On August 9, 2011, ArnoldIT and Quasar Capital Advisors made publicly available an alpha test of a free patent information service. PatentPoints.com provides a “vertical file” of curated information about business implications of patents and intellectual property. The information service is built upon the Augmentext technology and candidate articles for the vertical file are identified using the ArnoldIT Overflight technology.
The writing team consists of a law librarian, an attorney, and a journalist. The writing team told SSN:
We want to get feedback on the alpha test of the service. Our plan is to create a social component to the information service tapping into the features of Facebook and Google+ (Google Plus). We think that our curated and annotated information will be anchor points for lively discussion of the business and related issues triggered by patent activities.
The idea of curating content and providing commentary that puts complex matters into a business context is an excellent one. However, what sets the PatentPoints.com service apart is its plan to integrate the information into a social network. Legal information is, says Stephen E Arnold, “a magnet for those with familiarity with legal jargon and attorneys who reference cases or documents that are often not easy to obtain with a Web search. Our goal is provide easy to understand information and stimulate a discussion of business issues affected by the surge in patent litigation.”
The service is sponsored by Quasar Capital Advisors, a next generation financial services firm. The system is built on the Augmentext technology developed by Stephen E Arnold, ArnoldIT.com. Mr. Arnold’s Overflight information service is used to identify candidate stories which are then vetted by the editor, Constance Ard, an MLS and law librarian with more than a decade of experience working in law firms.
The service is updated each day, Monday through Friday. The alpha Web site offers a search box so the backfile of content is easily accessible. Like other Augmentext information services, a controlled vocabulary is used to index the content, so a user can search via a controlled term such as “patent research” or a free text string.
The alpha service will accept sponsorships during the alpha test period. For information about how to participate in the sponsorship program, write the PatentPoints team at patentpoints@hotmail.com.
We think the social angle is an important and much needed component to what would otherwise be a complex subject that is having a larger and larger impact on business and innovation.
Benjamin Kent, August 9, 2011
