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IClaim is an interesting software tool for Microsoft Word 2003 users. It analyzes patent claims and checks them for errors. It also checks for proper numbering of the claims. It integrates with Word seamlessly, appearing in the “Right Click” menu function. For people whose job it is to review patents in Word (which is something I had to do manually in the early 1990s, as an intern at Intel), it’s definitely a handy, if somewhat obscure tool. One of the most amazing elements of iClaim is it integrated into Word so seamlessly, I actually had a hard time finding exactly where it was on my machine. IClaim didn’t slow down any of Word’s functionalities and was perfectly crash-free, despite all the extra add-ins, macros and other fanciful junk that I have loaded into my computer throughout the years. Once I figured out where iClaim was (it was not even in the “Programs” directory; I found it by right-clicking on an open patent in Word), I was impressed with how easy it was to use. The CD lacks any example patents, however, and this probably is the weakest part of the program — lack of documentation, help files or built-in walkthroughs for the novice user. I also found the Web site incredibly sparse, with not enough directions on how to use the program. To activate the program, all you have to do is highlight the text in your patent (you have to “Select All” or the software likely will generate many errors), right click and go to the iClaim “Check, Renumber or Configuration” menu that will appear in the “Shortcut” menu. IClaim then will show you what it thinks is wrong with your patent on the right-hand side of the screen, where it says “Highlight Changes.” Errors are shown as Word comments in the “iClaim Check” options. Changes are marked in the “Track Changes” mode in the “iClaim Renumber” options. Be prepared to be a good sport about iClaim’s checking procedure because it will warn you numerous times about antecedents you have missed. This is where using iClaim can be frustrating. It doesn’t give you a whole lot of explanations, options or suggestions on how to correct your patent to make it happy. (Kind of like the patent office itself.) However, a lot of times it was simply the way some sentences were structured that confused the software. Some of the advice on number references and punctuation was very helpful in highlighting those uncorrected mistakes. In that sense, it really can help out a law firm doing heavy patent reviews generated in Word. I found the integration between Word and iClaim to be its greatest value. The interface gives you the ability to open patents in Word and check the patents for mistakes without having to open another program. You don’t have to save the file, run it through another program, save the file again and reopen it in Word. However, greater support is needed both within the CD itself and the Web site. Discounts are given for larger licenses, but the $399 price seems reasonable to have this program as part of the patent review arsenal. If it keeps even two or three patents from being returned for manual review, it pays for itself. A slightly better design based on a more interactive user interface (i.e., greater detail on the error descriptions and how to fix them) combined with greater support on the CD and on the Web site would improve the program’s performance with many users. Brux Software Solutions states iClaim 2.0 is now available and that it has many new improvements, such as the ability to customize the “iClaim Check” feature and more. |
iClaim Windows 98/2000/XP. Reviewed by Russell Jackman, vice chairman of the State Bar of California Law Practice Management & Technology committee 2004 to 2005. PROS CONS VERDICT |
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