Answers to common questions about adding patents, managing patent families, bulk operations, licenses, screening external portfolios, and exporting data from ArcPrime.
How do I add patents to ArcPrime?
Open Patents > Portfolio > List and click Add Patent. Enter application, publication, or patent numbers from any jurisdiction, one per line, and click Next. ArcPrime looks each number up, prefills a form per patent, and shows an empty form for any number it could not match. Review the forms and click Add Patents. A progress bar tracks the import, and ArcPrime emails you when it is complete. See adding patents to your portfolio for the full walkthrough.
Can I add a whole patent family at once?
Yes. Before you click Next, turn on the family option. The description changes to "The full worldwide family of each patent will be added." ArcPrime then ingests the family members and links them together. Leave it off to add only the numbers you entered.
How are patent families organized?
Each row on the patent list is a family that groups continuations, divisionals, and foreign counterparts. Open the family to see the individual filings on its detail page. To link another filing manually, open the row's actions menu and select Add Patent in Family, or edit relationships from the family tree.
How do I perform bulk operations on my portfolio?
Select families with the checkboxes on the patent list and click Bulk Edit. Under Property to Update, choose Apply Labels, Status, Technology, Outside Counsel, Inhouse Counsel, Filing Date, Grant Date, or Creation Date, then click Apply Changes. See how to bulk edit patents for step-by-step instructions.
Can I export my patent data?
Yes. Apply any filters you need on the patent list, then click Export. ArcPrime prepares a CSV with your visible columns and shows Download export when the file is ready. Search results export in the same way, ordered by search relevance.
Can I track licenses and other encumbrances?
Yes. Open Patents > Portfolio > Licenses and click New Agreement to record a licence agreement with its grants. Add amendments and terminations to the agreement as they happen. Every patent under an agreement shows its encumbrances on its detail page and in the Encumbrances column of the patent list. See the licenses overview for details.
Can I analyze patents I do not own?
Yes. Open Patents > Intelligence > Screening and create a project. When you add patents, choose External portfolio to search patents owned by a specific company, or Paste a list of patent numbers. Use this to size up an acquisition target or run a light freedom-to-operate check. See how to screen an external portfolio.
Can I add custom labels to patents?
Yes. Create labels under Settings > Workspace Data > Labels, then apply them from a patent's detail page or through Bulk Edit. Labels are a filter and a sortable column on the patent list, so you can tag patents by business unit, product line, or campaign.
How do I track status changes?
ArcPrime updates patent status from tracked correspondence and lets you change it manually on the patent detail page. Every change is recorded in the patent's audit history, which you can filter by Case fields, Relationships, or User edits. Portfolio-wide changes appear under Patents > Portfolio > Changelog.
Still Have Questions?
Contact our support team at [email protected] or use the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of any ArcPrime page.
Related Articles
Patent List Overview — Search, filter, sort, and manage every patent in your portfolio
Adding Patents to Your Portfolio — Add single patents, batches, and whole families
Licenses Overview — Record agreements, grants, amendments, and terminations
Best Practices for Organizing Your Portfolio — Taxonomy design, labeling conventions, and status workflows