Resources: searchable US patents; US lobbyists top 25
s...@ihug.co.nz
http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/
Users can search, retrieve, and view nearly four million patents and
applications at this site from IBM. The Intellectual Property Network
offers access to US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) patent descriptions
from 1971 to the present, as well as "over 1.4 million European Patent
Office and World Intellectual Property Office patents and applications." In
addition, the site also contains "images of nearly all the US patents over
the last 24 years and the images of the EPA and WIPO documents." Users can
search each patent collection by keyword, patent number, Boolean text, or
advanced text. Print and CD-ROM copies of patents may be ordered for a fee.
Additional resources include What's New and FAQ pages and a Gallery of
Obscure Patents. [MD]
17. The Power 25 -- The Influence Merchants -- _Fortune_
http://www.pathfinder.com/fortune/1998/981207/power25.html
The December 7 issue of _Fortune_ Magazine features the second annual Power
25 survey, self-described as "America's most reliable guide to the
high-contact sports of lobbying and legislating in the nation's capital. It
tells the rest of us what Washington insiders already know: who are the
true masters and who the mere pretenders." For the Power 25 Survey,
_Fortune_ interviewed over 2,500 Washington political operators to
determine the 25 most influential trade associations, labor unions, and
other pressure groups. While many of the top lobbying groups have kept
their stars in the firmament, there have been some dramatic ascents and
declines. These are discussed in the full text of the article, which is
provided at the site. As the list and article reveal, older images of back
room dealing and cigar-smoking fat cats no longer fit today's lobbying
lords. Instead of wining and dining politicians, today's top lobbyists
appeal to the voters. Top influence merchants such as the American
Association of Retired Persons draw strength more from their large and
active membership rather than from their net worth. This year's Power 25
also adds a new roster, the Kings of K Street, a listing of the top ten
freelance lobbying firms and their top guns. The site improves on the print
article by offering a ranking of the next 40 most influential Kings of K
Street. [MD]
>From the Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-1998.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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