Fujitsu Launches Search Service for Patent Disclosures Outside Japan

Fujitsu today announced the availability of a new service to search patent databases outside Japan, offered as software as a service (SaaS). The new service, called ATMS/IR.net, is designed to assist corporate intellectual property departments, as well as engineers and inventors, in conducting global patent inquiries.

The service accesses a database with information on US patents (US), Europatents (EP), and WIPO patents (WO), performing a comprehensive search of public patent disclosures from patent offices around the world. In addition to displaying the results of these inquiries, the service will also verify and maintain watchlists on patent family⁽¹⁾ information alongside the legal status of patents. Furthermore, the SaaS model eliminates the need to configure and maintain a dedicated in-house patent search system, and instead provides an inexpensive and fast public patent search system available from anywhere using the Internet.

The service will enable corporate intellectual property departments, as well as engineers and inventors, to quickly conduct global patent inquiries and to accelerate the pace of their business activities and research.

The service was co-developed by Fujitsu and G-Search Limited.

Background

As a part of their growth strategies, many Japanese companies aim to expand their businesses using their technological strengths, and patents are an important component. However, each country administers its patents differently. A patent awarded in one country may violate a patent in another. As a result, there has been an increasing number of lawsuits being filed by companies on these grounds.

For this reason, there is a growing need among companies conducting international business, as well as among researchers, to improve their monitoring of corporate technology trends and patents outside Japan.

Fujitsu will meet these needs by adding a new search function for patent disclosures outside Japan to ATMS/IR.net, Fujitsu's patent search support service currently being offered in Japan. The new service will enable global patent inquiries with the same usability and efficiency as Japanese patent searches.

Service Features

1. Shares publicly disclosed data from outside of Japan throughout the company
All-in-one searches of public US/EP/WO patent disclosures will increase search efficiency and enable the system to be shared throughout the entire company, including among engineers and researchers who previously experienced difficulty in conducting these searches.

2. Browse and configure watchlists for patent families and the legal status of patents
By accessing INPADOC⁽²⁾ data, users can instantly check information on foreign patent families and the legal status of patents in different countries. Patent family information can be displayed on a map, providing a quick overview of application status by country. Furthermore, by setting up watchlists to track changes in legal status or patent family information, users can stay on top of patent disclosures outside Japan and proactively avoid risks.

3. Linked with Japanese searches and esp@se
In order to access priority rights⁽³⁾ and patent family information of patents that have already been issued in Japan, the service links to Japanese search services, allowing users to access detailed information and the latest expiration information. Furthermore, the service also ties in with esp@cenet, the European Patent Office, allowing users to access public information other than what is available from the US, EP, and WO.

Pricing and Availability

* Price will vary based on the number of users.

Sales Target

50 corporate clients by the end of fiscal 2012.