic qualification includes a PhD in nanotechnology and Bachelor of Science (Honours), both from the University of New South Wales.

Hybrid Search: Why It's the Right Time to Integrate AI-driven Search with Boolean

Nasreen Brady, JD, IP.com

Abstract

AI is infiltrating every facet of our lives, and prior art search is no exception. This presentation will discuss why the timing is right to utilize AI-driven search in conjunction with Boolean strategies for a hybrid search. A brief look at our journey of innovating AI and semantic search technologies shows which ones we found effective for patent searching. And, as important as the right technology is the implementation. The continued evolution of semantic search enables hybrid search techniques which helps searchers save time and improve the thoroughness and overall confidence in their search quality.

Biography

As Client Engagement Director, Nasreen is responsible for managing a team that works closely with clients to maximize their use and value of IP.com's semantic search platforms, InnovationQ and InnovationQ Plus. She also works within product development to ensure the platforms match the needs of clients and drives innovation among patent professionals and research and development teams.

Nasreen is an IP attorney and has previously worked in-house in big pharma and in the patent data and research industry. She holds a Juris Doctor from Temple University and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Columbia University.

Prior Art of the Prior Art

Ron Kaminecki, Kaminecki IP

Abstract

What's past is past but in patents, what's past is important. Changes in search technology, patent law, availability of information and access combine to make searching for prior art more comprehensive but at a price. Citation analysis is now available on many platforms and with non-patent literature also widely available, a patent searcher can now find enough information to undergo analysis paralysis and never know when the search is done. Lots of treasures are still to be found if only one knows where to look.

Biography

Ron has been involved with patent searching and online information databases since his early days at Dialog and has continued his work at different companies including Thomson, Knight Ridder Information, ProQuest and Questel. He currently teaches patent searching at the University of New Hampshire Law School, DePaul Law School, and Notre Dame University, both online and in-person. He is a patent attorney with a BS in Chemistry, an MS in Computer Science and a JD with a Certificate in Patent Law, and is also an inventor, a co-author of a NISO standard on search commands, and has worked as an expert witness.