Newsletter No. 144
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FreePint
"Helping 62,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 4th September 2003 No.144
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ALTERNATIVE NEWSLETTER FORMATS AVAILABLE AT:
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/040903.htm>
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IN THIS ISSUE
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EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Eric Oudyn
FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JOBS
Senior Corporate Finance Researcher
Project Manager
Temp Research Associate-Corporate Finance
Senior Marketing Officer - STN Agency
TIPS ARTICLE
"Searching Free Design Databases on the Web"
By Steve Van Dulken
BOOKSHELF
"Web Project Management - Maintaining and Evolving
Successful Commercial Web Sites"
Reviewed by Richard Eskins
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Informing the Asylum Debate"
By Felicity Heyworth
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/040903.htm>
FULLY FORMATTED VERSION
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/040903.pdf>
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>>ONLINE INFORMATION CONFERENCE<<
Super Early Bird Discounts until 19th Sept, so book your place asap!
2-4 December 2003, Olympia, London, UK
<http://www.online-information.co.uk/conferenceregistration.html>
Hear international leaders share insight, experience and often
controversial thinking on information management, content management,
searching, collaboration, digital libraries & info architecture
<http://www.online-information.co.uk/ol03/conference.html>
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>>> ABOUT FREEPINT <<<
FreePint is an online network of information searchers. Members
receive this free newsletter twice a month: it is packed with tips
on finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet.
Joining is free at <http://www.freepint.com/> and provides access to
a substantial archive of articles, reviews, jobs & events, with
answers to research questions and networking at the FreePint Bar.
Please circulate this newsletter which is best read when printed out.
To receive a fully formatted version as an attachment or a brief
notification when it's online, visit <http://www.freepint.com/member>.
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EDITORIAL
When I started working for myself seven years ago, I remember looking
for gems of inspiration and advice in a range of sources, from
biographies to the business guides you find in airport bookshops.
I remember reading about an interview, held in the back of a stretch
limousine, with a powerful self-made, poodle-laden and fur-wearing
multi-millionairess. When asked what she liked most about working for
herself, she said that the best thing was the job security. The
interviewer apparently sniggered, to which the interviewee immediately
retorted that she wasn't likely to make herself redundant.
I was reminded of this story when reading our interview with
independent information professional Mary Ellen Bates which we've
published today. I'm not saying I think Mary Ellen is a poodle-laden
stretch-limo-using multi-millionairess - at least she hasn't struck me
as such the many times we've met. Just that Mary Ellen talks about
feeling like she has *more* job security as a result of becoming an
independent. I love her suggestion for creating an effective '10
second pitch' and her take on giving new things a try. I also agree
with her views on the opportunities open to information professionals
and how marketing and adding value are the keys to success. Perhaps we
could term a new phrase for this emerging breed of entrepreneurial
information professionals: perhaps they're "Infopreneurs"?
You can read the full text of our interview with Mary Ellen at:
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/events/sla-2003/>
Whilst we're on the topic of jobs and job security, registered
charities now receive a 50% discount on vacancy listings in FreePint
Jobs <http://www.freepint.com/jobs>. We're actually in the throes of
moving all the FreePint Web services over to Willco's modular
community hosting system <http://www.willco.com/>. Please bear with us
over the next few days as it's no mean feat to map some 60,000
FreePint member records and 20,000 Bar postings to a database system
with a totally new structure.
ResourceShelf.com, Gary Price's daily newsletter for information
professionals, has received significant press coverage in the States.
Whilst DigBig.com, our free utility for shortening long URLs, has also
had an incredible take-up since its launch just two weeks ago. Why not
try it out for yourself at <http://www.DigBig.com>?
We really hope you find today's FreePint useful. Remember that the
formatted version contains photos of the authors and looks great when
printed out: <http://www.freepint.com/issues/040903.htm>.
All the best
William
William Hann BSc(Hons) MCLIP
Founder and Managing Editor, FreePint
Email: <william.hann@freepint.com> Tel: +44 (0)1784 420044
Free Pint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2003
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>>> Copyright & the Internet: Myth and Reality <<<
ISBN 1-904769-00-4
"I am the librarian and webmaster for my organisation and - while
trying not to be the 'copyright policeman' - do try to coach staff
in what they can and can't do. This report will be absolutely
invaluable! If they can see it in print (and the jolly librarian
isn't making it up) then they might take notice!!"
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/copyrightmyths>
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Eric Oudyn
As a Medical Technologist I find the following five sites very useful:
* <http://www.freemedicaljournals.com> - This site gives you free
access to over 990 Medical journals, many with full text. Some
journals just have abstracts with full text on issues 1-2 years or
older.
* <http://www.quackwatch.com> - 'Your Guide to Health Fraud, Quackery,
and Intelligent Decisions', this is an excellent site for the
consumer, especially in the area of alternative therapies.
* <http://www.emedicine.com/med/topiclist.htm> - This site is a must
for medical personnel and contains a very comprehensive range of
articles on medical conditions and syndromes. Substituting 'ped/'
for 'med/' in the address above brings up an equally comprehensive
list of paediatric conditions.
* <http://www.bmj.com> - The British Medical Journal. This is a top
medical journal with free full-text articles. The journals are also
archived back to 1994.
* And lastly, for your desktop, a free medical dictionary you are able
to download from <http://www.medical-dictionary.ro/>. Pity it's US
English and not the real thing!!!
Eric Oudyn commenced his career in Medical Laboratory Technology in
1964 and is currently employed at Medlab Hamilton as the manager of
the Haematology Department.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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YOU'VE INVESTED IN CONTENT AND BUSINESS APPLICATIONS,
BUT ARE THEY WORKING HARD ENOUGH?
Factiva provides the tools and capabilities to build custom
information solutions for integration into your business applications.
With easy access to the right information in the right place you can
make informed business decisions, increasing organisational
productivity and reducing risk.
Visit <http://www.factiva.com/redirects/workflow/freepint>
for relevant white papers and case studies.
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FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
If your desk is anything like mine then it has the ability to play
hide-and-seek with your calculator just at that crucial moment when you
need to be able to put your hand on it. Problem solved -- check out the
new Google Calculator which we've tested and think is great
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25459>.
There have been lots of document management queries at the Bar
recently, both hard copy and digital documents. There are some
smashing tips on re-using material from PDFs
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25300> and can you help someone
developing a database to store and index a few hundred PDFs
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25396>?
Whilst a learning centre is being revamped, all the books are being
held in a sports hall. So can you help with security
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25436>? Or do you have knowledge of
open-source software for library automation
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25483>?
Finally, we're always calling on FreePinters to get involved with
information causes and here's two more chances for those in the UK:
* If you work with business information, then complete the latest
survey from our friends at Business Information Review
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25469>.
* There's been shock at the announcement that Westminster City
Council are closing "Information for Business" - if you have a view
on this then make some noise soon <http://www.freepint.com/go/b25401>.
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The FreePint Bar is where you can get help with your tricky research
questions, for free! <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
Help with study for information-related courses is available at the
FreePint Student Bar <http://www.freepint.com/student>.
Twice-weekly email digests of the latest postings can be requested
at <http://www.freepint.com/member>.
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>>INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION INDUSTRY AWARDS<<
Hosted by Online Information and Information World Review.
Made a valuable contribution to the information community?
SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS online (closing date 3 October)
<http://www.online-information.co.uk/awards>
Ceremony to take place at Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, 3 Dec 03
Gala Dinner, Music, Entertainment and Celebrity Host!
TABLES GOING FAST! Reserve your place Today! Email lmills@imark.co.uk
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FREEPINT JOBS
<http://www.freepint.com/jobs>
FreePint Jobs -- the best place for information vacancies.
* VACANCY SEARCHING -- Free search and set up a weekly alert profile.
* VACANCY RECRUITING -- Complete the form and advertise a vacancy
for just GBP195 <http://www.freepint.com/jobs/submit/overview.php3>.
This week's selected listings are below. All new jobs are posted to
the Bar and Bar Digest (circulation 11,000+) and matched against the
1000+ live job seeker profiles. Last week's Bar 'new jobs' listing is
at <http://www.freepint.com/go/b25359> and this week's at
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25471>.
Here are some of the latest featured jobs:
Senior Corporate Finance Researcher
Maternity leave vacancy (initially 10 months) at high salary.
Immediate start. 35 hour week.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j2633>
Project Manager
Work in Coventry; Web site content mgt; Know the educational field?
Know how to make web content attractive? Good pay.
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j2646>
Temp Research Associate-Corporate Finance
Business Research supporting the Consumer & Industrial Products Group.
Recruiter: City Professionals
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j2651>
Senior Marketing Officer - STN Agency
Responsible for providing support for customers of STN and be involved
in forward planning of marketing activities.
Recruiter: Royal Society of Chemistry
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j2653>
[The above jobs are paid listings]
Find out more today at <http://www.freepint.com/jobs>
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--- GLEN RECRUITMENT ---
Glen Recruitment is a leading independent Employment Consultancy
dealing in the recruitment of Information Specialists, Knowledge
Professionals, Business Analysts, Researchers and Librarians.
We provide both permanent and temporary staff at all levels from
Senior Managers to recent Graduates. Our client list could not be
more exceptional and includes prestigious organisations of all sizes.
For more details call 020 7745 7245 email info@glenrecruitment.co.uk
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/040903.htm#tips>
"Searching Free Design Databases on the Web"
By Steve Van Dulken
There is a lot of advice on the Web about searching for patents, but
relatively little for another form of intellectual property, designs.
The word 'design' in intellectual property indicates a distinctive
look that has been deliberately given to an object, rather than any
functional aspect (which is covered by patents). Copyright is also
available as protection, but registered designs exist as an
alternative method.
As a general rule it can be said that copyright gives a right against
copying for the lifetime of the creator plus 70 years (in Europe and
the USA). Someone else who by chance creates something identical is in
the clear, as they have not copied it. In many countries it is
automatic, but in some a certain amount of registration is required.
Copyright can cover many forms of expression (films, books, art and so
on) and in some fields registered designs are available as well.
Registered designs provide protection for a shorter period of time,
such as 25 years in Britain, and (like patents) ensure that the
proprietor holds rights even if someone else independently thinks of
the same look. Old designs will act as 'prior art' to prevent others
from applying for newer designs, even in other countries, although
some important systems such as the British and the new Community
Design do not search for novelty (which extends to all similar
material, not just designs). "Des." or (mainly American usage) "D" may
be used with a number to indicate that a product has a registered
design associated with it.
An increasing number of free databases and official gazettes are
available on the Web, but the problem for many is knowing how to
search them properly. The topic is not as simple as it may seem and
the searching possibilities vary wildly from country to country. There
is also the difficulty of having to search many sources if checking
possible usage or registration across the world.
Classification Schemes
----------------------
The Locarno Classification
<http://www.wipo.int/classifications/en/locarno/about/index.html> came
into being in 1968 to help those searching within particular subject
areas such as furniture, lighting or soft toys. It is used by most
European countries but is much less popular elsewhere: Canada, the
USA, Japan and Korea do not use it. The first class in it is 01/01 (or
01.01, or 01-01, depending on the database), which is for bakery and
confectionery products.
The British national database uses a more detailed version, so that
for example the same 01/01 is subdivided into nine subcategories such
as lollipops, /07. Similarly, Australia
<http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/adds2/adds.adds_simple_search.paint_simple_search>
uses more detailed classes in many subjects, e.g. 02-01a. There is a
link to definitions of these classification codes.
The USA uses its own design classification scheme as explained at
<http://www.uspto.gov/go/classification/> (which includes a concordance
to Locarno). They are numbered in the format D1/116, which is for ice
cream cones. The classification is often much more detailed than
Locarno.
International Registration Systems
----------------------------------
Every industrialised country will have its own system of registration
to provide protection in that country, but there are also
international systems. The British Library lists numerous databases
and gazettes at
<http://www.bl.uk/services/information/patents/deslinks.html>.
Generally, databases will have, as a minimum, those designs which are
still in force, and often those which are pending registration (i.e.
roughly 20 to 25 years' worth).
The Hague scheme has been around since 1925 and permits citizens or
residents of member states to make a single registration with effect
in designated member states. At present these are largely continental
European countries. The 1934 Act registrations merely listed the
designs and did not show what they actually looked like. Their numbers
have reached to just below 77,000. The 1960 Act registrations are now
much more common, and do give a drawing, and are numbered in the
format DM/63247. Many, seeing such a citation, take them for patents.
The database for registrations of either variety from January 1999
onwards is at <http://www.wipo.int/hague/en/hague_express.htm>.
They can be searched by English or French title words, by the
proprietor or by Locarno classification. Britain is intending to
join the scheme.
From the 1 April 2003, it has been possible to apply for a Community
Design at the OHIM office in Alicante. This is a unitary right for the
entire EU. At the time of writing a gazette containing registrations
but not a database was available at its
<http://oami.eu.int/en/design/default.htm> site. It will never be
printed on paper. It is intended to provide a database. In the
meantime, the same URL offers a "Bulletin quick search" so that a
single word such as 'toy' or the Locarno class 01-01 can be
searched in the archive, with a list of images of the design being
offered as a result. This is much faster than looking at the PDFs of
each issue, as they take ages to load.
The third international system is the Benelux, used since 1975 for the
Low Countries in place of their national systems. At present they do
not have a Web database or gazette.
National Systems
----------------
The British designs database is at <http://webdb1.patent.gov.uk/>. It
can be searched by the number, by enhanced Locarno, proprietor, or by
a combination of Locarno and proprietor. The USPTO likes its ability
to display 32 (or on request up to 128) images at once that it is
routinely used in its design searches.
France provides for free the current fortnightly gazette at
<http://dm.inpi.fr/inpidm/>. There is no free database but there are
priced databases such as a Questel.Orbit offering.
A cause of confusion is when Germans talk in English of "designs" when
they mean Gebrauchsmuster (utility patent, a simpler type of invention
than a patent) and not Geschmacksmuster (a design). They have a site
which requires free registration,
, which is searchable only by
name, place or design number. It also offers status information.
Japan has a priced database, Patolis, at
<http://patolis-e.patolis.co.jp/>, which has data from 1965.
The USA has had "design patents" since 1842, and they are available on
its official database <http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html>. They
can be searched by class or number before 1976 and since then by other
data elements -- including, uniquely, search reports. This means that
earlier (or later) design patents can be traced by following the
hypertext links. However, their own, free software must be loaded from
the Help key to see the actual images. Designs can be singled out with
the code apt/4 on the "advanced" search. The last few years of US
designs are now on the Esp@cenet database <http://ep.espacenet.com/>,
worldwide option, where they can be searched for in the publication
number field as USS specifications, while DepatisNet on
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- Publication Date: 3rd September 2003
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