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| Search Example: Patents - Legal Status Search |
| Question: |
Is the patent DE 42 08 777 still in force or has it expired? |
| Strategy: |
Since the search is related to a german patent
(Code: DE), locate the patent information in the "Patents, national"
category in the PATDPA
file, the German patent database. |
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| Please click on the small screenshots to get larger ones. The large screenshots themselves can also be closed by clicking. |
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| Login: |
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If you do not have an existing STN account:
To open a new STN Easy account, click the blue "Open New Account" button on the STN Easy Home Page and complete and submit the online forms. Within 30 minutes, your STN login ID and password will be sent to the e-mail address you specify. |
If you have an existing STN account:
To log on to STN Easy, simply enter your login ID and password.
Then click "Start Your Session." |
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| Select Search Mode: |
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| The Search Page is displayed. It offers four different
search options: "Easy",
"Advanced",
"CAS
Number" and "Patent
Lookup" Search. The "Defined
Searches" link is available in case Defined
Searches have been created. |
| To locate patent information, select the "Advanced
Search" tab. |
| The Advanced Search option prompts you to choose
the category of databases you wish to search. Click the "Select
Your Category" button for the list of categories. |
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| Select Databases: |
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| An additional browser window is opened. It displays
the list of STN Easy database categories. |
Select the "Patents, National" category
and click the  Database
Folder icon to see the list of databases included in
this category. |
| De-select all but the PATDPA file. Then click "OK". |
The window closes and the name of the category
is displayed next to the
"Select Your Category" button. - You are ready to enter the
search terms. |
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| Enter Search Terms: |
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| Depending on the selected patent database, the Search Page features up to 16 different search-fields (e.g. inventor, patent assignee, patent number, patent classes, publication year, and more) which can be used singly or in combination. |
| Pick the search-field "Patent Number" from the first drop-down box. |
| Type the patent number in the associated entry box, avoiding any letter-spaces. |
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| Browse Index: |
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| You may click the grey "Browse Index" button on the right to verify the patent number e.g. if the number you entered is both spelled correctly and included in the database you have chosen. Browse Index is free and an excellent way to preview your search before you actually pay for it ! |
| Select the patent number you wish to search from the "Browse Index" list. |
| Click the green "Search" button. - Please note: The price for the search fee is displayed below the Search button. |
| Helpful HINT: In order to select discontinuous items from the list hold down the Control key (Command key on Macintosh). |
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| Answer Page: |
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| The answer is displayed as a table on the Answer
Page. Your search question and total number of answers are shown
at the top of the Answer Page as well. |
| STN Easy retrieves the patent in the PATDPA database.
To view the detailed record, simply click on its title hyperlink.
The Display Format and Display Style drop-down menus at the
bottom of the table of titles will be used. |
| The Display Format menu allows you to choose
from two display formats. In order to retrieve legal status
info from PATDPA database, choose the "Standard Plus" Format
which provides more comprehensive data than Standard Format
(in most cases limited to bibliographic information, abstract
and drawing). |
| The Display Style menu gives you two display
style options. "STN Easy" style includes descriptive names for
each field, e.g., Author, Title. "STN" style is a compact format
identical to that used in STN command line displays. Fields
are labeled with codes, e.g., AU, TI, rather than descriptive
names. Searchers who are comfortable with traditional STN command
line searching may prefer STN style. Both styles are the same
price. |
| Helpful HINT: The "Save" option at the
top of Answer Page would allow you to save your search terms
for Recall
and/or your search query as Defined
Search. |
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| Display Page: |
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| The detailed record of the desired patent is displayed
in the selected format and style - right at your desktop. |
| In PATDPA database, legal status information is given in the NOTES field. Because the list is ordered chronologically, you can easily check the actual legal status in the last row. |
| Furthermore, you are free to choose between various
options available at Display Page, such as full-text order,
citation-searching, searching the web, etc. |
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| In order to start a new search, simply click the appropriate search option below the STN Easy Logo on the blue Navigation Frame and a new Search Page is displayed. |
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STN Easy 
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