Aon's CSI Insider - Spring 2007
The Insider brings you new websites for research, examination and review. It also offers a fresh view into well utilized search tools for new context and content.
Trulia.com
This unique real estate search engine offers nationwide searching, with more advanced search options than you will find elsewhere. You can specify unique items like “house boat” and “search near an address.”
Trulia also offers Heat Maps demonstrating the pricing range for a particular area, compared to its neighboring counties.
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Patent Searching
Uspto.gov/patents
- The ultimate source. If you can spend some time learning to search correctly within the USPTO, then you will get the best results. Keep in mind when you are searching for companies, they are “Assignee.” Search separately the assignee, the town (if small or unique, skip New York and Los Angeles) and search for inventor by last name.
The following four sites come in close, but are eliminating a good deal of data from their results. They are easier to search, but you should always go back and check against USPTO.gov for completeness of information. Also, be sure to look for foreign patents using professional tools like Derwent (http://www.derwent.com/).
Freepatentsonline.com
- Indexing the full page, but not returning full results.
Patentgenius.com
- Excellent search capabilities, unfortunately results were limited
Google.com/patents
- Not indexing the full page
Wikipatents.com
- appears to be connected to Freepatentsonline.com
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NEWS: 'Whosarat’ creator on way to jail in DEA case
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=185423
A federal jury yesterday convicted the mastermind behind an online database of alleged informants, whosarat.com, on marijuana and money-laundering charges while clearing his mother's name in connection with a money-laundering scheme.
Sean Bucci, 34, of North Reading, a former DJ who created the Web rat listing in 2004, faces anywhere from 10 years to life behind bars after he is sentenced on 17 counts of marijuana trafficking and money laundering, prosecutors said. He was ordered to surrender to authorities on March 9.
"We're pleased with the jury's decision. Now someone who tried to interfere with justice will face justice," said Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Anthony Pettigrew.
Earlier in the day, the same jury acquitted Bucci's mother, Catherine, 55, a Danvers grandmother, on one count of money laundering. Her attorney said Bucci's mother wishes her son never started the site.
"I do think that the federal government over-indicted this case in part because of whosarat.com," attorney Robert Sinsheimer said.
Chris Brown, a project manager for whosarat.com, said Bucci currently acts as an unpaid consultant. He vowed the Web site will stay put.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged Sean Bucci trafficked in at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana through his home. A third man involved in the case, Darren J. Martin, 39, of Everett, pleaded guilty to marijuana charges two week ago, prosecutors said.
