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Dialog Adds Univentio's German Patent Information

New File Is Most Extensive German Patent Database Available

Machine Translations Included

CARY, N.C., USA (January 12, 2005) — Dialog, a Thomson (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) business and a leading worldwide provider of online-based information services and integrated information solutions, said today that it had added a database of German fulltext patents, with integrated English-language machine translations, to its Dialog®-branded family of services.

The new file (324) contains about 3.1 million German patent records starting in 1967. It is published by Univentio, a Dutch-based aggregator of patent data from around the world. Univentio also supplies Dialog with WIPO/PCT Patents Fulltext (File 349) (World Intellectual Property Organization/Patent Cooperation Treaty).

Patent records from 1980 forward, which total about 1.8 million and include all German patent applications, granted patents and utility models for the time period, are in fulltext German with English translations of the abstracts, specifications and claims. The availability of translated text enables non-German speaking researchers to use English-language keywords to search the Univentio file. It also allows users to generate a quick overview of retrieved records prior to a more thorough translation being completed by experts. Pre-1980 patents contain bibliographic information only.

Univentio utilizes OCR (optical character recognition) technology to scan and digitize printed German records.

"Patent attorneys, researchers, competitive intelligence specialists and others around the world look to Dialog for our unparalleled collection of global patent and other intellectual property information," said Viji Krishnan, Dialog vice president, publisher management. "The Univentio collection of German patent information helps us keep our portfolio of intellectual property research second to none."

Added Krishnan: "The Univentio German Fulltext file is one of the most extensive collections of German patent information available anywhere, with a deep archive and extremely fast updates. For businesses competing against German companies or active in the German market, the database is invaluable."

New German patent records are accessible through Dialog within four or five business days after publication by the German patent authority. Fast updating is especially important for German patents because the period of opposition in which patent applications may be challenged is more limited than in some other countries.

Other patent information available through Dialog services includes more than 15 million records gathered from 60 countries. Dialog also has a broad array of databases comprised of trademark, copyright and domain name records.

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About Dialog and The Thomson Corporation
Dialog, a pioneer in developing the technology behind electronic information retrieval, is the world leader in providing online-based information services to organizations seeking competitive advantages in such fields as business, science, engineering, finance and law.

Today, the online services provided by Dialog — offered through the Dialog®, Dialog Profound®, Dialog DataStar™, Dialog NewsEdge® and Dialog Intelliscope^SM brands — give users the ability to precisely retrieve data from more than 1.4 billion unique records, accessible via the Internet or through delivery to enterprise intranets. Searchable content includes articles and reports from thousands of real-time news feeds, newspapers, broadcast transcripts and trade publications, plus research reports and analyst notes providing support for financial decision-making, as well as in-depth repositories of scientific and technical data, patents, trademarks and other intellectual property data. Information professionals and end-users at business, professional and government organizations in more than 100 countries prize Dialog services for their depth and breadth of content, precision searching and speed.

Based in Cary, N.C., USA, Dialog has operations in 27 other countries. Dialog (www.dialog.com) is a business of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). With 2003 revenues of US$7.6 billion, Thomson (www.thomson.com) is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers.

About Univentio
Founded in 1952, Univentio builds and maintains a unique patent data collection covering more than 100 different authorities and is specialized in developing and delivering patent information. For further information about Univentio, please contact Willem Geert Lagemaat at (+31) 71 4028262 or by e-mail to wglagemaat@univentio.com.

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All designated trademarks used herein are the property of The Dialog Corporation or its subsidiaries. Registered marks are registered by The Dialog Corporation or its subsidiaries with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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