Browse StudiesQuick Answers to Common Questions
| Question Categories | |
|---|---|
| Registration | Status of Submissions |
| Researcher Profile | Status of Studies |
| Prior Art Search | Rewards and Payment |
| Responding to Studies | Profit Sharing |
Registration:
What is Article One Partners all about?
Article One Partners uses the power of the global online community to research evidence that relates to the claims of novelty of selected patents. A patent, in essence, tells the story of a technology as of a certain date. Its validity is analyzed based in part on whether the same story is told in earlier publications. A Study is a request to the AOP community for such publications that relate to select patents. These publications, known formally as prior art, are publicly available and may be in any language from anywhere in the world.
How do I register and become a Researcher?
You can register here.
Can anyone become a Researcher?
While AOP is open to nearly everyone, there are a few things that can disqualify you from becoming a Researcher.
You cannot join AOP if...
You are a patent officer currently or recently employed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
You intend to use your membership on behalf of anyone else, or if the evidence you provide may be considered to be confidential to your current employer. We assist you with a series of questions on the response form to each Study to enable you to double check that you are eligible to respond.
You can register as a Researcher but you might be ineligible for certain Patent Studies if for example..
You have a confidentiality agreement with your employer that conflicts with the Study
You are employed by a company involved in the Study
Refer to the qualification step when responding to a Study to review your eligibility
Didn't "Researchers" used to be referred to as "Advisors?"
Yes, and informally - out of respect - we will continue to do so. As we grow, and more people learn about our platform, we have moved to a term that is more readily understandable. Most importantly, we still continue to have immense respect for the tremendous job our community has done!
How do I change my username?
Contact us if you want to have your username changed. Don’t forget to tell us what username you prefer to use.
How do I delete my account?
We’re sorry to see you go, but if for some reason, you do have to delete your account, contact us, and we will send you an email to confirm the removal of your account.
Who do I contact with questions?
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about AOP. Feel free to contact us. You may also post your questions on our forum.
Researcher Profile:
Who is an AOP Researcher?
An AOP Researcher is someone who has signed up on our site as a member of our community.
What are the benefits of signing up as a Researcher?
As a registered member of our community, you can participate in Studies currently open on our site, and you get exclusive access to new Studies that are on preview to our members. You get the chance to earn rewards and receive points for your participation on our site while enjoying the benefits of belonging to a community of bright minds and keen researchers, including networking, building teams for more fruitful searching, participating in forums, and more.
How do I create my profile?
You can easily create your profile when you register on Article One. You simply create your login details or user information and you later provide other information on your profile. You can easily update your profile by clicking on the account link when you are logged in on our site.
Why do I need to complete my profile?
Some Studies are only offered to Researchers based on their skills, location or areas of interest. The more information you provide, the more Studies you are eligible to participate in.
Do I need to enter my real name in my profile?
We do need this information to process payments to you. Be assured that the information you provide will not be publicly disclosed and will be treated with utmost confidentiality as outlined in our Privacy Policy.
Login with LinkedIn
Associating your account with LinkedIn allows you to login to Article One with one click. To associate your account, please check the LinkedIn Status on your account page. LinkedIn information will not be used for any purpose other than one-click login. LinkedIn information will not be visible on your public Article One profile.
Prior Art Search:
What is Prior Art?
Prior Art refers to the entire body of publicly available information that can potentially invalidate a patent showing that its ideas were known before a particular date. It is evidence that can show that an invention described in the claims of a patent existed before a date of interest. Under U.S. law, this can be the filing date or the date of invention.
Why are Prior Art Dates important?
For prior art to invalidate a U.S. Patent, the information should predate the earliest filed information by at least one year. This is why each Patent Study includes a “Latest Date for Prior Art.” Please Note: If your reference was published within one year before the earliest U.S. filing date, it may still be relevant, so please send it in.
What is the difference between the patent's "Filing Date" and the "Latest Date for Prior Art?"
"Filing Date" refers to the date when the patent application was filed in the patent office. "Latest Date for Prior Art" refers to the last date of publication that will be accepted for a reference in a Study. For example, if the latest date for prior art is 01/01/2000, then the reference you're submitting for the Study must have been published or made public as of that date.
What is Non-Patent Literature?
Non-Patent Literature is any document that is not a patent. This term often describes the portions of a patent search that review websites, technical journals, databases, textbooks, magazines, etc. Because this literature is not often searchable through modern databases, it can be very valuable in prior art searching.
What are the different types of prior art search?
Sometimes there are specifications as to the type of search that Article One requires. In efforts to better focus your research, please read the following descriptions:
Invalidity Study – Depending on the client’s needs, some patent studies will be conducted to find prior art that will serve to invalidate a patent. If the prior art, either by itself or in combination with other references, describes or “teaches” the subject patent, and is dated prior to the patent’s date of invention, then the prior art can be deemed to be invalidating. This means that it is deemed to constitute evidence of patent invalidity by a court or adjudicative body, such as the U.S. Patent Office.
State of Art Study – Sometimes a client is curious to see if a new technology is innovative. For this type of study, Prior Art needs to be submitted based on the existence, or lack, of similar technology.
For more information about Prior Art:
"Considering What Constitutes Prior Art in the United States" by Walter J. Blenko, Jr.
As published in JOM: The Member Journal of TMS
"When is something Prior Art against a Patent?"
As published on IusMentis.com
"What is Prior Art?" produced by Christopher K. Wong
As posted on YouTube.com by Peer To Patent
Responding to Studies:
What is a Study?
A Study is a research request related to selected patents. Through the Study, the AOP community is invited to submit patent validity evidence or prior art, which is information made publicly available before a given date that could be relevant to a patent's claim of novelty. Each Study contains a description of each patent, links to the actual patent(s) and a description of search requirements or what you need to submit in order to qualify for the stated reward.
I am new to the site, and I want to participate in a Study. What should I know to get started?
You have already taken the first step by registering on our site. Once you're registered, you can begin researching for a Study.
Browse through our Studies and choose which one is of interest to you. Read the Study description and pay particular attention to the Requirements to Match. Download and read the patent(s) and other attachments provided in the Study.
Upon understanding what the Study is all about, begin looking for references that can be submitted as prior art to the Study.
Submit your responses by clicking on the Respond button of the Study. Follow the onscreen instructions in submitting each reference.
How do I respond to a Study?
Click the Respond button in the corresponding Study page.
Confirm that you accept the Terms of Use, Compensation Agreement, and Privacy Policy, and complete the rest of the eligibility questionnaire. This determines whether you are able to legally send us prior art for your chosen Study. (If you cannot participate in a particular Study, you may still be able to participate in others.)
Submit your prior art by uploading files or supplying links. Be sure to provide the necessary citations and other bibliographic information about the reference(s) you are submitting.
How do I submit Non-Digitized references? (Books, newspapers, user manuals, etc.)
The preferred way to submit a non-digitized reference to a Study is to scan the document and submit it as a PDF file online. If this is not possible, or the reference needs to be submitted in hard-copy format, please contact Article One with the subject "Current Patent Study" for further instructions. Submission instructions will be provided based on the specific type of non-digitized reference.
How do I know about new Studies?
The best way to hear about new Studies is to sign up to receive our newsletter. The newsletter provides information about new Study launches in addition to other topics of interest to our community members. From time to time, we may also send out notification emails providing additional information related to specific Studies. You may also sign up for our study RSS feed to be informed about new Studies as soon as they are launched.
Can I choose the Study I will work on?
Absolutely! You decide which Study you wish to research. You can submit up to the maximum number of references for each Study as long as you meet the eligibility requirements of the Study as determined by the questionnaire you will answer prior to submitting.
Can I use the AOP Forum to discuss the details of a Study with my fellow Researchers?
Article One is not in the practice of law, and we cannot provide legal opinion. We thus request our Researchers to refrain from discussing Studies on the AOP Forum, as these discussions may be erroneously interpreted as legal opinion or analysis.
Can I explain why I’m submitting a particular reference to a Study?
We don’t provide a notes section or a comment box because we cannot accept analyses or opinions about why a particular submission can be considered prior art. Article One Partners is not in the practice of law, and we cannot provide legal opinion. We thus cannot accept anything that can be interpreted as such. If your submission is indeed high quality prior art, it will speak for itself.
I don’t have a copy of the full text of a reference at this time. Can I just submit the abstract?
Yes, you can submit the abstract of the reference. Just remember to note that you will be submitting the complete reference as soon as you have it.
Is there a limit to the number of references I can submit?
Yes, you can submit up to 15 references for each Study. Starting November 30, 2011, you can submit no more than 10 US patents per Study.
This limit aims to help both the Researcher and AOP have a focused approach in identifying the highest quality prior art. Following the limit for each Study ensures that each Researcher will only submit the references, which, in his or her opinion, are of the highest quality. In turn, we will able to process responses more quickly, and profit-sharing points will be awarded accordingly.
Why is there a limit on the number of US patents I can submit per Study?
As online search engines make US patents more and more accessible, non-patent literature and non-US patents are becoming the most valuable in AOP Studies. US patents are regularly covered in preliminary searches, and non-patent literature and non-US patents are more likely to provide new paths not previously known by both the client and your fellow Researchers. As such, these types of references are the most valuable and offer a competitive edge over other Researchers. We set a limit on the number of US patents you can submit to challenge the community to find the highest quality references from a variety of sources.
How much time do I have to work on a Study?
Each Study is generally open for 6 weeks, although some Studies may have special time limitations. Check the Study to see its expiry date.
Can I see what references other Researchers have submitted?
Studies are sponsored by our clients. Given that the submissions we obtain may be very important to their companies, the clients who sponsor the Studies have exclusive access to the references we collect. Furthermore, some of the patents in our Studies may be involved in pending litigation. As such, we cannot disclose more information in addition to what we currently make public.
Status of Submissions
What happens after I submit a reference?
Our team does an initial review and updates the status of your reference within a few days upon submission. Initial points are awarded as a result.
The technical disclosures of the reference are reviewed based on the requirements of the Study, as stated in the Study description. The review team may contact you through the Message Center to ask for additional information. The review team may also contact you to provide you more information for the Study.
Points are awarded when the Study is closed. We will notify you if you are the Winner or MVR for the Study.
How do I check the status of my submissions?
When you are logged in, click the Points link on the upper right hand corner of the screen. Check the Prior Art Activity table to view the status of the references you have submitted.
What is the meaning of the Status of my submission?
Submitted - This is the initial status of the reference before it is reviewed.
Declined - The submission has not been accepted and will not receive points. A submission is declined (1) if it is already cited in the Study patent(s) or other lists of known prior art, (2) if it is past the latest date for prior art, (3) if you have already submitted the same reference to the Study, or (4) if you are submitting more than the submission limit for the Study.
Pending - A submission is marked pending if more work needs to be done to process the submission. For example, it is a foreign language reference, which still needs to be translated. In some cases, the review team will contact you through the Message Center for further information.
Accepted - The submission has been reviewed and has been accepted to the collection of references. Unless marked Declined or Pending, all references will be initially marked as Accepted. If the reference provides sufficient connection to the Study it will be changed to one of the following statuses. If not, it will remain as Accepted.
Background - The submission provides basic information about the technology area, but is not within the detailed scope of the Study.
Honorable Mention - The submission is closely related to the technology of the subject patent and will receive 50 points.
Secondary - The submission profides secondary reliance for a technical mapping that can support a path to patent invalidity or state of the art, and will receive 100 points.
Primary - The submission is primarily and substantially relied upon for a technical mapping that can support a path to patent validity or state of the art. Primary status does not directly guarantee a winning submission, but will receive 200 points.
When do I receive points for my submission?
You will receive points if your reference is accepted and “in scope” as defined in our summary of Researcher Points. Points for primary, secondary, and honorable mention references are awarded once the Study closes.
Status of Studies
What does it mean if a Study is “Pending Review?”
A Study is “Pending Review” if its stated expiry date has already passed. This indicates that the Study is nearing completion.
We are still accepting references for Studies that are “Pending Review.” While we are already reviewing the submissions to select the Winners for these Studies, your submission will still be considered for the Reward.
Can I still submit to Studies marked "Closed" or "Closed - Winner?"
Studies marked as "Closed" and "Closed-Winner" are no longer accepting responses. Hence, no Reward will be paid out for any references after the Study is already closed, whether or not there is a Winner announcement.
When do you expect to announce the Study results?
Results are announced generally within twelve weeks after the Study is moved to "Pending Review." However, the analysis may be shortened or extended depending on the references we receive.
Will you explain why a particular reference is the Winner for a Study?
As much as we would like to give a detailed explanation, we cannot discuss why a particular reference has been declared the Winner or how a reference you submitted relates to other submissions to a Study, particularly those that have been selected as Winners. Discussing the details of these references will violate our confidentiality to our clients and your fellow Researchers.
We appreciate the hard work of our community, and we understand your desire to know more about the references we receive. We are committed to give you the best answers to your questions, provided that we do not violate this confidentiality. We take this seriously because it ensures that our Researchers are free to submit their references and our Study sponsors receive high quality results without the risk of revealing any sensitive information. We refrain from discussing the elements of references with Researchers to avoid inadvertently disclosing the nature of any references to the general public. Ultimately, this benefits everyone because this confidentiality ensures that clients continue to get high quality prior art and our Researchers get to participate in a steady stream of Studies on our site.
Rewards and Payment:
How can I be compensated?
We gladly reward our Researchers for their valuable contributions to our community. The stated Study Rewards are distributed based on the results of individual Studies. Additionally, Most Valuable Researcher payments of $100 each are paid to up to 10 Researchers for each Study. Profit Sharing Rewards are also distributed based on points accumulated by performing certain activities on our site.
How are Study Rewards distributed?
Study Rewards are paid out based on the results of the Study. For some Studies, the reward is guaranteed and is paid out to the Researcher who submitted the highest quality submission. The reward is not guaranteed in other Studies. In this case, the reward is paid out only if there is a Winner as defined in the Study description.
For guaranteed reward Studies, the shared reward (as defined below) is also guaranteed. For non-guaranteed reward Studies, the shared reward is only paid if there is a Study Winner as defined in the Study description.
AOP likes to reward as many researchers as we can for the time and effort they put into researching a Study. With this in mind, we provide a Shared Reward payment of $100 each to up to 10 Most Valuable Researchers (MVR) per Study. The money for these payments is included in the posted Reward for each study. For guaranteed reward Studies, the shared reward is also guaranteed. For non-guaranteed reward Studies, the shared reward is only paid if there is a Study Winner as defined in the Study description. We base eligibility for selection as an MVR on the following suggested submission criteria:
• Non-digitized submissions
• Non-English reference submissions which include a translation
• Submissions of non-patent literature
• Publications selected based on a table or a figure
• Submissions from an obscure journal
*If you submit more than the maximum number of references for the Study, you are not eligible to be an MVR
How do I know if I’ve won a Study?
You will be notified by email if you will receive a Reward for a Study. You will also receive the necessary paperwork to process your payment. Study results are published on the site.
How will I receive my payment?
Payments are made by check, Paypal, or wire transfer. Specific instructions regarding these payment options will be given when you receive your Reward notification.
Does a Researcher have to be based in the US to be eligible for the Rewards?
No. Any member of Article One’s global community may receive Rewards.
I was notified that I won a Study. When can I expect to receive my Reward?
To process your payment, we need you to fill out the paperwork we sent when we notified you about your Reward. As stipulated in the Compensation Agreement, we will process your payment 45 days after you send us back the accomplished paperwork. Note that the processing of payments is completed on the Friday after the 45-day period.
When can I expect to receive the 1099 for my rewards and profit-sharing payments?
All reward and profit sharing payments distributed this year will be reported on the 1099 statement issued before January of the following year.
Profit Sharing
What is Profit Sharing?
Each year, Article One rewards the Community further through our Profit-Sharing Program. The overall amount is based on a percentage of Rewards paid in that calendar year, which will be announced at the beginning of each year. Researchers earn profit-sharing based on the points they accumulate and level they achieve.
Am I eligible for profit-sharing?
You are eligible if you agree to participate in the profit-sharing program and you meet the requirements as stated on our site.
How is the profit-sharing distribution determined?
The actual profit-sharing distribution is described more fully here.
When will I be notified about my profit-sharing payment?
As stated in the Compensation Agreement, you will receive the official notification within the first three months of the year.
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