About Intellectual Property IP Training IP Outreach IP for… IP and... IP in... Patent & Technology Information Trademark Information Industrial Design Information Geographical Indication Information Plant Variety Information (UPOV) IP Laws, Treaties & Judgements IP Resources IP Reports Patent Protection Trademark Protection Industrial Design Protection Geographical Indication Protection Plant Variety Protection (UPOV) IP Dispute Resolution IP Office Business Solutions Paying for IP Services Negotiation & Decision-Making Development Cooperation Innovation Support Public-Private Partnerships The Organization Working with WIPO Accountability Patents Trademarks Industrial Designs Geographical Indications Copyright Trade Secrets WIPO Academy Workshops & Seminars World IP Day WIPO Magazine Raising Awareness Case Studies & Success Stories IP News WIPO Awards Business Universities Indigenous Peoples Judiciaries Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions Economics Gender Equality Global Health Climate Change Competition Policy Sustainable Development Goals Enforcement Frontier Technologies Mobile Applications Sports Tourism PATENTSCOPE Patent Analytics International Patent Classification ARDI – Research for Innovation ASPI – Specialized Patent Information Global Brand Database Madrid Monitor Article 6ter Express Database Nice Classification Vienna Classification Global Design Database International Designs Bulletin Hague Express Database Locarno Classification Lisbon Express Database Global Brand Database for GIs PLUTO Plant Variety Database GENIE Database WIPO-Administered Treaties WIPO Lex - IP Laws, Treaties & Judgments WIPO Standards IP Statistics WIPO Pearl (Terminology) WIPO Publications Country IP Profiles WIPO Knowledge Center WIPO Technology Trends Global Innovation Index World Intellectual Property Report PCT – The International Patent System ePCT Budapest – The International Microorganism Deposit System Madrid – The International Trademark System eMadrid Article 6ter (armorial bearings, flags, state emblems) Hague – The International Design System eHague Lisbon – The International System of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications eLisbon UPOV PRISMA Mediation Arbitration Expert Determination Domain Name Disputes Centralized Access to Search and Examination (CASE) Digital Access Service (DAS) WIPO Pay Current Account at WIPO WIPO Assemblies Standing Committees Calendar of Meetings WIPO Official Documents Development Agenda Technical Assistance IP Training Institutions COVID-19 Support National IP Strategies Policy & Legislative Advice Cooperation Hub Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC) Technology Transfer Inventor Assistance Program WIPO GREEN WIPO's Pat-INFORMED Accessible Books Consortium WIPO for Creators WIPO ALERT Member States Observers Director General Activities by Unit External Offices Job Vacancies Procurement Results & Budget Financial Reporting Oversight

Markush search now available in PATENTSCOPE

September 13, 2021

Markush structures are representations of chemical structures with variable substituents that are used in patent documents to specify groups of related chemical compounds, often in order to claim them as part of the scope of a filed patent application (also referred to as Markush claims).

Markush definitions are now indexed for the first time in PATENTSCOPE and it is possible to search all chemical compounds referred to in patent documents, either when they were listed explicitly by any name (commercial name, IUPAC name, INN,…) in the text of the patent application, given by a drawing of a structure, or when they fall within a Markush definition included in a patent application.

Exact compound searches in Markush definitions can also be mixed using Boolean logic with any other search criteria and logic. The implemented Markush search functionality also offers expert functionalities (substructure Markush search, fuzzy Markush search) which are an introduction to the level of complexity of search offered by fee-based professional systems, with some limitations, notably on response times.

Markush search is available in PATENTSCOPE, free of charge for logged-in users: a WIPO account can be created from the Login menu in the top black navigation bar. Markush formulas are captured by Clarivate and licensed to WIPO, while the Markush search functionality has been implemented by Infochem, part of the DeepMatter group.

The coverage of the indexed Markush definitions consists of the collection of the IP5 and of the published PCT applications. Regular updates are uploaded every three months. With the recent PATENTSCOPE family links, documents from other national collections will also be included in the search result lists.

The implementation of the Markush search in PATENTSCOPE makes such a search feature available free of charge and accessible to all the users for the first time worldwide and will empower universities and SMEs in their innovation activity, and notably in the field of medicine to fight the current pandemic.