"Please Retry Later" ... OK, just HOW much later?

[Anonymous]

I'm working on collecting PCT-related data for a patent search from PatentScope for my boss. After submitting about 40 or so queries to PS using the Permalink format (i.e., http://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/<insert your WIPO Pub. # here>), I start seeing an error saying "There was an error with your request. Please retry later."

OK, so I wait a few minutes and then try to resume my data collection only to see the same message over and over again. As far as I can tell, waiting an hour seems to restore my ability to retrieve another 40 or so PCTs before I get the same error message, but I've got many PCTs to collect and at this rate, it will take a long time to retrieve all the data.

So can you answer the following questions:
a) what's the minimum amount of time I have to wait until I can "retry later" and get PCT data successfully?
b) am I doing anything wrong by submitting my searches to PS using the Permalink format? (e.g., the server doesn't like these submissions)

[Iustin]

You can create an user account; it doesn't limit the number of queries.

Iustin

[Anonymous]

Iustin,

Thanks for the reply. So just to clarify my understanding (which I'll need to explain to my boss), without a user account, you're limited to a certain number of submissions (which I'm guessing around 40)? Also, while I don't really have a problem creating an account, my boss will want to know what information's being recorded/stored/etc. while we're using this account as he's (unfortunately) a bit paranoid... :(. Would you be able to point me to a privacy policy or something similar that explains what's collected by WIPO during use?

Thanks again!

[Iustin]

PATENTSCOPE is not meant for automated queries, there are other options if you have that in mind and you need to write to [e-mail] to get more details.
We do not run any statistics on the system usage but again you need to contact us by email if you would like to have an official confirmation.

Iustin

[Anonymous]

Automated queries?!?! I'm doing this old-school via an Excel spreadsheet full of hyperlinks to WIPO permalink URLs, my friend! :)  

My boss did ask me to look at WIPO's data products. The problem is that we're looking for national-phase entry data, which apparently isn't provided/included in these products...so it's back to a big ol' spreadsheet of hyperlinks. If you have a better idea, let me know - I'm open to suggestions.

[Iustin]

We are considering integrating the national entries in one of our existing web services, I will let you know once I have more details about it.

Iustin