Patent Grabber update: EP searching still needs fixing

Sorry folks! There is an old saying about a squeaking wheel getting the grease. I have a new but unreleased version of Patent Grabber in which PCT searching is working again. My next goal before release is to get EP searching back up again. However, both PCT and EP searching have be out of commission for a while, but without any complaints. So I have been spending my scarce bits of free time on other priorities.

If you would like a preview version in which PCT searching works, just let me know.

Patent Grabber: EP searching is broken by changes at EPO. Read more for a workaround.

Those mischievous folks at the European Patent Office have made changes to their search system (again). Those changes have broken Patent Grabber's EP search function. We will get that fixed soon.

In the meantime, as a workaround, search for EP published applications using Patent Grabber's "international" search function, but include "pn/ep" as one of your search terms.

New version of Patent Grabber to cure PCT searching ills!

Well, those mischievous folks at WIPO have done it again! They made changes to their search system that broke Patent Grabber's ability to do PCT searching. I have uploaded Patent Grabber 6.4.2 which cures the problem. Download now from the Patent Tools page of the Blazing Dawn Software web site:

Patent Tools

Patent Grabber 6.4.1 (Final) is now available for download!

Patent Grabber(TM) Version 6.4.1 is a FREE upgrade for registered users of Version 5.x and 6.x. When you start Ver. 6.4.1, it should automatically open up in its registered state. If that does not happen, enter your username and registration code.

The Mac OS X version is now code signed for your protection. Check your settings under "Secuity & Privacy" --> "General" to make sure it is set to allow apps downloaded from "Mac App Store and identified developers." We will release a code signed Windows version of Patent Grabber as soon as we can.

Downloading:

Fixed a lot of “link rot” issues.

Added ability to mix U.S. issued patents and published applications in the “Download” list.

Added the ability to save everything that is downloaded into a single Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Especially useful if you are just downloading the bibliographic pages from multiple patents and you want them combined into a single PDF document.
See the "Preferences" section of the Patent Grabber instructions for a description of how you can obtain a free EPO "Open Patent Services" (OPS) account and then generate credentials for you to use with your copy of Patent Grabber. Those credentials will reduce the chance of the EPO temporarily locking you out of their OPS databases for overusage. Several of Patent Grabber's features make use of OPS.

Searching:

Fixed a lot of “link rot” issues.

Download for Mac OS X

Download for Windows

Patent Grabber 6.4.1 beta (Build 11) is available for download!

OK, finally! There has been enough input and enough testing to put Patent Grabber 6.4.1 beta (Build 11) up for downloading. This will hopefully be the production version so long as I do not receive any problem reports.

The big problem was "link rot" issues, especially for features that used the EPO's "Open Patent Services" system. For a while it was a moving target (that's why I never released Version 6.4), but things have hopefully settled down for the time being.

I have added two new features that were requested by users:

First, users may now mix U.S. patent numbers and U.S. published application numbers in the download field. While it may seem like a simple concept, in operation it was a lot more complicated!

Second, I added the ability to combine many documents from one download list into a single Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Say you just want to download the bibliographic pages from many patents, and have them as a single PDF file. Previously, you would have had to download the individual bibliographic files using Patent Grabber and then perform that final combining process separately using a PDF manipulation app such as the full version of Acrobat or (on the Mac) Preview. In Version 6.4.1 all you have to do is check the "Single PDF" checkbox and Patent Grabber will do everything for you.

Please download Patent Grabber 6.4.1 beta (Build 11):

Mac OSX

Windows

Patent Grabber 6.3 is now available!

Patent Grabber 6.3 is now available! This version is a free upgrade for licensed users.

Added the ability for a user to save European Patent Office credentials for their copy of Patent Grabber. That allows Patent Grabber to operate at maximum speed without liklihood of being locked out by the EPO for over usage. Obtaining EPO credentials is free, and is highly recommended for all users who: 1) use US Patent Biblio with "Include Family Identifiers" checked, 2) use US Patent Biblio +, download EP, PCT or International patent documents, or download INPADOC legal status reports.

See the "Preferences" section of the Patent Grabber instructions for a description of how you can obtain a free EPO "Open Patent Services" account and then generate credentials for you to use with your copy of Patent Grabber.

The Family-izer™ patent family web apps are back in action!

Family-izer and Family-izer Solo both stopped working recently. We tracked down the problem to an unannounced change at our ISP. We made the appropriate adjustments and both are back in action!

So if you need INPADOC patent family information, for one patent or hundreds, please give them a try!