Change in URL format?

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cameronmarshall
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:04 am

Change in URL format?

Post by cameronmarshall » Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:14 am

Yesterday I was able to use this URL format, which has worked since we wrote some custom tools in June 2011:

https://register.epo.org/espacenet/regv ... =EP1641822

But today this does not work, and instead I need to omit the /espacenet part of the path:

https://register.epo.org/regviewer?CY=E ... =EP1641822

My question is not why the URL format has been changed, but rather if there's a way of finding out in advance when these changes are going to be made so that we can get ready for them.


cameronmarshall
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:04 am

Re: Change in URL format?

Post by cameronmarshall » Fri Aug 14, 2020 12:23 pm

Maybe even the EPO hasn't noticed the change. At the top of the page, the number and title are shown, and next to that there's text saying "Right-click to bookmark this link". Unfortunately, though, the URL here is in the old format so it doesn't work! The old URL format included "/espacenet" in the hierarchy, and that's what broke things for me -- but this is still in the URL at the top of the "official" page...


cameronmarshall
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:04 am

Re: Change in URL format?

Post by cameronmarshall » Fri Aug 14, 2020 1:14 pm

And the links from the oral proceedings calendar don't work either. There's a link from the calendar to the EPO register for that case, but it uses the old URL format so it now gives a "Page not found" error (the same one which I started seeing this morning). Oh dear...


EPO / PATSTAT Support
Posts: 425
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 5:33 pm
Contact:

Re: Change in URL format?

Post by EPO / PATSTAT Support » Fri Aug 14, 2020 1:18 pm

Dear Cameron,
thank you for pointing out the broken link(s).
Yes we had seen it, and our team is looking into fixing the issue.
The link from ESPACENET to Register should be working by now.
The right-click link in the Register is not working - because it also used the broken link.
Other users or applications "deep linking" into the register with the https://register.epo.org/espacenet/regviewer... format will not be working neither until the fix has been implemented.

I will give an update as soon as it is fixed.
PATSTAT Support Team
EPO - Vienna
patstat @ epo.org


cameronmarshall
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:04 am

Re: Change in URL format?

Post by cameronmarshall » Fri Aug 14, 2020 1:20 pm

Thanks, PatStat. Just going back to my original post, though, my main question is whether there's a way of learning of these changes before they happen.


EPO / PATSTAT Support
Posts: 425
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 5:33 pm
Contact:

Re: Change in URL format?

Post by EPO / PATSTAT Support » Fri Aug 14, 2020 1:33 pm

Dear Cameron,
in principle, this URL change should not have happened at all because it broke many links coming from various applications.
And when URL's change, we establish URL re-directs to avoid broken links. The problem seems to have originated from a change in the re-direct links and not the applications itself.
The technical experts are looking into it, and I hope we can soon announce the normal working of the service.
In the meanwhile, we do apologise for the interruptions.
Best regards,
Geert BOEDT
PATSTAT Support Team
EPO - Vienna
patstat @ epo.org


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