SAN CARLOS, Calif. — March 26, 2013 — MarkLogic Corporation, the provider of the MarkLogic Enterprise NoSQL database, today announced that the USPTO has launched the Reference Document Management Service (RDMS), which uses MarkLogic for real-time searching of detailed, specific, up-to-date content within patent and trademark manuals. RDMS enables real-time search of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) and the Trademark Manual of Examination Procedures (TMEP). These manuals provide a vital window into the complexities of U.S. patent and trademark laws for inventors, examiners, businesses, and patent and government attorneys.
The thousands of examiners working for USPTO need to be able to quickly locate relevant instructions and procedures to assist in their examinations. The RDMS is enabling faster, easier searches for these internal users.
Having the most current material online also means that the government can reduce reliance on printed manuals that quickly go out of date. USPTO can also now create and publish revisions to its manuals more quickly, allowing them to be far more responsive to changes in legislation.
Additionally, for the first time ever, the tool has also been made available to the public increasing the MPEP and TMEP accessibility globally, furthering the federal government’s efforts to promote transparency and accountability to U.S. citizens. Patent creators and their trusted advisors can now search and reference the same content as the USPTO examiners, in real time – instead of having to thumb through a printed reference guide.
Prior to the launch, all users of these manuals had to rely on paper copies or .PDF files. Now, consumers have easy access to up-to-date regulations, internal procedures, and classifications. The public also has a newfound power in the evolution of patent and trademark laws. Citizens now have access to every patent and trademark regulation in the United States by using one simple interface. By allowing inventors and researchers to search on their own time, in the privacy of their homes or offices, USPTO provides a new level of transparent and open government.
To learn more about the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, go to the USPTO website. For more information about MarkLogic, go to the MarkLogic website.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the Federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch “promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries.” The USPTO registers trademarks based on the Commerce Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3).
The USPTO advises the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, and U.S. Government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement; and promotes the stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. The USPTO furthers effective IP protection for U.S. innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide by working with other agencies to secure strong IP provisions in free trade and other international agreements. It also provides training, education, and capacity building programs designed to foster respect for IP and encourage the development of strong IP enforcement regimes by U.S. trading partners.