fix(database-lookup): PatentsView search.patentsview.org API is NXDOMAIN after ODP migration #243

Area

Skill content (SKILL.md / references / scripts)

Skill name

database-lookup

What happened

skills/database-lookup/references/uspto.md still documents https://search.patentsview.org/api/v1/ as the primary PatentsView search API and points key registration at patentsview.org/apis/keyrequest.

As of 2026-08-30:

$ host search.patentsview.org
Host search.patentsview.org not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)

$ curl -sI -L https://api.patentsview.org/patents/query
# → 301 → https://data.uspto.gov/support/transition-guide/patentsview (200)

USPTO migrated PatentsView to the Open Data Portal on March 20, 2026. The PatentSearch API is paused with no launch date; bulk PatentsView tables are on ODP instead. Agents following the current skill hard-fail every PatentsView call.

Related: clinicaltrials.md still lists bulk URL https://clinicaltrials.gov/AllAPIJSON.zip, which returns 404. The legacy public XML zip still works (AllPublicXML.zip → api/legacy/public-xml?format=zip).

What you expected instead

• Mark PatentSearch API as unavailable during the ODP transition
• Point agents at the ODP transition guide + bulk dataset pages
• Update credential guidance away from the dead PatentsView keyrequest flow
• Replace the ClinicalTrials bulk zip with a working download path

Steps to reproduce

1. Open skills/database-lookup/references/uspto.md
2. Attempt any documented search.patentsview.org call
3. Observe DNS failure

Before submitting

• I searched existing issues and this is not a duplicate.
• This is not a security vulnerability.

I'll open a PR updating uspto.md, the credentials row in SKILL.md, the selection guide wording if needed, and the ClinicalTrials bulk URL.