Adams updates the 2007 second edition (the first was published in 1992) to account for the extraordinary speed of the development of patent information in East Asia, especially China. He concentrates on new material, therefore, on the BRIC countries--Brazil, Russia, India, and China--and the prominence of the Patent Co-operation Treaty system. Other chapters have been revised to take account of new procedures that affect the documentation seen by the searchers, and the many changes in sources and web-page addresses. The first part describes patent processes and documentation and the patent systems of major countries and blocs. The second surveys databases and search techniques. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)