Family-izer(TM) both original and Solo are operating normally again

I have fixed the problems with Family-izer and Family-izer Solo so that they are both working again. The EPO systems upon which they are dependent were modified recently, so I had to make changes to compensate.

My work to get all of Patent Grabber's features functioning again is progressing.

EPO changes things again!

EPO changes have disabled Patent Grabbeer's INPADOC Legal Status feature on the downloading screen, as well as the Sortable List and Abstract Report on the search screen. The downloading of patent documents is not affected.

Also disabled are my two free online services: Family-izer and Family-izer Solo.

Fixes will be provided ASAP.

Patent Grabber's PCT searching is broken - fix is coming!

Recent changes by WIPO to their PatentScope search system have broken Patent Grabber's PCT search function. The ability to download PCT published patent applications is not affected by this issue.

I have already identified a fix and will release Patent Grabber 5.9.2 very shortly.

Patent Grabber 5.9.1 has been released

I have released Patent Grabber 5.9.1. This update addresses an issue that was occurring during the downloading of the text of a PCT application. Patent Grabber could crash if the claims section of the application was particularly large (>300 KB). That has been fixed.

Download this new version for Mac or Windows.

Family-izer(TM) Solo: New, free source of INPADOC patent family info

I just completed a new, free web application for patent family information. It is called Family-izer(TM) Solo. My original Family-izer gave only the country code, publication number and kind code. The Solo version gives you a table with additional information like the full country name, publication date, application number, and a description of the kind code.

Also unlike the original Family-izer, the Solo version does not require a browser plugin. You can use it from any modern web browser, regardless of the underlying device. It should work on any computer, tablet device or smart phone. So if you find yourself without a computer and need patent family info, just pull out your smart phone, open its web browser and head to the Family-izer Solo page!

Patent Grabber(TM) 5.9 is now available

Patent Grabber 5.9 can now be downloaded directly from the Patent Tools page of the Blazing Dawn Software web site. At the request of a UK venture capital company, this new version allows users to create an enhanced spreadsheet of bibliographic information for U.S. patents. In addition to the information on the face of the patent, the "US Patent Biblio +" function additionally contains for each patent in your list:

1) the corresponding foreign patents from INPADOC,

2) the legal status of the patent from INPADOC,

3) full description of the main class of the patent,

4) the assignees of the cited patents,

5) the count of cited patents,

6) a list of later-issued patents that cite the patent ("forward citations"),

7) the count of forward citations (in case you are interested in that statistic) and

8) the assignees of the forward citations

This function is free to use for lists of up to 20 patents. Usage with lists of >20 patents requires a Patent Grabber license (which is quite inexpensive at $30).

Version 5.9 additionally fixes EPO and PCT searching that had been broken by changes in the EPO and WIPO search systems. EPO searching is no longer limited to the first 30 hits.

Patent Grabber 5.9 now available to current users

Patent Grabber 5.9 is now available to current users. Not downloadable from the web site yet. Users should click the "Check for updates" button on their current version.

• New spreadsheet function with some awesome features that were requested by a UK venture capital company.
• Fixed EP-A and PCT searching.