The plaintiff type, especially, is something not available anywhere else, and is the key value of the database (hence the name). There are surely some quibbles about how some are coded (I know of one where I disagree), but on the whole, the coding is much more useful than the "highly active" plaintiff designations in other databases.
I think this database is also useful as a check on other services, as it is hand coded and may correct errors in patent numbers, etc., that I've periodically found. I see the value as threefold:
- As a supplement to other data, adding plaintiff type
- As a quick, free guide to which patents were litigated in each case, or which cases involved a particular patent, etc.
- As a bulk data source showing trends in location, patent counts, etc., useful in its own right.
The database is here: http://npe.law.stanford.edu/ Kudos to Shawn Miller for all his hard work on this, and to Mark Lemley for having the vision to create it and get it funded and completed.
