Overview of Patent Documentation Group PDG and Benefits

Overview of Patent Documentation Group (PDG) and Benefits of Membership • The PDG is a non-profit organisation of research-driven, blue-chip companies with major European R&D sites • The main aim of the PDG is to promote the effective and efficient use of patent information • The PDG was founded in 1957 www. p-d-g. org 8 -2015 1

Benefits of PDG Membership I • International forum for exchanging knowledge and experience in all areas of patent information • Cooperation with patent offices worldwide to improve access to high quality patent information • Liaising with patent information vendors to help improve their products and services • Joint work on patent information topics which are of interest to even only a few members 2

Benefits of PDG Membership II • Members are actively collaborating in Working Groups, based on their fields of interest • Working Groups generally hold annual meetings • Web meetings and conference calls facilitate contributing to Working Groups • Cooperation within PDG is based on the „PDG Guidelines on Antitrust“, in order to meet corporate compliance standards 3

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Some success stories of the PDG I The PDG has actively supported: • Extended coverage of INPADOC (Europe, Asia, Latin America etc. ) • Extended coverage of INPADOC Legal Status database (CN, JP, KR, etc. ) • The introduction of Machine Assisted Translations, esp. for Asian countries • The improvement of quality of Thomson Reuters DWPI data • WIPO standard for minimum information of national offices websites 5

Some success stories of the PDG II • The PDG enjoys recognition by major international bodies, e. g. • Involvement in IP 5 patent information activities as a partner of BUSINESSEUROPE • Official observer status at WIPO • Annual Informal EPO-PDG Meeting of PDG delegates with members of senior EPO information management • Annual Meeting of the PDG Board with the EPO President 6

PDG is currently working on several projects • Global Dossier Project of IP 5 offices • Certification Project QPIP – Qualified Patent Information Professional • Global Legal Status Data - IMPACT initiative aims at extending the coverage of Legal Status data • Patent information aspects of the Unitary Patent • Discussions at strategic level with patent information vendors on: - Future business models and road maps - Database content, coverage and currency - Quality and functionality 7

Potential Benefits of PDG Membership • Working Groups deal with all major patent information systems, e. g. Patbase, Orbit. com, STN, Thomson Innovation, inhouse system CIPA (ex IEPROS) • The Analysis & Visualisation Working Group focuses on new tools and methods for evaluating and presenting large volumes of patent data • Specific patent information concerns can be introduced to discussions at an international level • Discussion of Offshoring / Outsourcing activities to support internal patent information services • Improvement of Classification schemes such as CPC especially for engineering needs • Internal marketing of patent information services 8

Further Information on PDG Membership • Please contact any PDG Board Member or the PDG Secretary General (alexander. mullen@p-d-g. info) for further information • Corporate membership only (no individual members) • Member organisations must be R&D-based with a major R&D site in Europe and have patent infomation activities • Decisions on acceptance of application for PDG membership are made by the PDG Main Delegates • Members are expected to participate actively in the work of the PDG • Moderate annual fee for corporate membership - currently € 1500 9