Derwent Patent Assignee/Company Codes
Thomson Scientific provides patentee names in a standardised form, generated by a computerised dictionary file
For each patent entered into our system the patentee is assigned a 4-letter code. All patentees carried on the original source document are assigned codes, and the code is normally based on the name of the patentee. Definitions of the patentee codes are:
| ABCD | Standard companies |
| ABCD- | Non-standard companies |
| ABCD= | Russian (Soviet) organisations |
| ABCD/ | Individuals |
Patentee codes in the above format appear in our print, CD and electronic products.
In our online files the format is as follows:
| ABCD | Standard companies |
| ABCD-N | Non-standard companies |
| ABCD-R | Russian (Soviet) organisations |
| ABCD-I | Individuals |
For example a search for KITA
If you search KITA without a space after the four letters you will retrieve references to all the following, KITA with a space would only retrieve the first in the list.
| KITA | KITASATO KENKYUSHO |
| KITA- | ZH KITA KYUSHUSHI KENCHIKU |
| KITA/ | KITAMURA A |
| KITA= | KIEV TANK ENG COLLEGE |
Approximately 21000 companies, which regularly file a large number of patent applications are regarded as 'standard' companies and assigned a unique four-letter code.
In the case of Mergers or Demergers of these ‘standard’ companies, the codes are applied in accordance with our guidelines.
Since 1970, 'non-standard' codes have been assigned to companies and institutes that do not file a large number of patents. These codes are allocated using a set of simple rules and the list is growing continually. Non-standard company codes may not be unique. In this case use assignee names for more precise retrieval.
In order to output a meaningful name within the 30 characters available certain commonly occurring words in corporate patentee names are abbreviated.