Breakthrough Combination Of Chemical Structure And Natural Language Patent Systems.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 1998--A breakthrough integrated patent information system was announced here today by Manning & Napier Information Services (MNIS), INPI (The French Patent Office), Questel.Orbit and CambridgeSoft Corporation. The system brings new power and ease-of-use to the full range of patent information needs of companies active in chemical and pharmaceutical businesses. The new system links MNIS' unique natural language processing system for enterprise management and analysis of patents, MAPIT(tm), with INPI's MMS patent Markush chemical structure database. MMS is accessible using Questel.Orbit's Markush DARC software. Graphical Markush DARC queries are conveniently generated from CambridgeSoft's ChemDraw Pro Plugin for Internet browsers.

MAPIT provides customers with the ability to enter natural language queries to search the full-text of US and international patents. Markush DARC operates on databases of chemical structures derived from US and international patents. The sophisticated, easy-to-use concept analysis available with MAPIT can now be combined with chemical structure queries in patents to fill the patent information and data mining needs of discovery scientists, chemists, and business professionals faster, with better results and less cost.

"Combining chemical structure and chemical concepts in patents has never been easier," said David L. Snyder, who leads development of new initiatives for MNIS. "This unique combination of patent searching capabilities is the result of demand from customers such as Pfizer who have supported us from the beginning," he continued.

MMS is the world's largest Markush structure database providing access to chemical patents issued throughout the world. MMS is searchable with Markush queries using Questel.Orbit's powerful Markush DARC software that is capable of translating generic Superatoms into specific chemical entities. MMS is derived from the Markush structure database co-produced by INPI and Derwent Information, Ltd.

Serge Chambaud, Director of Documentation and Dissemination for INPI said, "The integration of these capabilities provides a tool which is greater than the sum of its parts. This cooperation brings new benefits to patent management, analysis and searching by giving access to over 250 million chemical structures."

"This international partnership reflects our ambition, as a key player in the Intellectual Property online information arena, to provide innovative products and services based on web technology allowing our clients to gain strategic competitivity," said Madeleine Baines, Marketing-Communications Director for Questel.Orbit.

CambridgeSoft has modified its well-respected ChemDraw Pro Plugin to export a query format that is compatible with the Markush DARC query features. "This is a big step toward an integrated patent searching system that combines concepts and structures," said Michael McManus, Ph.D., Vice President for Marketing of CambridgeSoft Corporation.

CambridgeSoft provides high quality desktop Internet software for scientists and engineers working in chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, petroleum, and other chemical-related industries, as well as in government laboratories and universities. Information about CambridgeSoft products and distributors worldwide is available from CambridgeSoft's World Wide Web site at http://www.camsoft.com, or by calling 800 315-7300 or 617 491-2200.

MNIS, based in Rochester, NY, was founded in 1995 to deliver advanced information technologies to business, financial and government researchers. DR-LINK(tm) and MAPIT(tm), powerful data mining and analysis tools, are currently in use at major corporations, intellectual property law firms, the U.S. government intelligence community and the patent offices around world. MNIS is affiliated with Manning & Napier Advisors, a Rochester-based financial advisory firm with more than $7.5 billion in assets under management.

INPI is the French Patent and Trademark Office and is responsible for the granting of patents and trademarks within France. The dissemination of intellectual property information is also a major part of INPI's mission. INPI is the largest database producer in France with over 35 million records online and in CD-ROM.

With more than twenty years of experience in the international online information services field, Questel.Orbit -- part of France Telecom Group -- offers customers a catalog of more than 200 professional data banks, specializing in patent, trademark, scientific, chemical, business and news information (http://www.questel.orbit.com). France Telecom is the world's fourth-largest telecommunications carrier with 1997 consolidated operating revenues of FF 156.7 billion and 33.7 million telephone lines in service. In addition to local, long-distance and international telephony, France Telecom provides businesses and consumers with data, wireless, multimedia,Internet, broadcasting and cable-TV services. France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) held an initial public offering in October 1997.

CS ChemOffice, ChemDraw, Chem3D, ChemFinder, and ChemInfo are trademarks of CambridgeSoft Corporation.

    CONTACT: Bruce Gelin                    Catherine Pagis
              CambridgeSoft Corporation      INPI
              617.491.2200, x1203            33.1.53.04.52.60
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              or
              Thomas Barbelet                Victor Beck

              Questel.Orbit                  Text 100 Public Relations

              33.1.55.04.52.55               617-723-1044

              [e-mail]           [e-mail]

              or
              Michael O'Hara
              North American Representative for INPI
              Millennium Information Services
              1.800.949.5120 or 202.543.5120
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              or
              David Zolowicz
              Manning & Napier Information Services
              800.278.5356 or 716.454.0050
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