WIPO services for access to patent information - Building patent information infrastructure and capacity in LDCs and developing countries Original Research Article

Challenges facing developing and least developed countries (LDCs) in overcoming difficulties in benefitting from patent information will be discussed in the context of on-going technical assistance from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for building a basic infrastructure providing access to databases and developing local skills for analyzing, adapting and applying patent information to local knowledge development and successful technology transfer. WIPO’s new initiatives are introduced including the establishment of focal points for using patent information, called Technology Innovation Support Centers (TISCs), as well as the new partnership programs Access to Research for Development and Innovation (aRDi) and Access to Specialized Patent information (ASPI) providing access to science and technology journals databases and specialized commercial patent databases respectively. With the increasing amount of patent data available, focus for capacity building is shifting from mere information searching to knowledge mining requiring specialized tools for analyzing patent information in an intelligent and creative way for both novice users and broader consumers in these countries.