On-line access to technical information
15.18.
Patent information can also be searched using on-line access to large databases. International telecommunications provide the link to the computers, through the use of a "host" which acts as a clearing house for search requests. Various organisations provide access in this way to their computers. On-line search is fast and convenient. With CDROM discs there is often inconvenience as it is usually necessary to change discs during the search. "Juke boxes" for CDROM discs are available but unless the number of discs being searched is limited they do not solve the problem. There is rarely such a problem with on-line access. The disadvantage with on-line access is that the telecommunication charges are high. Unless the searcher is very experienced, on-line search can be very expensive.
The users of technical information
15.19.
So far in this chapter we have considered technical information and the way it is captured, stored, searched and disseminated. We consider in paras. 15.20 to 15.28 who will want to use the technical information and for what purposes.
Novelty and inventiveness searches
15.20
A search of the prior art throughout the world is necessary to assess whether an invention is novel and inventive. Patent offices and businessmen wishing to obtain patent protection for their inventions are likely to be the main users of technical information for the purpose of carrying out such searches.
Patent office as a user
15.21.
A patent office which searches and examines applications before grant will submit the application to a search and will "cite" against the application the relevant prior art. In the EPO the applicant is usually advised of the search before the application is further examined for inventiveness. This enables an applicant to assess whether it is worthwhile to continue with his application for a patent. If for example his invention has been anticipated by the prior art, he will usually decide that it is pointless to do so.
15.22.
The quality of a patent granted by an office which searches and examines applications before grant is dependent upon the quality of the search performed by the office. As outlined in Chapter 4 the search of patent applications requires skilled personnel and expensive information resources. The technical information held by the EPO to allow search and examination is described in outline in paragraphs 4.35 and 4.36. The EPO stores technical information from many sources on its mainframe computers. Examiners have access to this information via the EPOQUE system (see paragraph 15.12 above) which allows for very sophisticated search of the information. They can also search using CDROM discs.
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