PATENTS
Why teach?
- Important part of the
literature of applied chemistry
- Major source of new
technological information; often overlooked
- Particularly important for
students heading for industrial careers
Teaching points:
- Patent is a legal document
Show a patent with obscure language - get students to guess what the
invention is
e.g. Patent A Device to vertically oscillate participants
Most chemical patents cover composition of matter or processes
- Structure of a patent
- Compare sections of a
journal article and a patent
- Claims are what is
legally protected by the patent
- Examples usually
contain the new chemical information
Example: Pass out a few sample patents (obtain via
interlibrary loan if necessary)
Use a local company or faculty member
Contrast between very detailed and very brief patents
Contrast patents with many claims vs. only one or two.
- How to obtain patents - full
text data bases now available on the web
Teaching Materials
- Lecture
on primary literature
- Patent
Guides on the Web
- Patent
Databases on the Web
- Patent
Searching Aids and Techniques
- Commercial
Patent Database Information
- Background Material
- Kawakami, Alice K. "Patents
and Patent Searching" Issues in Science and Technology, Summer
1998
- "How to Read a
Patent", John T. Maynard, ChemTech, v.8, no.2, Feb. 1978, p.91-95.
- Maynard, John T. and
Peters, Howard, M. Understanding Chemical Patents 2nd ed.
Washington, D.C., American Chemical Society, 1991.
- Bjork, C. Kenneth. Introduction
to Patents. Washington D.C., American Chemical Society, 1991.
2 sound cassettes and manual.
- Wiggins Chemical
Information Sources, Chapter 6, p.101-113.
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