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#This invention relates to data viewing, and more particularly to tools for viewing intellectual property data on particular products and technologies.

#Patents have become more and more important to a business's success, especially in today's global economy. Patents can be viewed as a strong tool to the holder with a right to exclude others from making, using, selling, or importing the patented technology. In some industries, product turnover is fairly rapid. However, core technology, product features, and markets change at a much slower rate. Accordingly, even in fast-moving industries, patents which cover core technology are very valuable for protecting a company's research and development investment for an extended period of time.

#Patents can also be valuable as sources of revenue. In 1993, for example, the revenue generated from patents by U.S. companies was estimated to be over $60 billion. Fred Warshofsky, The Patent Wars, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1994. It is believed that patent revenues are rising each year.

#The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawings(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

#The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred aspects of the present invention and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, the drawings demonstrate and explain the principles of the present invention.

#FIG. 1 a display according to one aspect of the present invention.

#Throughout the drawings, identical elements are designated by identical reference numbers.

#While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific aspects thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific aspects is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

#Illustrative aspects of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described In developing any such actual aspect, numerous implementation-specific decisions can be made to achieve desired goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, that can vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, such a development effort might be time-consuming, but would still be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art in light of this disclosure.