[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 5, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30167-30176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14092]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

United States Patent and Trademark Office

[Docket No. 010321076-1076-01]
RIN 0651-AB26


Notification of Required and Optional Search Criteria for 
Computer Implemented Business Method Patent Applications in Class 705, 
and Request for Comments

AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is 
providing notification to the public of required and optional search 
criteria used during

[[Page 30168]]

examination of patent applications related to computer-implemented 
Business Methods in Class 705. The Office is seeking comments 
concerning databases, documenting practices, procedures, and 
developments, in addition to those listed in this notice, in specific 
industries within the computer-implemented business method field, to 
identify additional information and materials that could be considered 
during the examination process.

DATES: The recommended database will be reviewed quarterly. Database 
recommendations received before June 30, 2001, will be included in the 
first evaluation process which will commence on July 31, 2001. Results 
of the evaluation of the first group of database recommendations should 
be completed by September 30, 2001. The schedule through June of 2002 
is set forth in the Supplementary Information section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gail Hayes by telephone at (703) 305-
9711 or by fax at (703) 305-0040, or James Trammell by telephone at 
(703) 305-9768 or by fax at (703) 308-1396.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent by electronic mail message over the 
internet addressed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1b4974797e696f3558777a69707e5b4e484b4f54357c746d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6c3e030e091e18422f000d1e07092c393f3c3823420b031a">[email protected]</span></a>. Comments may also be 
submitted by mail addressed to: Box Comments--Patents, Commissioner for 
Patents, Washington, D.C. 20231, or by facsimile to (703) 872-9399 or 
(703) 308-6916, marked to the attention of Robert A. Clarke. Although 
comments may be submitted by mail or facsimile, the Office prefers to 
receive comments via the Internet. If comments are submitted by mail, 
the Office would prefer that comments be submitted on a DOS formatted 
3\1/2\ inch disk accompanied by a paper copy.
    The comments will be available for public inspection at the Office 
of Patent Legal Administration, Office of the Deputy Commissioner for 
Patent Examination Policy, located at Room 3-C23 of Crystal Plaza 4, 
2201 South Clark Place, Arlington, Virginia, and will be available 
through anonymous file transfer protocol (ftp) via the Internet 
(address: http://www.uspto.gov). Since comments will be made available 
for public inspection, information that is not desired to be made 
public, such as an address or phone number, should not be included in 
the comments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    On March 29, 2000, the Director of the USPTO announced the USPTO 
Business Methods Patent Initiative: An Action Plan. One step in that 
action plan called for:

Industry Outreach

    Industry Feedback: A greater effort will be made to obtain 
industry feedback on prior art resources used by the USPTO, solicit 
input on other databases and information collections and sources, 
and expand prior art collections.

2. Purpose

    This announcement is a request for input on the USPTO search 
resources that are employed in the examination of business method 
patent applications in Class 705. By this process the USPTO hopes to 
achieve two significant results. First to inform the public of the 
prior art resources that are currently available to the Office. Second 
to identify additional information and materials that could be 
considered during the examination process.
    The announcement is presented in two major sections; the listing of 
the current USPTO prior art resources and the process for providing 
comments on that listing. The listing of the current USPTO prior art 
resources includes a detailed description of the mandatory search that 
is now required for all patent applications examined in Class 705. In 
the important area of non-patent literature (NPL), the listing also 
sets forth a further identification of other prior art resources that 
are available to the patent examiners and may, in accordance with their 
professional judgment, be searched during the examination process. The 
section relating to the process for submitting comments to the USPTO 
details the primary type of information the Office is seeking, how the 
input may be submitted, and a general description of the process the 
Office will employ in considering the comments received. The USPTO will 
fully consider all comments and suggestions submitted in accordance 
with the guidelines set forth below.

Table of Contents

I. Current USPTO Prior Art Resources
    A. U.S. Patents
    1. Classified (Mandatory Search)
    2. Text (Mandatory Search)
    B. Foreign Patents (Mandatory Search)
    C. Non-Patent Literature (NPL)
    1. Core Databases (Mandatory Search)
    2. Supplemental Resources
    a. Commercial Database Services
    b. Books, Technical Reports, and Conference Proceedings
    c. Journals
    d. Web-based Resources and Internet Usage Policy
    e. Interlibrary Loan
II. Process for Providing Comments
    A. Resource Recommendations
    B. Criteria for Evaluation--Searchable Databases
    C. Schedule to Evaluate Recommended Resources

I. Current USPTO Prior Art Resources for Examination of Business 
Method Patent Applications in Class 705

    Examiners are required to search three main types of prior art when 
examining every class 705 application: U.S. patents, foreign patents, 
and NPL.

A. U.S. Patents

1. Classified (Mandatory Search)
    The USPTO uses a classification schedule to sort and store all 
patents issued. The classification schedule is structured into class 
and subclass sections. For example, a patent on a computerized method 
of determining insurance claims is classified in class 705 ``Data 
Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, or Cost/Price 
Determination'', and located in subclass 4, ``Insurance.'' Thus, the 
exact classification of this patent is 705/4.
    A search of an application with claims directed to the business art 
includes a classified search in at least the subclass which the claimed 
subject matter of the application would be properly classified. This is 
referred to as an original classification (OR). A search of an 
application with multiple independent claims, some of which if 
presented separately would have been classified as an original 
classification in other areas, will be searched in each of the relevant 
classes and subclasses.
    Examiners are not required to search areas in which it is 
reasonably determined that there is a low probability of finding the 
best reference(s). In outlining a field of search, the examiner notes 
every class and subclass under the U.S. Patent Classification that may 
have material pertinent to the subject matter as claimed. Every 
subclass, digest, and cross-reference art collection pertinent to each 
type of invention claimed is included, from the largest combination 
through the various subcombinations. The field of search extends to all 
probable areas relevant to the claimed subject matter and covers the 
disclosed features which might reasonably be expected to be claimed. 
The examiner consults with other examiners and/or supervisory patent 
examiners, especially with regard to applications covering subject 
matter unfamiliar to the examiner. The areas to be searched are 
prioritized so that the areas where relevant prior art is most likely 
to be found are searched first. (For more information, see the MPEP, 
http://

[[Page 30169]]

www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/index.html)
    Class 705 Schedule. The schedule for Class 705 is posted on the 
home page for the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/moc/705.htm.
2. Text (Mandatory Search)
    Examiners are also required to perform a text search of U.S. 
patents. Examiners use Boolean and proximity operators to search 
keywords and multiple concept terms to retrieve U.S. patents relevant 
to the application. Concept terms are derived from many aspects of the 
invention including, but not limited to: Background of the invention; 
Objects of the invention; Technological and field of use environment; 
Prior effort/work; Problem to be solved; Major advantages/outcomes; How 
the problem is solved; How components relate; Functionality; and 
Environment--Field of Use.

B. Foreign Patents (Mandatory Search)

    Examiners are also required to perform a text search in the Foreign 
Patent Databases indicated below. Concept and keywords terms are 
searched using Boolean and proximity operators with search strategies 
tailored to these databases. The name of each database listed below is 
followed by the name of the database producer.

Derwent World Patents Index [Derwent Information]
European Patents Fulltext [European Patent Office]
JAPIO--Patent Abstracts of Japan [Japan Patent Information 
Organization]
WIPO/PCT Patents Fulltext [MicroPatent LLC]

C. Non-Patent Literature (NPL)

    The examination procedure for patent applications includes text 
searching of commercially available databases to identify relevant NPL. 
Examples of NPL include journal articles, newspaper articles, books, 
software manuals, conference proceedings, and standards.
    Commercial database providers with extensive content coverage, 
powerful search interfaces, and the capability to simultaneously search 
multiple files provide the primary resources to effectively search 
large quantities of NPL. Examples of the search services used in the 
USPTO include DataStar, Dialog, Lexis/Nexis, Questel/Orbit, STN, and 
Westlaw. These services provide access to hundreds of databases from 
commercial producers. Through a single set of search operations, 
applied simultaneously to multiple database files of NPL selected 
according to the core and subclass specific criteria specified below, 
through a single commercial database provider, an examiner can retrieve 
search results simultaneously from across multiple NPL sources using a 
single search strategy commonly applicable to all accessed files. The 
USPTO also subscribes to other resources and databases to provide 
examiners with additional sources for supplemental searches. These 
resources are noted in the section of this notice regarding 
Supplemental Resources.
1. Mandatory
    USPTO staff have in-depth expertise on commercial database services 
and their products. Based on this knowledge, databases with business-
related literature were reviewed. Representative databases were chosen 
as mandatory resources to be searched for business cases. Several 
factors were considered during the review of these databases including 
coverage of business-related topics, date coverage (including older 
materials), and inclusion in commercial database services which allow 
for simultaneous searching of numerous databases. The databases 
selected are considered the ``core'' or ``mandatory'' NPL databases 
that must be searched for business method patent applications. This 
list is not intended to be exhaustive or comprehensive. However, by 
searching these databases, the examiner has searched a wide range of 
resources that can provide significant and relevant prior art for 
business method cases. Examiners are not restricted to searching the 
databases in this list. If, in the examiner's professional judgment, 
other prior art resources should be searched, they have hundreds of 
additional databases available (e.g. commercial database vendors 
mentioned above) to search.
    The first section of the core database list, designated as ``Non-
Patent Literature Core Databases,'' includes databases that are 
searched for every case classified in Class 705. Databases that may 
provide significant resources of NPL relevant to specific subclasses 
are designated as ``Subject Specific Databases.''
    For example, an application on a computerized method of determining 
insurance claims is classified in class 705 and subclass 4. All the 
core NPL databases in addition to the subject specific databases listed 
under subclass 4 are searched for NPL.
    Business examiners are required to perform a text search in the NPL 
databases listed below. Concept and keywords terms are searched using 
Boolean and proximity operators with search strategies tailored to 
these databases.
    The name of each database (except for newspapers) is followed by 
the name of the database producer.

CLASS 705  CORE DATABASES

NPL Core Databases. All Class 705 applications will be searched in the 
following databases:
ABI/INFORM<Register> [Bell & Howell Information and Learning]
Business & Industry<SUP>TM</SUP> [Responsive Database Services, Inc.]
Business Week [The McGraw-Hill Companies Publications Online]
Business Wire [Business Wire]
Computer Database<SUP>TM</SUP> [The Gale Group]
Conference Papers Index [Cambridge Scientific Abstracts]
Dissertation Abstracts Online [Bell & Howell Information and Learning]
Globalbase<SUP>TM</SUP> [The Gale Group]
Inside Conferences [The British Library]
INSPEC [INSPEC, Inc.]
Internet & Personal Computing Abstracts<Register> [Information Today, 
Inc.]
The McGraw-Hill Companies Publications Online [The McGraw-Hill 
Companies, Inc.]
Microcomputer Software Guide Online<Register> [R. R. Bowker Company]
New Product Announcements/Plus<Register> (NPA/Plus) [The Gale Group]
Newsletter Database<SUP>TM</SUP> [The Gale Group]
Newspapers
Financial Times Abstracts
New York Times Abstracts
San Jose Mercury News
Wall Street Journal Abstracts
PR Newswire [PR Newswire Association, Inc.]
PROMT<Register> [The Gale Group]
Softbase: Reviews, Companies, and Products [Information Sources, Inc.]
Trade & Industry Database<SUP>TM</SUP> [The Gale Group]
Wilson Applied Science and Technology Abstracts [The H.W. Wilson 
Company]
World Reporter [The Dialog Corporation, Dow Jones & Company and 
Financial Times Information]

    Subject Specific Databases. There are other databases which contain 
significant NPL resources relevant to specific Class 705 subclasses. 
Therefore, additional core databases are listed for the subclasses 
indicated in this section. Examiners are required to search these 
databases during the examination of cases classified under these 
subclasses. In this list, the subclass numbers are listed to the left 
of the subclass description.

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2.  Health Care Management
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

American Medical Association Journals [The American Medical 
Association]
BIOSIS Previews<Register> [BIOSIS<Register>]
EMBASE<Register> [Elsevier Science, B.V.]
Health & Wellness Database\SM\ [The Gale Group]
Health News Daily [F-D-C Reports, Inc.]
HealthSTAR<Register> [U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM)]
MEDLINE<Register> [U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM)]
New England Journal of Medicine [Massachusetts Medical Society]
SciSearch<Register> [Institute for Scientific Information'' 
(ISI<Register>)]
If drugs/pharmaceuticals are involved. * * *
Drug News & Perspectives [Prous Science Publishers]
International Pharmaceutical Abstracts [American Society of Health-
System Pharmacists]
Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry News Database [PJB Publications 
Ltd.]
Pharmaceutical News Index (PNI<Register>) [Bell & Howell Information 
and Learning]
4  Insurance
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

American Banker Financial Publications [American Banker-Bond Buyer]
Insurance Periodicals Index [NILS Publishing Company]
The Journal of Commerce [The Journal of Commerce, Inc.]
7  Operations Research
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

Inventory Monitoring Databases
13  Transportation Facility Access
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

Aerospace/Defense Markets & Technology<Register> [The Gale Group]
Aerospace Database [AEROPLUS ACCESS]
The Journal of Commerce [The Journal of Commerce, Inc.]
NTIS--National Technical Information Service [National Technical 
Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce]
Transportation Research Information Services [Transportation Research 
Board]
14  Advertising/Coupon Redemption/Incentives
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

Business Dateline<Register> [Bell & Howell Information and Learning]
Marketing & Advertising Reference Service<Register> [The Gale Group]

Newspapers:
    The Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution
    The Arizona Republic/The Phoenix Gazette (Phoenix)
    The Sun (Baltimore)
    The Boston Globe
    Chicago Tribune
    The Christian Science Monitor
    Detroit Free Press
    The Denver Post
    Houston Chronicle
    Independent (London)
    The Irish Times
    Los Angeles Times
    The Miami Herald
    Newsday and New York Newsday
    The Oregonian (Portland)
    The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
    The Philadelphia Inquirer
    Rocky Mountain News (Denver)
    San Francisco Chronicle
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    St. Petersburg Times
    Times/Sunday Times (London)
    USA Today
    Washington Post Online
26  Electronic Shopping
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

Advertising/Coupon Redemption/Incentives Databases
Magazine Database<SUP>TM</SUP> [The Gale Group]
28  Inventory Monitoring
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

EI Compendex<Register> [Engineering Information, Inc.]
ISMEC: Mechanical Engineering Abstracts [Cambridge Scientific 
Abstracts]
JICST-EPlus--Japanese Science & Technology [Japan Information Center 
for Science and Technology (JICST)]
NTIS: National Technical Information Service [National Technical 
Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce]
SciSearch<Register> [Institute for Scientific Information 
(ISI<Register>)]
Social SciSearch<Register> [Institute for Scientific Information 
(ISI<Register>)]
35  Banking/Finance/Investments
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

American Banker Financial Publications [American Banker-Bond Buyer]
Banking Information Source [Bell & Howell Information and Learning]
Bond Buyer Full Text [American Banker-Bond Buyer]
DIALOG Finance and Banking Newsletters [The Dialog Corporation]
EconLit [American Economic Association]
36  Portfolio Selection
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

Banking/Finance/Investment Databases
37  Trading, Matching or Bidding
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

Banking/Finance/Investment Databases
38  Credit Processing or Loan Processing
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

Banking/Finance/Investment Databases
39  Including Funds Transfer or Credit Transaction
    In addition to Core databases, examiners will search the following 
databases:

Banking/Finance/Investment Databases
Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News\TM\ [Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business 
News]

    Brief descriptions are provided for the above-listed NPL and 
Foreign Patent databases in Appendix I attached to this document.
3. Supplemental Resources
    The USPTO has access to a multitude of resources and databases 
containing NPL. Many of these resources include significant amounts of 
business-related information. The following resources are available to 
patent examiners and may, in accordance with their professional 
judgment, be searched during the examination process.
    a. Commercial Database Services. The USPTO provides access to 
commercial database vendors who provide over 1,000 searchable 
databases. In addition to the databases included in the core list 
mentioned earlier, examiners can choose to search other databases

[[Page 30171]]

provided by these vendors when, in their professional judgment, 
searching additional databases is warranted.

DataStar--complete list of databases located at
    http://ds.datastarweb.com/ds/products/datastar/ds.htm
Dialog--complete list of databases located at
    http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/html/blf.html
Lexis-Nexis--complete list of databases located at
    http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/literature/Directory/default.htm

(At the bottom of this web page, click on the link to view the 
alphabetical list of their entire directory.)

Questel-Orbit--complete list of databases located at
    http://www.questel.orbit.com/en/userdoc/docindex.htm

(Click on ``fact sheets'')

STN International--complete list of databases located at
    http://www.cas.org/ONLINE/DBSS/dbsslist.html
Westlaw--the database directory is located at
    http://directory.westlaw.com/
WIPO Journal of Patent Associated Literature (JOPAL)--the database 
directory is located at
    http://jopal.wipo.int/

    b. Books, Technical Reports, and Conference Proceedings. The USPTO 
maintains print collections of over 160,000 books, technical reports, 
journals, and conference proceedings that are not available 
electronically. Additionally, many materials are available in 
microformat.
    c. Journals. The USPTO has access to over 5,000 full text journals. 
Many of these journals are available in electronic format. Please see 
the following section on ``Web-based Resources,'' which includes 
sources providing access to full text electronic journals. The USPTO 
also maintains full text CD-ROM products. Examples include Computer 
Select (1989 to date), Advances in Cryptography (1981-1997), and Dr. 
Dobb's Journals (1988-June 1997; newer Dr. Dobb's Journal issues are 
available via web-based resources). The remainder of the journal 
collection is in hard copy or microform formats.
    d. Web-based Resources. Examiners have direct access to the web-
based resources including technical books and reports, legal 
publications, indexes, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and databases of 
NPL, such as journal articles and conference proceedings. The primary 
strength of many of these electronic resources is that they provide 
quick access to full text publications, some of them with graphics. 
Some of these resources also allow for Boolean and proximity searching 
and can be searched by examiners to determine if additional relevant 
prior art is available.
    The following web-based resources are available. Brief descriptions 
are provided for those most relevant to examiners in business methods 
areas.

Academic Press Dictionary of Science & Technology
Agricola
American Chemical Society
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)--provides access to 95% of 
all ACM articles and proceedings from 1991 to the present.
ChemConnect
Corporate Resource Net B provides access to over 4,000 journals in 
electronic format.
Department of Energy Information Bridge
DTIC STINET
Encyclopedia Britannica
Faulkner--provides comprehensive coverage of the full spectrum of 
computer systems, software, networking, and telecom technologies, 
including trends, vendor strategies, and product solutions. Includes 
B2B E-Commerce Trends reports.
Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE Xplore)--
provides access to more than 500,000 IEEE/IEE articles written since 
1988. All IEEE/IEE conferences, journals and standards from 1988 on are 
included.
ITKnowledge--provides full text access to more than 1,000 technical 
computing books.
Matthew Bender Legal and Intellectual Property Publications
Medline
Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal
Physicians Desk Reference, PDR Herbal & Stedmans Medical Dictionary
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Proquest Direct--Proquest is organized into separate, subject-based 
libraries. USPTO subscribes to most of these including the Banking 
Library (containing 248 journal titles); the Computing library 
(containing 256 journal titles); the Telecommunications library 
(containing 92 journal titles). In all, USPTO has access to the full 
text and/or bibliographic records for over 5,000 journal titles through 
Proquest.
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature
ScienceServer--provides access to nearly 200 scientific, technical and 
medical journals published by Elsevier and Academic Press.
Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics Engineering--covers 
core knowledge of all specialties encompassed by electrical and 
electronics engineering, including computer and software engineering.
Internet Usage Policy With Above Resources--When the Internet is used 
to search, browse, or retrieve information relating to a patent 
application, other than a reissue application or reexamination 
proceeding, USPTO examiners and searchers restrict search queries to 
the general state of the art unless the Office has established a secure 
link on the Internet with a specific vendor to maintain the 
confidentiality of the patent application. Non-secure Internet search, 
browse, or retrieval activities that could disclose proprietary 
information directed to a specific application, other than a reissue 
application or reexamination proceeding, are not permitted.

    e. Interlibrary Loan. The USPTO maintains an interlibrary loan 
operation to gain access to full text documents that are not available 
electronically or on-site in hard copy or microform format. The 
interlibrary loan staff have access to local, national and 
international organizations and provide rapid retrieval of full text 
documents to examiners.

II. Process for Providing Comments

A. Resource Recommendations

    The USPTO requests comments regarding the search resources employed 
in the examination of business method patent applications in Class 705. 
In order to identify additional information and materials that could be 
considered during the examination process, members of the public are 
invited to recommend databases and electronic resources that the USPTO 
does not currently access for searching business methods prior art.
    Recommended databases must be publicly available. These databases 
will be evaluated based on the set of criteria published in this 
document. The information you provide will help us verify that the 
correct resource has been identified for evaluation. Please provide 
detailed information in support of suggested resource(s). Such 
information should address the following topics:
Reason for Recommendation
    Please specify why you are recommending the database, focusing on 
the specific value of the content and search features of the particular 
database. For example, the database provides full text documents, or it

[[Page 30172]]

contains business methods information not found in other databases.
Database Identification
    (a) Provide the full name of the database and other names by which 
the database may be identified, e.g. acronyms or shortened names.
    (b) Provide the name, address, and phone number for the database 
producer.
    (c) Provide the name, address, and phone number for the entity that 
provides access to the database.
Database Content
    (a) What are the years of coverage?
    (b) What is the subject matter?
    (c) Does the bibliographic information include documented 
publication dates?
    (d) Does the database include abstracts and/or full text?
Accessibility
    (a) Is the database publicly available?
    (b) If so, what are the operational hours?
Technical Support
    What is the availability of technical support?
Continuity
    What is the database policy on maintaining backfile data?
Mode of Access
    How is the database available?
    (a) Online.
    (b) Web-based.
    (c) In-house CD-ROM or other electronic media.
    (1) networked.
    (2) stand-alone system.

B. Criteria for Evaluation--Searchable Databases

    Recommended databases should provide substantial added value over 
resources already available. Databases will be evaluated in terms of 
whether or not they are of sufficient value to be included as mandatory 
search tools or whether they should be included as supplemental 
resources for examiners to search, at their discretion, during the 
patent application examination process.
Content
    The intellectual content of the database will be evaluated on:
    (a) Extent of the retrospective coverage of business-related prior 
art.
    (b) Extent of unique, difficult-to-find sources and content not 
available in currently used tools.
    (c) Extent of bibliographic documentation in addition to the 
availability of searchable abstracts and/or full text.
    (d) The documentation of publication dates for the information 
included in the database.
    (e) Thoroughness of indexing.
    (f) Frequency of updates.
Search Interface
    Databases should have a search interface that is powerful, user-
friendly, and has multiple access points. For example: Does the 
database provide for single-search access to the entire resource 
content? Does it support Boolean and proximity searching? Does it allow 
for truncation and nesting of terms or synonyms?
Cost
    The cost of the resource will be evaluated in relation to the value 
of the product and the cost of other comparable products.
Accessibility and Reliability
    Database providers or producers should deliver reliable access 24 
hours a day, seven days a week. The database must be publicly 
available.
Technical Support
    Technical support must be knowledgeable and reliable, and must be 
available, at a minimum, Monday through Friday.
Continuity
    Database content must be stable and consistent. In particular, 
continuing availability of backfile data is critical.
Mode of Access
    The database should be accessible via TCP/IP (online), the 
Internet, or an in-house platform (networked or stand-alone). The mode 
of access must meet the requirements of the USPTO's Office of the Chief 
Information Officer's Technical Reference Model (TRM). The TRM is 
available at the following url:

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/comp/proc/acquisitions/oamref.htm

C. Schedule to Evaluate Recommended Resources

------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Recommendations  received by:            Will be evaluated by:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 30, 2001.............................  September 30, 2001.
September 30, 2001........................  December 31, 2001.
December 31, 2001.........................  March 31, 2002.
March 31, 2002............................  June 30, 2002.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Classification Section

    It has been determined that this notice is not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866 (September 30, 1993).

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This notice involves information collection requirements which are 
subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). As 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507(d)), 
the Office has submitted an information collection package to OMB for 
its review and approval. The title, description, and respondent 
description for this information collection is shown below with an 
estimate of the annual reporting burdens. Included in the estimate is 
the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, 
gathering and maintaining the data needed and completing and reviewing 
the collection of information.

    OMB Number: 0651-0047.
    Title: United States Patent and Trademark Office Business Method 
Database Information.
    Form Number: Not applicable.
    Type of Review: Approved through March of 2004.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, business or other for-
profit, not-for-profit institutions, farms, state, local or tribal 
governments, and the Federal Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 1.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 150 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Input from industry and the public on the current 
search areas and suggestions from industry and the public on new 
sources of prior art is considered important to improve the examination 
process in the computer-implemented business method field. The public 
feedback will be used to evaluate suggested databases for inclusion in 
either mandatory or optional search areas in this field.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of information 
is necessary for proper performance of the functions of the agency; (2) 
the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden; (3) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information to respondents.
    Interested persons are requested to send comments regarding these 
information collections, including suggestions for reducing this 
burden, to Robert J. Spar, Director, Office of Patent Legal 
Administration, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Washington, 
D.C. 20231, or to the Office

[[Page 30173]]

of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, New Executive Office 
Building, 725 17th Street, N.W., Room 10235, Washington, D.C. 20503, 
Attention: Desk Officer for the Patent and Trademark Office.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to 
comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information 
displays a currently valid OMB control number.

    Authority: Sec. 4712, Pub. L. 106-113, 113 Stat. 1501A-572 (35 
U.S.C. 2(b)(2)).

    Dated: May 30, 2001.
Nicholas P. Godici,
Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting 
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Appendix I

    Brief descriptions are provided for the above listed NPL and 
Foreign Patent databases. The following descriptions are excerpts 
obtained from the Dialog Corporation's Bluesheets.
    ABI/INFORM<Register>--includes details on virtually every aspect 
of business, including company histories, competitive intelligence, 
and new product development. ABI/INFORM contains bibliographic 
citations and 25-150 word summaries of articles appearing in 
professional publications, academic journals, and trade magazines 
published worldwide.
    Aerospace/Defense Markets & Technology<Register> (Gale Group 
Aerospace/Defense Markets & Technology<Register>)--provides full-
text articles and abstracts covering all aspects of the worldwide 
aerospace industry. Corporations in the aerospace/defense industry 
rely on A/DM&T: for coverage of key industry sources for details on 
competitors, products and technologies to monitor government 
funding, budgets, and contracts to identify market opportunities in 
the defense and aerospace industries.
    Aerospace Database--provides references, abstracts, and 
controlled-vocabulary indexing of key scientific and technical 
documents, as well as books, reports, and conferences, covering 
aerospace research and development in over 40 countries including 
Japan and eastern European nations. This database supports basic and 
applied research in aeronautics, astronautics, and space sciences, 
as well as technology development and applications in complementary 
and supporting fields such as chemistry, geosciences, physics, 
communications, and electronics.
    American Banker Financial Publications--corresponds to the full 
text of the authoritative daily financial services newspaper, 
American Banker, as well as the full text of many financial 
newsletters published by American Banker in the areas of capital 
markets, bank regulation, insurance letters, and public finance 
letters. This collection of publications follows trends, 
developments, and news in banking and related financial areas.
    American Medical Association Journals--contains the full-text 
articles from 11 medical journals, including the well-known JAMA, 
The Journal of the American Medical Association. The articles 
include all subject areas relating to the practice of medicine. The 
American Medical Association is the world's largest single publisher 
of scientific and medical information. This database also contains 
peer-reviewed clinical and investigative articles in major medical 
disciplines. All original articles included are full-text; the 
database also includes letters to the editor, editorials, book 
reviews, corrections, medical news and perspectives, columns, 
special features, and occasional sections.
    Banking Information Source--provides essential information about 
the financial services industry, banking trends, topics, issues, and 
operations. Its uniquely comprehensive coverage of important 
industry sources meets the banking-related information needs of 
researchers in banking, finance, government, tax, insurance, 
economics, financial services, and business schools. It contains the 
full text of cited articles from many high demand sources
    BIOSIS Previews<Register>--contains citations from Biological 
Abstracts<Register> (BA), and Biological Abstracts/Reports, Reviews, 
and Meetings<Register> (BA/RRM) (formerly BioResearch 
Index<Register>), the major publications of BIOSIS<Register>. 
Together, these publications constitute the major English-language 
service providing comprehensive worldwide coverage of research in 
the biological and biomedical sciences.
    Bond Buyer Full Text--corresponds to the printed publication, 
The Bond Buyer. The newspapers specialize in the fixed-income 
investment market and are considered the authoritative sources of 
information for the municipal bond community in the U.S. Essential 
daily coverage of government and Treasury securities, financial 
futures, corporate bonds, and mortgage securities is provided. 
Extensive coverage of U.S. Congressional actions, worldwide monetary 
and fiscal policies, and regulatory changes relating to the bond 
industry is included. Bond Buyer Full Text also lists planned bond 
issues, bond calls and redemptions, and results of bond sales.
    Business & Industry<SUP>TM</SUP>--this database contains 
information with facts, figures, and key events dealing with public 
and private companies, industries, markets products for all 
manufacturing and service industries at an international level. B&I 
coverage concentrates on leading trade magazines and newsletters, 
the general business press, regional newspapers and international 
business journals.
    Business Dateline<SUP>TM</SUP>--provides the full text of major 
news and feature stories from 550 regional business publications 
from throughout the United States and Canada. The regional 
perspectives reported in the business press make Business Dateline 
an excellent source of in-depth business information with a local 
point of view. Virtually every aspect of regional business 
activities and trends is covered in the file, with particular 
emphasis on economic conditions in selected cities, states, or 
regions, as well as mergers, acquisitions, company executives, new 
products, and competitive intelligence.
    Business Week--contains the complete text of articles from the 
domestic and international English-language editions of the highly 
acclaimed McGraw-Hill weekly business news magazine, Business Week. 
Articles focus on companies, the economy, government regulation, 
industries, labor and management issues, technology, and 
international markets.
    Business Wire--contains the full text of news releases issued by 
approximately 10,000 corporations, universities, research 
institutes, hospitals, and other organizations. The file primarily 
covers U.S. industries and organizations, although some information 
on international events is included.
    Computer Database<SUP>TM</SUP> (Gale Group Computer 
Database<SUP>TM</SUP>)--provides comprehensive information about the 
computer, electronics, and telecommunications industries. Coverage 
includes detailed information about the evaluation, purchase, use, 
and support of computer and other electronic products. Gale Group 
Computer Database is designed to answer the questions of business 
and computer professionals about hardware, software, networks, 
peripherals, and services.
    Conference Papers Index--provides access to records of the more 
than 100,000 scientific and technical papers presented at over 1,000 
major regional, national, and international meetings each year. 
Conference Papers Index provides a centralized source of information 
on reports of current research and development from papers presented 
at conferences and meetings; it provides titles of the papers as 
well as the names and addresses (when available) of the authors of 
these papers. Also included in this database are announcements of 
any publications issued from the meetings, in addition to available 
preprints, reprints, abstract booklets, and proceedings volumes, 
including dates of availability, costs and ordering information. 
Primary subject areas covered include the life sciences, chemistry, 
physical sciences, geosciences, and engineering.
    Derwent World Patent Index (DWPI)--provides access to 
information from more than 18 million patent documents, giving 
details of over 9 million inventions. Each week, approximately 
20,000 documents from 40 patent-issuing authorities are added to 
DWPI. Patent-related items from Research Disclosure and 
International Technology Disclosures (ceased publication June 1994) 
are also included.
    DIALOG Finance and Banking Newsletters--database is a collection 
of full-text newsletters from primary publishers in the field of 
investment, finance and banking. The database contains specialized 
industry newsletters that provide concise information on companies, 
products, markets, and technologies. It also contains rulings, 
regulations, and other legislative activities that affect the 
financial community.
    Dissertation Abstracts Online--is a definitive subject, title, 
and author guide to

[[Page 30174]]

virtually every American dissertation accepted at an accredited 
institution since 1861. Selected Masters theses have been included 
since 1962. In addition, since 1988, the database has included 
citations for dissertations from 50 British universities that have 
been collected by and filmed at The British Document Supply Centre. 
Beginning with DAIC Volume 49, Number 2 (Spring 1988), citations and 
abstracts from Section C, Worldwide Dissertations (formerly European 
Dissertations), have been included in the file. Abstracts are 
included for doctoral records from July 1980 (Dissertation Abstracts 
International, Volume 41, Number 1) to the present. Abstracts are 
included for masters theses from Spring 1988 (Masters Abstracts, 
Volume 26, Number 1) to the present.
    Drug News & Perspectives (Prous Science Drug News & 
Perspectives)--this database allows users to quickly and easily 
consul the latest pharmaceutical news. The Prous Science Drug News & 
Perspectives database contains all articles and texts published from 
selected sections of the printed journal, Prous Science Drug News & 
Perspectives, plus unpublished records from the journal's sections: 
``Line Extensions,'' ``R&D Briefs,'' and ``People on the Move.'' 
Unpublished records, omitted from the printed journal due to space 
limitations, are labeled ``unpublished'' and do not have volume, 
issue, or page numbers. Unpublished records may also include those 
in preparation for print. These records will have volume, issue and 
page numbers added in a later update to the database.
    EconLit--provides indexing and abstracts of the worldwide 
literature on economics, currently covers more than 600 major 
economics journals annually. In addition, this file indexes about 
600 collective volumes (essays, proceedings, etc.), 2,000 books, 900 
dissertations, 2,000 working papers, and book reviews each year.
    EI Compendex<Register>--database is the machine-readable version 
of the Engineering Index (monthly/annual). It provides abstracted 
information from significant engineering and technological 
literature. The Compendex database provides worldwide coverage of 
approximately 4,500 journals and selected government reports and 
books. Subjects covered include: civil, energy, environmental, 
geological, and biological engineering; electrical, electronics, and 
control engineering; chemical, mining, metals, and fuel engineering; 
mechanical, automotive, nuclear, and aerospace engineering; and 
computers, robotics, and industrial robots.
    EMBASE<Register>--comprehensive index of the world's literature 
on human medicine and related disciplines.
    European Patents Fulltext--covers all European patent 
applications and granted European patents published since the 
opening of the European Patent Office (EPO) in 1978. This database 
also contains bibliographic records for PCT (Patent Cooperation 
Treaty) applications transferred to the EPO.
    Financial Times Abstracts--produced by the Business Information 
Services of the New York Times Electronic Media Company, contains 
concise, informative abstracts of articles from the U.S. Edition of 
the Financial Times newspaper. The Financial Times provides in-depth 
coverage on worldwide industries, companies, and markets.
    Globalbase<SUP>TM</SUP> (Gale Group Globalbase<SUP>TM</SUP>)--
provides worldwide coverage of companies, products, and industries 
with a primary focus on Europe.
    Health & Wellness Database<SUP>SM</SUP> (Gale Group Health & 
Wellness Database<SUP>SM</SUP>)--is a comprehensive periodical and 
reference database produced by The Gale Group, providing broad 
coverage in the areas of health, medicine, fitness, and nutrition. 
Gale Group Health & Wellness Database is designed to address the 
needs of health and medical professionals, specialized business and 
industry researchers, consumers, and a wide range of people seeking 
a general understanding about important health issues and practices.
    Health News Daily--contains all the daily news and text articles 
from the Health News Daily publication from F-D-C Reports. It 
provides specialized, in-depth business, scientific, regulatory and 
legal news. Each issue has features including news in the following 
columns: Product News, People, Litigation, Legislative News, 
Industry News, Research, Regulatory News, Financings, Reimbursement, 
and Public Health. A feature entitled ``Washington This Week'' lists 
scheduled congressional hearings, agency meetings, and industry 
conferences in the D.C. area. The ``Calendar'' presents notices of 
upcoming meetings, seminars, and conferences. The ``Legislative 
Roundup'' tracks recently introduced bills, committee activities, 
and congressional votes on health care issues.
    HealthSTAR<SUP>TM</SUP>--(Health Services Technology, 
Administration, and Research) is provided cooperatively by the U.S. 
National Library of Medicine and the American Hospital Association. 
This file incorporates all records from the former Health Abstracts, 
which are taken directly from the published articles, and are 
included for approximately 60% of the records.
    Inside Conferences--contains details of all papers given at 
every congress, symposium, conference, exposition, workshop, and 
meeting received at the British Library Document Supply Centre 
(BLDSC) since October 1993.
    INSPEC--(The Database for Physics, Electronics and Computing) 
corresponds to the three Science Abstracts print publications: 
Physics Abstracts, Electrical and Electronics Abstracts, and 
Computer and Control Abstracts. The Science Abstracts family of 
abstract journals began publication in 1898.
    Insurance Periodicals Index--indexes and abstracts 35 of the 
most respected and widely read insurance industry journals and 
magazines, dating from January 1984 to the present.
    International Pharmaceutical Abstracts--provides information on 
all phases of the development and use of drugs and on professional 
pharmaceutical practice. In early 1985 coverage was expanded to 
include pharmacy journals that deal with state regulations, 
salaries, guidelines, manpower studies and laws. The scope of the 
database includes the clinical, practical, and theoretical aspects 
of the literature as well as economic and scientific. A unique 
feature of these abstracts is the inclusion of the study design, 
number of patients, dosage, dosage forms, and dosage schedule.
    Internet & Personal Computing Abstracts<SUP>TM</SUP> (replaced 
Microcomputer Abstracts<Register>)--contains abstracts and citations 
to the literature on the use of computers in business, industry, 
education, libraries and the home. Over 90 traditional and cutting-
edge publications are covered, including widely read mass-market 
computer publications, as well as those focusing on specific topics, 
such as hardware platforms, operating systems (Windows, DOS, UNIX, 
Macintosh, etc.), online systems, management, networks, and 
electronic publishing. Informative abstracts summarize software and 
hardware. Book reviews, feature articles, news, columns, program 
listings, product announcements, and buyer/vendor guides are 
included.
    ISMEC: Mechanical Engineering Abstracts--(Information Service in 
Mechanical Engineering) indexes significant articles in all aspects 
of mechanical engineering, production engineering and engineering 
management from approximately 250 journals published throughout the 
world. In addition, books, reports, and conference proceedings are 
indexed. The primary emphasis is on comprehensive coverage of 
leading international journals and conferences on mechanical 
engineering subjects. The principal areas covered are mechanical, 
nuclear, electrical, electronic, civil, optical, medical, and 
industrial process engineering; mechanics; production processes; 
energy and power; transport and handling; and applications of 
mechanical engineering.
    JAPIO--Patent Abstracts of Japan--provided by the Japan Patent 
Information Organization, represents the most comprehensive English-
language access to Japanese unexamined patent applications (Kokai 
Tokkyo Koho) published since October 1976. All technologies are 
covered. Application records include both Japanese and non-Japanese 
priorities. Abstracts are provided only for applications originating 
in Japan, but are available for most records. Images of front page 
drawings, when available for a given patent, are also included.
    JICST-EPlus--Japanese Science & Technology--this is a 
comprehensive bibliographic database covering literature published 
in Japan from all fields of science, technology, and medicine. The 
file contains both the JICST-E and the PreJICST-E files from Japan 
Science and Technology Corporation, Information Center for Science 
and Technology (JICST).
    The Journal of Commerce--provides the complete text of all news, 
columns, editorials, briefs, calendar listings, and selected tables 
that appear in the Five-Star edition of the world's premier daily 
business newspaper covering international trade and transportation 
issues. It also includes the Six-Star news summary and West Coast/
Trade page. Journal of Commerce features special individual sections 
which focus on ocean,

[[Page 30175]]

barge, air, rail, and truck transportation, international banking 
and finance, foreign trade, energy, insurance, chemicals and 
plastics, electronic communications, and commodities. The online 
edition also includes a summary of every major story for each day.
    Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News<SUP>TM</SUP>--provides same-
day, full-text business and related news from 28 Knight-Ridder 
publications, 4 Tribune Company newspapers, and more than 50 
affiliated papers. Articles from contributing newspapers and 
magazines are available the morning of publication.
    Magazine Database<SUP>TM</SUP> (Gale Group Magazine 
Database<SUP>TM</SUP>)--is a general interest database that contains 
indexes, abstracts, and full-text records. Gale Group Magazine 
Database provides current and retrospective news from more than 400 
popular magazines on subjects including consumer behavior, media 
trends, popular culture, political opinion, leisure activities, and 
contemporary lifestyles. Gale Group Magazine Database also contains 
large collections of entertainment reviews and ratings of books, 
films, theater, concerts, hotels, and restaurants. This database is 
ideal for searchers who need background material and a variety of 
perspectives to supplement any business search. Gale Group Magazine 
Database includes indexes and abstracts for 400 publications and the 
full text for more than 250 magazines.
    Marketing & Advertising Reference Service<Register> (Gale Group 
Marketing & Advertising Reference Service<Register>)--is a multi-
industry advertising and marketing database with abstracts and full-
text records on a wide variety of consumer products and services. 
Gale Group Marketing & Advertising Reference Service is widely used 
by consumer product and service companies to locate market size and 
market share information, monitor new product or service 
introductions, evaluate markets for existing products or services, 
and research the marketing and advertising strategies of 
competitors. Advertising agencies and public relations firms use 
Marketing & Advertising Reference Service to research and develop 
new client proposals; monitor ad campaigns, budgets, and target 
markets; locate information on products and services; and gain 
competitive intelligence on other agencies and public relations 
firms by tracking agency changes, new accounts, launch dates, 
contracts and appointments.
    The McGraw-Hill Companies Publications Online--provides the 
complete text for many major McGraw-Hill publications. The database 
covers not only general business but also specific industries, i.e., 
aerospace, chemical processing, electronics, and construction. The 
complete text of each article is searchable and can be retrieved 
online in addition to being printed offline.
    MEDLINE<Register>--a major source of biomedical literature. 
MEDLINE corresponds to three print indexes: Index Medicus TM, Index 
to Dental Literature, and International Nursing Index. Additional 
materials not published in Index Medicus are included in the MEDLINE 
database in the areas of communication disorders, population and 
reproductive biology.
    Microcomputer Software Guide Online<Register>--database contains 
information on virtually every microcomputer software program and 
hardware system available or produced in the United States. The 
database contains bibliographic records for microcomputer software. 
Each record includes ordering information, technical specifications, 
subject classifications, and a brief description.
    New England Journal of Medicine--contains full-text articles 
from The New England Journal of Medicine excluding meeting notices, 
``Books Received,'' and advertising content. Founded in 1812, The 
New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is the oldest continuously 
published medical journal in the world. It maintains the largest 
voluntarily paid circulation of any peer-reviewed scientific 
journal, reaching physicians and other healthcare professionals in 
more than 120 countries.
    New York Times Abstracts--contains concise, informative 
abstracts of articles in the final Late Edition of The New York 
Times newspaper, a newspaper that is respected around the world for 
its unparalleled coverage of international, national, business and 
New York regional news. The file provides abstracts of every article 
published in the newspaper, including the Magazine, Book Review, and 
all other Sunday sections.
    Newsletter Database<SUP>TM</SUP> (Gale Group Newsletter 
Database<SUP>TM</SUP>)--contains the full text of specialized 
industry newsletters that provide concise information on companies, 
products, markets, and technologies; trade and geopolitical regions 
of the world; and government funding, rulings, and regulation and 
other legislative activities which impact the industries and regions 
covered. International in scope, the Newsletter Database provides 
searchers with important facts, figures, analysis, and current 
information affecting a broad range of industries and sectors. 
Information from newsletters contained in the Gale Group newsletter 
Database covers the following industries and geographic regions of 
the world: biotechnology, broadcasting and publishing, computers and 
electronics, chemicals, defense and aerospace, energy, environment, 
financial services, general technology, Japan, Middle East, 
manufacturing, medical and health, materials, packaging, research 
and development, telecommunications, transportation, and more.
    Newspapers--includes the full text of all news stories, 
features, editorials, and wire stories. Items such as classified 
ads, sports, statistics, fillers, and certain minor items are 
excluded. (Description taken from PAPERS in the Dialog Worldwide 
Database Catalogue.)
    New Product Announcements/Plus (NPA/PLUS) (Gale Group New 
Product Announcements/Plus)--contains the full text of press 
releases from all industries covering announcements related to 
products, with a focus on new products and services. In addition to 
product descriptions, press releases generally contain key details 
about new products and technologies, including technical 
specifications, availability, uses, licensing agreements, 
distribution channels, and prices. Company contacts and phone 
numbers are provided to allow follow-up by interested parties. The 
press releases contained in the NPA/PLUS database are obtained 
directly from the product manufacturer, distributor, or an 
authorized marketing representative.
    NTIS--National Technical Information Service--database consists 
of summaries of U.S. government-sponsored research, development, and 
engineering, plus analyses prepared by Federal agencies, their 
contractors, or grantees. It is the means through which 
unclassified, publicly available, unlimited distribution reports are 
made available for sale from agencies such as NASA, DOD, DOE, HUD, 
DOT, Department of Commerce, and some 240 other agencies. 
Additionally, some state and local government agencies now 
contribute summaries of their reports to the database. NTIS also 
provides access to the results of government-sponsored research and 
development from countries outside the U.S. Organizations that 
currently contribute to the NTIS database include: the Japan 
Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI); laboratories 
administered by the United Kingdom Department of Industry; the 
German Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (BMFT); the 
French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS); and many 
more.
    Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry News Database--consists 
of two files; one file is the current material, updated daily, and 
contains the full text of all newsletter articles written in the 
last 25 to 30 days. The other file is an archival database, and 
contains the full text of indexed articles from the full range of 
PJB newsletters dating back to 1980. All publications follow a 
similar structure and contain sections on: Product & Research News, 
Company News, U.K. & International News, People, Meetings, and 
Conferences.
    Pharmaceutical News Index (PNI<Register>)--online source of 
current news about pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, medical devices, and 
related health fields. PNI cites and indexes all articles from the 
publications listed in the SOURCES section below on the following 
topics: drugs; corporation and industry sales, mergers and 
acquisitions; and government legislation, regulations, and court 
action. It covers requests for proposals; research grant 
applications; industry speeches; press releases; and other news 
items.
    PR Newswire--contains the complete text of news releases 
prepared by U.S. companies, public relations agencies, trade 
associations, city, state, Federal and municipal government 
agencies, and other sources covering the entire spectrum of news.
    PROMT<Register> (Gale Group PROMT<Register>)--is a multiple-
industry database that provides broad, international coverage of 
companies, products, markets, and applied technologies for all 
industries. PROMT is comprised of abstracts and full-text records 
from the world's important trade and business journals, local 
newspapers, regional business publications, national and 
international business newspapers, industry newsletters, research 
studies, investment analysts' reports, corporate news releases, and 
corporate annual reports.

[[Page 30176]]

    San Jose Mercury News--provides local, national, and 
international news coverage. Bureaus in Sacramento and Washington, 
DC, enable the newspaper to provide full coverage of state and 
Federal Government news. Particular emphasis is given to high 
technology and the developments in the industries of Silicon Valley, 
including coverage of the following companies: Hewlett-Packard, 
Apple Computer, Consolidated Freightways, Intel, Amdahl, Sun 
Microsystems, National Semiconductor, Tandem Computers, Seagate 
Technology, and Syntex. Bureaus in Tokyo, Mexico City, Los Angeles, 
and Seattle enable the San Jose Mercury News to focus on business 
and economic developments of the Pacific Rim. Other major areas of 
coverage include science, medicine, and real estate.
    SciSearch<Register>--is an international, multidisciplinary 
index to the literature of science, technology, biomedicine, and 
related disciplines produced by the Institute for Scientific 
Information'' (ISI''). SciSearch contains all of the records 
published in the Science Citation Index<Register> (SCI<Register>), 
plus additional records from the Current Contents<Register> 
publications.
    Social SciSearch<Register>--database is an international, 
multidisciplinary index to the literature of the social, behavioral, 
and related sciences, produced by the Institute for Scientific 
Information (ISI<Register>). Social SciSearch contains all of the 
records published in the Social Sciences Citation Index.
    Softbase: Reviews, Companies, and Products--is a suite of three 
discrete record types: review records, product records, and company 
records. The three linked and inter-related record types can be used 
separately or together, providing an important navigation tool for 
researchers in the intelligent information technology industry. 
Detailed descriptions of products in the product record file and of 
companies in the company record file can be linked to each other and 
to independent third-party reviews and analyses abstracted from more 
than 200 business, computer, technical, trade, and consumer 
publications.
    Trade & Industry Database<SUP>TM</SUP> (Gale Group Trade & 
Industry Database<SUP>TM</SUP>)--is a multi-industry database 
covering international company, industry, product, and market 
information, with strong coverage of such areas as management 
techniques, financial earnings, economic climate, product 
evaluations, and executive changes. Industry subfiles allow users to 
narrow or broaden their searches to one or more groups of industry 
specific publications.
    Transportation Research Information Services--is a composite 
file with records that are either abstracts of published articles 
and reports, or summaries of ongoing or recently completed research 
projects relevant to the planning, development, operation, and 
performance of transportation systems and their components. TRIS 
provides international coverage of ongoing research projects, 
published journal articles, state and Federal Government reports, 
conference proceedings, research and technical papers, and 
monographs.
    Wall Street Journal Abstracts--contains abstracts of all 
articles published in the Eastern 3-star Edition of The Wall Street 
Journal newspaper. The Wall Street Journal is a daily newspaper 
valued worldwide for its coverage of business, finance, and 
economics.
    Wilson Applied Science & Technology Abstracts--provides 
comprehensive abstracting and indexing of more than 400 core 
English-language scientific and technical publications. Non-English-
language periodicals are indexed if English abstracts are provided. 
Periodical coverage includes trade and industrial publications, 
journals issued by professional and technical societies, and 
specialized subject periodicals, as well as special issues such as 
buyers' guides, directories, and conference proceedings. Wilson 
Applied Science & Technology Abstracts covers a wide range of 
interdisciplinary fields through a broad array of science and 
technology journals. Detailed abstracts of 50 to 150 words describe 
the content and scope of the source articles. Materials indexed 
include feature articles, interviews, obituaries, biographies, 
speeches, and product evaluations.
    WIPO/PCT Patents Full-Text--covers the full text of PCT (Patent 
Cooperation Treaty) published applications issued under the auspices 
of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) since 1983. 
At present, 171 member states participate in the PCT system. A 
single PCT application can be designated as valid in any or all of 
the member states, so it is essentially equivalent to having filed 
with each designated national and regional patent office.
    World Reporter--is a comprehensive, global news source, 
developed jointly by three of the world's leading information 
companies: The Dialog Corporation, Financial Times Information, and 
Dow Jones & Company. World Reporter covers the leading newspapers, 
business magazines, and newswires from all regions of the world, 
including emerging markets.
[FR Doc. 01-14092 Filed 6-4-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-P


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