Strategic patenting in the upstream oil and gas industry: Assessing the impact of the pre-salt discovery on patent applications in Brazil

For most of its history, Brazil needed to import oil to complement its internal production to supply the internal demand. However, in 2007, the Brazilian Federal Government announced the discovery of huge hydrocarbon resources in the pre-salt layer of the country's Southeastern coast. This study examines the impact of this discovery accomplished by Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) on patent applications in Brazil associated with upstream oil and gas technologies. Then, this article provides empirical evidence that the pre-salt discovery significantly affected patent strategizing of Multi-Nationals Companies (MNCs) operating in the upstream oil and gas industry, thereby generating a boom in patent filings in Brazil from the official pre-salt announcement onwards.     

The trends in CRISPR research: A patent and literature study with a focus on India

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas systems are currently in the spotlight of Biological research. The system has introduced a revolutionary gene-editing technique that changed the face of healthcare, agriculture, gene therapy, cosmetic surgery, and much more. The current study focuses on the patent and non-patent literature data on CRISPR and aims to find out the global research scenario. Apart from the patent landscape analysis, the current study analyzed the worldwide research activity and top players of the field. A special emphasis has been given to understand the CRISPR-related intellectual property scenario in India. Extensive analysis shows that the United States dominates the CRISPR research and market. The main focus of CRISPR research in India is agriculture.     

Citations as a measure of technological impact: A review of forward citation-based measures

The number of forward citations a patent receives accumulates over time and appears to be correlated to the patent‘s (i.e. invention's) technological impact. A dominant theory suggests that highly cited patents contain an important technological advance. However, a variety of citation based measures have been proposed by different authors. This study, via a narrative literature review, identified nine forward citation-based measures that appear of particular relevance. We describe each measure and present them in a comparative format.The measures are divided into two broad categories: firstly the ones that are particularly relevant to the patent level (citation index, forward citation frequency, generality, influence), and secondly the ones that are relevant to the patent portfolio level (current impact index, herfindal-hirschman index, hindrance index, relative patent position, technology strength).We hope research scholars and industrial users find this review helpful for citation analysis and intellectual property analytics, especially when wanting to employ forward citation-based measures to assess technological impact.     

Examining the trajectory of a standard for patent classification: An institutional account of a technical cooperation between EPO and USPTO

This paper explores the dynamics of standardization practices associated with patent classification and discusses the technical, legal and policy implications of standard-setting for patent classification. Therefore, this paper aims to fill a gap in the literature on knowledge management, based on an analysis of the development and implementation of Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC). This paper examines the processes of developing a standard for classifying patent applications from the perspective of Actor-Network Theory (ANT). Our findings reveal that standardization in the context of patent classification is primarily shaped by the interaction involving patent offices that belong to the IP5 group. Furthermore, we found evidence that the CPC standard can be regarded as a response to the demands posed by innovative firms requiring accurate patent classification to provide secure protection for their new technologies.     

Intellectual property management system: Develop and self-assess using IPM model

The major concern in organizations, especially from developing countries, is that there is a huge gap in Intellectual Property (IP) generation and its commercialization. The key issue is that how this gap between IP generation and its commercialization can be reduced. Hence, there is a need to develop an IPM model, which can assist technology and IP managers to develop their own IPMS as well as help in self-assessment of the existing IPMS. This paper introduces an IPM model, which is easy to implement and follow and can be applied to any sector with some modifications. The model suggests 5 stages and 15 major IPM processes. The validation of the model confirmed effortless establishment of IPMS including the identification of potential IP. The IPM model also helped to reveal the gaps, if any, in the current IPMS, and facilitated strategic commercialization of organizational IP. The study followed the case study methodology.     

State of the art of bioimplants manufacturing: part I

Bioimplants are becoming increasingly important in the modern society due to the fact of an aging population and associated issues of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The manufacturing of bioimplants involves an understanding of both mechanical engineering and biomedical science to produce biocompatible products with adequate lifespans. A suitable selection of materials is the prerequisite for a long-term and reliable service of the bioimplants, which relies highly on the comprehensive understanding of the material properties. In this paper, most biomaterials used for bioimplants are reviewed. The typical manufacturing processes are discussed in order to provide a perspective on the development of manufacturing fundamentals and latest technologies. The review also contains a discussion on the current measurement and evaluation constraints of the finished bioimplant products. Potential future research areas are presented at the end of this paper. The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-017-0207-4     

Europe should stop taxing innovation

After nearly 48 years of failure to create the EU patent, language issues and the design of a centralised patent-litigation court still dominate headlines. But behind these issues there are high financial stakes and control power to play for. The recent EU Council deal on an ‘enhanced’ European patent system does not solve the above problems, and has not eliminated lingering governance issues. The risk for Europe is that a final patent agreement might be reached that does not cure the system of its major ills, and thus does not bring about any significant improvement for those that need it most: entrepreneurs and innovative companies starting out on the innovation process. The creation of an effective single EU patent requires (i) English-only post-grant translation, (ii) the end of nationally granted patents, (iii) phasing-out of the current ‘European patent’, (iv) lower fees for young innovative companies, and (v) a radical shake-up of the governance of the European Patent Office.     

The state-of-the-art on Intellectual Property Analytics (IPA): A literature review on artificial intelligence,machine learning and deep learning methods for analysing intellectual property (IP) data

Big data is increasingly available in all areas of manufacturing and operations, which presents an opportunity for better decision making and discovery of the next generation of innovative technologies. Recently, there have been substantial developments in the field of patent analytics, which describes the science of analysing large amounts of patent information to discover trends. We define Intellectual Property Analytics (IPA) as the data science of analysing large amount of IP information, to discover relationships, trends and patterns for decision making. In this paper, we contribute to the ongoing discussion on the use of intellectual property analytics methods, i.e artificial intelligence methods, machine learning and deep learning approaches, to analyse intellectual property data. This literature review follows a narrative approach with search strategy, where we present the state-of-the-art in intellectual property analytics by reviewing 57 recent articles. The bibliographic information of the articles are analysed, followed by a discussion of the articles divided in four main categories: knowledge management, technology management, economic value, and extraction and effective management of information. We hope research scholars and industrial users, may find this review helpful when searching for the latest research efforts pertaining to intellectual property analytics.     

Patent portfolios of European wind industry: New insights using citation categories

This study explores the use of citation categories assigned by patent examiners to study overlap of patent portfolios among top wind power firms. Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is used to obtain a sample of wind industry patents. CPC is shown to be better than the International Patent Classification for identifying patents relevant to the wind power industry. Results show high inter-firm citation among the top wind industry players that can suggest concentration of innovation. The results can be useful for patent analysts, technology managers and policy makers.     

Academic response to the European Commission’s Questionnaire on the patent system in Europe: An economic approach

This paper presents an economic opinion on the questionnaire on the European patent system that was recently issued by the European Commission. We argue that the debate on patent reform in Europe needs to be more focused on its economic purpose, namely the promotion of innovation. As a first step we unfold sub-issues and trade-offs underlying the general and consensual goal which “promoting innovation” is. We contrast the protection and diffusion functions of the patent system, both of which must be taken into account in order to create an original European patent regime geared towards innovation. We also emphasize the possibility for the European patent system to answer more specific needs, such as those of small and medium enterprises or those of industries with highly cumulative innovations. We discuss as the second step the capacity of the European patent system to achieve these policy goals through various levers. We especially argue that patent fees or translation requirements should be viewed as policy instruments rather than as in a purely budgetary perspective. We moreover consider the positive or negative consequences one can expect from the coexistence of different patent systems in Europe.     

Patent information from the Polish Patent Office

The Polish Patent Office activity within the scope of its patent information policy—with emphasis on the changes since the 1990s—is described. In addition to aspects of patent searching, such as documentation and databases, dissemination activities, for example education and training, and the role of Patent Information Centres, is covered. New challenges associated with the promotion of intellectual property protection and its role for the economy are also highlighted.     

The future of patent information––a user with a view

The future of patent information is considered from the combined perspective of an information specialist, a patent agent, an inventor and a corporate patent information user. A brief overview of current patenting trends is highlighted, followed by a close look at future trends in the patent information field, including changes in the delivery, analysis and management of patent information, and in the role of intermediaries. A few examples are provided in support of forward-looking statements to illustrate the challenging dynamics involved in this field. Finally, a long-term view is considered, which indicates there remains much need for improvement.     

Intellectual property management and awareness at the university level in the biotechnology era: a Thai perspective

In the particular context of a developing country, the problems arising from a lack of awareness of intellectual property in universities in Thailand is described. These problems include a poor negotiating position in formulating licensing and like agreements, especially in relation to such agreements with developed countries. The situation in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical areas is highlighted, for example the formulation of pharmaceutical products with active ingredients related to those present in traditional medicines. Improvements at the universities proposed to address these issues embrace setting up intellectual property departments within each university and substantially increasing the level of intellectual property awareness in both under- and postgraduate courses.     

The triple helix model and intellectual property: The case of the University of Brasilia

The knowledge generated by scientific and technological institutions are instruments of competitiveness that guarantee financial return for business. The State is responsible for regulating these relations, in order to promote and develop the interaction between entrepreneurship and innovative environments. The University of Brasilia is a model of institution of science and technology (ICT), which exemplifies the generation of products protected by intellectual property law, available for the generation of wealth in the relationship with the market. This case study analyzes this example, identifying and contextualizing the role of actors as suggested by the authors of the triple helix model. It was built using a broad theoretical analysis and, subsequently, by examining data from the University of Brasilia, to discuss the practical results exposed by the bibliography and serve as the foundation for institutional policies on the subject. The University of Brasilia presented significant results within the regional scenario. In this way, it is suggested that the good numbers are due to the operation of the system of innovation in a microenvironment. As a conclusion, it was possible to understand the functioning of the triple helix, once the system components assume role of government, through legislation, promotion and/or support to development.     

Deciphering innovation: An exploration of USPTO patents granted to Iranian inventors

Since nearly a decade ago, Iranian policy circles have declared innovation and development of science-based industries as a priority area. This paper utilizes the emerging Iranian patent stock in the USPTO to ascertain progress on this front. Results indicate that there are policy traces in the emerging patent portfolio as proxied by sponsorship statements in 28% of all patents. However, there is little evidence of technological specialization. Breaking down the portfolio into foreign-assigned, Iranian-assigned, unassigned and Iranian-sponsored patents, indicates that foreign-assigned, followed by Iranian-assigned patents are of higher quality and potential value. Nearly half of the patents are unassigned and 40% are assigned to foreign entities. Lack of ownership assignment can be a hurdle to effective exploitation, defense and maintenance of patents. The analysis is concluded by relevant policy lessons.     

Leveraging patent landscape analysis and IP competitive intelligence for competitive advantage

Patent landscape and the accompanying IP competitive intelligence involves understanding and anticipating the competitive environment within which a company operates. More specifically, IP competitive intelligence highlights emerging IP risks, provides patent portfolio benchmarking, monitors competitor technology development efforts, and predicts commercialization of technology.This paper provides a framework for patent landscape and IP competitive intelligence as driven by strategic intent. This paper advocates the benefits of both “quantitative” statistical analysis and “qualitative” human intelligence for IP competitive intelligence. Moreover, this paper defines four Levels of IP analysis with pruned examples for effective competitive intelligence.     

精密离心机双平面自动平衡法

精密离心机动平衡测试系统由测角元件及测试面构成,动平衡执行机构由两个校正面构成。电容测微仪测得非轴承处的振动矢量,轴承处的振动矢量通过计算得到。在此基础上,建立动平衡运动方程,求得不平衡矢量,通过动平衡执行机构消除不平衡。     

State of the art of bioimplants manufacturing: part II

The manufacturing of bioimplants not only involves selecting proper biomaterials with satisfactory bulk physicochemical properties, but also requires special treatments on surface chemistry or topography to direct a desired host response. The lifespan of a bioimplant is also critically restricted by its surface properties. Therefore, developing proper surface treatment technologies has become one of the research focuses in biomedical engineering. This paper covers the recent progress of surface treatment of bioimplants from the aspects of coating and topography modification. Pros and cons of various technologies are discussed with the aim of providing the most suitable method to be applied for different biomedical products. Relevant techniques to evaluate wear, corrosion and other surface properties are also reviewed.The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-018-0218-9     

The development of science and technology in China: A comparison with India and the United States

In “The Outline of the Medium and Long-term National Plan for Science and Technology Development (2006–2020)” (OMLP)), the Chinese government outlined an ambitious goal to become an innovation-driven country by 2020. However, there are many barriers that restrain the development of the national innovation capacity of enterprises. This paper reviews the capacity for science and technology (S&T) and innovation in China, including the factors that influence capacity building, the supporting policies for implementing the OMLP, and the promotion of capacity building for S&T and innovation in China. The paper concludes with recommendations for promoting further development of S&T and innovation in China.