How Docket Navigator libraries define the practice-area data, searches, profiles, analytics, binders, alerts, publications, and account features available to a research session.
A library is the practice-area data context for Docket Navigator.
Each library contains a defined collection of cases or proceedings, source documents, structured data, legal concepts, profiles, analytics, searches, and monitoring tools. The library you are working in affects what Docket Navigator can search and what features it can produce from that data.
Library selection is therefore part of the meaning of a Docket Navigator result.
Available libraries
Section titled “Available libraries”Docket Navigator includes the following practice-area libraries:
- Patent covers patent litigation in U.S. district courts, the ITC, and AIA proceedings before the PTAB.
- Trademark covers U.S. district court cases involving trademark and Lanham Act claims and includes TTAB proceedings.
- Copyright covers U.S. district court cases involving federal copyright claims.
- Trade Secret covers U.S. district court cases involving federal trade secret claims.
- Antitrust covers U.S. district court cases involving federal antitrust claims.
- Securities covers U.S. district court cases involving federal securities claims.
- Unified Patent Court covers proceedings before the Unified Patent Court.
The exact matter types, dates, forums, documents, and coded fields included in each library are documented in Scope of Data.
The active library scopes your work
Section titled “The active library scopes your work”When you select a library, Docket Navigator uses that library as the context for the work that follows.
The active library can affect:
- which cases and proceedings are searchable;
- which document and data types are available;
- which filters appear in Custom Search;
- which profile types and profile tabs are available;
- which analytics tools can be calculated;
- which binders appear with that library’s research;
- which alerts and publication settings are available.
A feature that depends on data not present in the active library will not necessarily appear there.
Why features differ by library
Section titled “Why features differ by library”Docket Navigator does not force every practice area into the same feature set. Each library reflects the proceedings and data available for that area of law.
For example:
- PTAB-specific analytics require PTAB proceedings.
- TTAB-specific data requires trademark-board proceedings.
- Patent Determinations, Claim Constructions, and patent Remedies require the corresponding patent data.
- A profile tab can appear only where the underlying records needed to populate it are available.
When Help Center documentation describes a feature across Docket Navigator, the feature should be interpreted in the context of the library where the user is working.
Switching libraries
Section titled “Switching libraries”The current library is shown in Docket Navigator’s navigation and library selector. Use the library selector to switch to another library available to your account.
After switching, searches, profiles, and analytics use the newly selected library’s data.
If a user reports that a search option, profile tab, or analytics tool is missing, confirm the active library before assuming the feature is unavailable.
Binders are associated with a library
Section titled “Binders are associated with a library”Saved binders are organized by the library in which they were created.
This matters because a binder contains searches and analytics built against a particular data context. When returning to saved research, use the library associated with that binder.
A profile also opens within the current library, so the same subject can expose different information depending on which library is active and which data that library contains.
Alerts and email delivery are library-aware
Section titled “Alerts and email delivery are library-aware”Alert and publication delivery settings are managed in the context of a library.
A user can therefore follow activity in one practice area without necessarily using the same alert or publication settings in another. Group-level access and seats are also managed by library.
Subscription and access
Section titled “Subscription and access”The library selector shows the libraries available to the current account.
Access depends on the user’s or group’s subscription. A user with access to multiple libraries may switch among them and, where available, use Omnibus for supported cross-library research.
Scope is authoritative
Section titled “Scope is authoritative”A library name describes the practice area. It does not, by itself, establish the exact historical or procedural coverage of every data type.
Use Scope of Data when the research question depends on:
- the first year a data type is available;
- whether a forum or proceeding is included;
- whether a specific kind of document is indexed;
- how outcomes are collected;
- whether appeals or later proceedings affect the data;
- any other inclusion or exclusion rule.