Microsystems launched Patent Companion with Word Trends in November 2014. The software as a service (SaaS) analyzes patent applications, providing editing guidelines and highlighting potential errors and issues in the application—much like what the agreement checker EagleEye does for transactions.

Word Trends stems from language analysis of millions of patents accepted by the U.S. Patent Office. The patent pending feature in Patent Companion helps legal professionals choose the most appropriate language in patent applications.

The Patent Companion website is almost too easy. I opened an application (16 pages, 8,556 words), copied text, pasted it onto the site's blank slate, and selected “analyze.” Patent Companion churned through it in seven seconds, finding spelling and similar spelling problems, such as where “formed” equaled “foamed” in my application. Patent Companion also spotted issues with unsupported terms, references, element numbering and limiting language, which can lead to problems in patent enforceability and defensibility problems later.