8.13 Search Activity – Using the IPC Green Inventory to find a patent for processing waste tyres and using patent family data to determine freedom to operate

Your client, Molectra Technologies, based in Australia, has written to you about the tremendous challenge of responsibly disposing of the 1000 million old tyres the world throws away every year. Landfills are banned in many countries and are no longer a viable option. The durability of tyres and their resistance to puncture, slicing, and decomposition at moderate temperatures makes disposal difficult.John Adams, the Managing Director of Molectra, believes that the best solution is pyrolysis ie thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen, and he is aware of a European patent entitled “METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THERMALLY TREATING USED TIRES”, which describes a similar technique involving pyrolysis of comminuted tyres. Use the IPC Green Inventory as a starting point to find this patent; and use patent family data to see whether there is an Australian patent that would stop Mr Adams from using this invention.

Answer to search Activity 8.13

Step Description of step

Model answer

1 What clues do you have?

Search terms: thermally, treating, tires, pyrolysis, comminuted. There is a European patent or patent application

2 Which databases will you use?

Espacenet;

the Lens www.lens.org

3 Identify the appropriate IPC from the Green Inventory

Access the Green Inventory at http://www.wipo.int/classifications/ipc/en/est/

Most appropriate IPC: C10B53/00

4 Search in Espacenet

Select Advanced search and use:

- in the Title or abstract field: (tyre* OR tire*) pyrolysis comminute*

- in the Publication number field: EP- in the IPC field: C10B53

5 View the result list then click on the title

We’ve found EP1785248 which has the title given by Mr Adams

6 Select INPADOC patent family

There are seven family members but none for Australia (AU)

7 Check with another database:

www.lens.org

Twelve family members but again none for Australia (AU).

8 Conclusion There is no Australian patent that would stop Mr Adams from using this invention (in Australia)