After a storming start to yesterday’s Information Retrieval Facility Symposium (IRFS), enthusiasm was still running high this morning. The opening keynote for day two was hosted by Henk Tomas from IP Search Services; he did a great job outlining pretty much all the main issues facing information specialist and patent workers. His fellow speakers were hard-pressed not to duplicate what he had already covered. It is also a nice opportunity to give you an overview of the main challenges raised at the symposium.

Up for consideration was a thorough examination of why patent information is so important to both small and big business alike. Tomas explained that patent information can be used a means of keeping tabs on competitors, suppliers and emerging technological developments. It is also a way of hobbling others from utilising a technology to prevent advantage and can avoid a duplication of efforts or ‘reinventing the wheel’; furthermore, patents are part of a globally accepted legal system.

Tomas identified many of the big issues to address and conquer. My top three of those he mentioned are issues I have seen raised here more once.

• A massive rise in patent and non-patent literature in the last 30 years. Much of this is Asian in origin; the language differences and therefore difficulties are obvious. There is also a risk of drowning in information.

• A lack of standards in the patent world, particularly in terms of the point of information entry. A common database structure would also help for search purposes.

• Errors and inconsistencies in content sometimes made deliberately for competitive advantage.

Follow-up speaker was Minoo Philipp; she is the Patent Information Manager at chemical manufacturer Henkel and President of the Patent Documentation Group. She asked the audience, “Do we have a problem with patent searching? No, it’s finding the right information.’ ‘The problem is the structure available and also the errors” she added.

Philipp called for a global standardisation of how patent applications are made. It wasn’t something all the delegates agreed with, believing a technical solution was required instead. Philipp asked ‘wasn’t that treating the symptom rather than the disease?’

Considering the implications for standardisation could necessitate a change of each nation’s patent laws, that one solution may be a while coming.