Annual Technical Report 2009 on Industrial Design Information Activities submitted by Hungary (CWS/ATR/ID/2009/HU)
Where URLs are requested below, it is preferred that either URLs which are likely to remain stable over time (three years or more) are provided, or home (main) page URLs are provided with a short explanation of how to access the corresponding information.
The expression "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models. Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in this series of Annual Technical Reports.
I. Evolution of registration activities
Preparation of intellectual property legislation and application of law
Preparation of intellectual property legislation
The Hungarian Patent Office (HPO) performed to a high level its duties related to the preparation of legislation with a comprehensive approach and in an efficient manner. The majority of the tasks focused on the preparation of amendments to the legislation concerning industrial property and copyright. An important part of the work was related to Hungary’s membership of the European Union, the European Patent Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Due to the expanding range of industrial property documents that may be filed with the HPO in an electronic way, it was necessary to amend Government Decree 147/2007. (VI. 26.) Korm. on the detailed rules concerning electronic filing of certain documents in industrial property procedures. The amendment was drafted by the HPO. The decree contains, inter alia, provisions for creating opportunities for electronic filing of requests for the validation of European patents, as well as extending the rules for the electronic filing of industrial property communications to the requests for renewal of design protection.
INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICIAL EXAMINATION AND PROCEDURES
OFFICIAL ACTIVITY
Since our country’s accession to the European Union on 1 May 2004, the effect of Community protection systems has extended to Hungary as well.
The number of international design applications, and that of designs included in the applications, filed under the Hague Agreement and designating Hungary, also decreased significantly.
As a result of Hungary’s accession to the Community and European protection systems, a considerable part of the foreign applications filed directly with the HPO in the previous years shifted to the European or the Community route. Consequently, following the year of accession and in all relevant titles of protection, the number of industrial property matters filed in the national route, domestically and directly with the HPO from abroad, decreased as expected.
In the case of design applications received in the national route a favourable increase has been detected in the number of designs filed since 2006.
The level of design activities of the Hungarian applicants increased compared with the previous year.
The figures of the industrial property activity of foreign applicants in Hungary indicate the international interest in the Hungarian economy and market and also the integration of the Hungarian economy in Europe.
As a result of Hungary’s accession to the Community trade mark and design protection systems on 1 May 2004, an ever-growing number of foreign applicants have availed themselves of the opportunity of obtaining Community protection with effect in the territory of Hungary.
As a result of the accession to the European and Community protection systems, the amount of industrial property with protection extending to the territory of Hungary has been continuously increasing year by year. These protections must be respected by all domestic market players during their economic decision making.
The HPO has performed the tasks of a receiving office – in respect of the Community trade marks and designs – deriving from the accession to the European Union on 1 May 2004. Hungarian applicants have filed 9 Community design applications via the HPO as a receiving office. Through its IP information activities, the HPO supports primarily the preparation of international applications of domestic SMEs and individual inventors.
DESIGNS
Following the accession of the Community design system to the Hague Agreement, both the number of international design applications under the Hague Agreement and that of the included designs decreased by 62% and 46%, respectively compared with the previous year. The HPO received 55 applications and registered 295 designs. As a consequence of the economic crisis, there was a 10% decrease in the number of designs included in the Community applications. Hungarian applicants filed Community applications concerning 127 designs.
The HPO received 225 new design applications filed following the national route, which included 1013 designs. The upturn in the domestic applicants’ activity is shown by the fact that the number of designs included in the applications was 13% higher than in the previous year. Applicants availed themselves of the opportunity of filing applications containing more designs. The average number of designs included in the applications was the highest regarding the past 5 years, being an average of 4.5 compared to 3 in the previous year. 97% of the design applications came from domestic applicants, 70% of them from individual applicants. The number of designs included in the applications filed by domestic applicants showed a considerable increase.
In national granting procedure 276 cases were completed, which concerned 1024 designs; the number of registrations was 234, which concerned 810 designs; the procedure ended in rejection in 2 cases, in withdrawal in 1 case and 39 cases were considered withdrawn. The average duration of the granting procedure was reduced to less than 10 months. The HPO received 7 requests for invalidity. The procedure was completed concerning 9 requests for invalidity and 2 for declaration on non-infringement. In the framework of the international (under the Hague Agreement) granting procedure the number of registrations was 55, which concerned 295 designs.
At the end of the year, 3149 national designs were valid, 19% less than in the previous year. 81% of the valid designs were owned by Hungarian, 8% by US, 2% by German and British right-holders each. The lifetime of the valid designs shows a dominance of 6-year-old or “younger” designs.
At the end of the year the number of community designs also valid in Hungary was 404 000, 10% less than in the previous year.
The HPO conducted a survey on the granting procedure of designs in order to gather information for the re-regulation of the procedure. Applicants and representatives participating in the procedure before the HPO, two non-governmental organisations, as well as applicants following the Community route and independent designers participated in the survey. 75% of the applicants and 80% of the representatives replied in appreciation of the service offered by the HPO in the granting procedure.
HUNGARIAN DESIGN COUNCIL AND DESIGN TERMINAL
The Hungarian Design Council (HDC), as an organisation for coordination, contributes to boosting the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy with the tools of design; it aims at improving the Hungarian design culture in compliance with the goals of economy, innovation, environment and education policy.
The HDC is responsible for managing the Hungarian Design Award and the Moholyi-Nagy László Design Grant. Applications for the Hungarian Design Award granted for the thirtieth time in 2009 could be sent in four categories: Product, Visual Communication, Concept and Student Work. 261 entries were received for the call, of which six works were granted the Hungarian Design Award upon the decision of the Selection Committee, and four works were granted a special award. The renewed Moholyi-Nagy László Design Grant was awarded to fifteen designers, giving them the chance to show their force of creative innovation.
For the first time, the HDC announced the Design Management Award established for the promotion of purposeful use of design, which could be granted to economic organisations having excellent results in the application and management of design in the preceding five years. The Award was granted to Tungsram-Schréder and to Műcsarnok (Art Hall). These institutions have already incorporated the design thinking into their tools of innovation.
In order to disseminate up-to-date information related to design, the HDC continued the cooperation based on agreements with major Hungarian institutions training design professionals, such as Moholyi-Nagy University of Art and Design, University of West Hungary, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungarian University of Fine Arts and University of Miskolc.
The travelling exhibition of the Hungarian Design Award called “FormaTúra” (launched in 2008) proved that design can function as a bridge between technologies and users, and between engineering and business. As a last station in Hungary, the exhibition was organized at the University of Pécs between 31 March and 19April, then it was introduced internationally in Vilnius between 5 September and 5 October in 2009.
The HDC issued the fourth, extended and up-to-date volume of the publication “Start-up Guide – Business advices for beginner entrepreneurs in arts”. The international management of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) held its meeting in Budapest between 15 and 17 May 2009. This occasion gave the opportunity for the professional organisations of the Central European region to be represented.
The HPO as one of the founders of the Design Terminál non-profit company – according to the agreement concluded with the Hungarian State Holding Company in 2008 – has the right of use allowing the same powers as property management concerning the share in the company.
The mission and basic duty of the Design Terminál is to improve, through its facilities, the level of the Hungarian design culture, the exploitation of the opportunities in design and the utilisation of the well qualified designers’ creativity and knowledge, which may contribute to improving the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy and the living quality of the population. In order to fulfil these duties, the Design Terminál pays attention to and records the achievements of Hungarian design, observes the international trends, gives help to the cooperation between designers and their potential partners, supports the developments of design as professional culture as well as the integration of Hungarian design and the strengthening of its position by organising trainings, exhibitions, applications and other projects.
Under the patronage of the HDC the Design Week in Budapest was organised for the sixth time, offering 87 events under the name “Creative Energies” in 118 sites between 2 and 11 October 2009 for nearly 60 thousand visitors interested in object and design culture. The exhibition “Graphifest” presenting the latest achievements of the Hungarian design graphics was also organised by Design Terminál between 6 and 30 November 2009. The content of the website www.designterminal.hu operated by Design Terminál has been extended by some case studies describing the successful application of design and by the presentations of 140 graduates who have just finished their studies at the three Hungarian institutions for designer training.
D-stat-2010 - MS Office 2007
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of industrial design documents and of secondary sources of industrial design information, i.e., official gazettes
OFFICIAL AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS
In the 114th volume of the Gazette of Patents and Trade Marks 12 issues were published, twice a month, providing more favourable conditions for shortening the registration period of the particularly accelerated trade mark procedure. The content of the Gazette appearing in the middle of the month covers the national and international trade mark publications and is only published electronically. The edition appearing at the end of the month is published in full content in electronic format.
The full content of the Gazette was 2822 pages, the official publications covered 2738 pages, the number of European patent descriptions was 2289, the number of Hungarian descriptions was 389. On average 240 national trade mark applications were published in a month. Since 1 January 2006 the Gazette has been published electronically, and is accessible for free of charge, in full text, in PDF format on the homepage of the HPO. The full text, such as the columns themselves can be downloaded. There was a high interest in the Gazette published on the homepage: the users downloaded 575,541 files, 60% more than in the previous year, the increase was 36% in the number of visits to the site, 26% in the quantity of downloaded data and 22% in the number of downloaded pages, compared to the previous year’s figures concerned.
It was the fourth year that the Industrial Property and Copyright Review was published as a separate special periodical. The full content of the periodical published in every second month was 885 pages. The Review is also available in electronic format on the homepage of the HPO.
INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION SERVICES
The documentation and information services of the Patent Library and Industrial Property Special Library primarily focused on informing the public and on the support of the official patent activities by documentation and information technology.
Clients showed a high interest in the services of the Patent Library: 7394 enquiries were registered, information was provided in 1794 cases by phone and in 2114 cases in person. The subject of the service was search in patent documentation in 1795 cases, and in 687 cases electronic documentation was provided. The Patent Library and Industrial Property Special Library also performed functions directly related to the support the official work.
The collection of Industrial Property Special Library comprising of 20,709 volumes increased by 4% compared to the previous year. The lending is provided electronically through HunTéka online library system. Readers generally visit the Patent Library and the Special Library for the purpose of reading onsite if the documentation on industrial property or copyright is available only in printed form.
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of industrial design information according to the classification systems applied
Since Hungary is party to the Locarno Aggreement we classify the industrial design applications according to the Locarno Classification. We do not apply any other subsidiary classification neither of the industrial design applications nor of the registered designs.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
The Hungarian database is named PIPACS, the abbreviation of which is Public Industrial Property Aggregate Collection for Search. However the official authentic design register is not available in an electronic format, for information purposes published designs are searchable in this uniform database system together with other forms of protection.
The public database encompasses all Hungarian national design applications since 1962 as well as the Hague deposits in which Hungary was designated since 1984, the year in which Hungary acceded to the London and Hague Act of the Hague Agreement.
The PIPACS database has a part that is only for internal purposes (not available to the public), that is the collection of all Hague deposits since 1979. This means more then 69000 design records all together. These items comprise the basis of our design search. Since the PIPACS database comprises trademark records as well, we carry out cross-searches as far as three-dimensional trademarks are concerned. In addition to these, we often use the design databases published by foreign patent offices, especially databases of the UK Patent Office, and United States Patent and Trademark Office. We are awaiting the OHIM published searchable design database as well that makes advanced level searches possible.
V. Activities in the field of computerized search systems for industrial designs
HPO operates an In-house developed Uniform Record System (ENYV) and an Public Industrial Property Aggregate Collection for Search (PIPACS) containing all the published applications of all titles of protection. HPO uses for novelty search first of all the EPOQUENET system included non-patent literature databases operated by EPO, STN databases, Esp@cenet and any other Internet access datebases.
IT SUPPORT IN OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES
In order to continue the development of the electronic administration procedures, the HPO prepared the introduction of the ELO electronic document management system. The system was customized to meet the special requirements of the HPO by Albacomp IT Plc., a company having good references in the public administration sector. Key users and the IT staff were trained and the digitalisation of the official documentation was commenced.
The tasks related to the official functions concerning national industrial property protection and copyright, to the membership in the European Patent Convention and in the EU were executed by the Uniform Record System (ENYV) established for the support of the office management of industrial property. The development of the office management system focused on: 1) the support of the procedure concerning the licensing of orphan works; 2) establishing the database for the voluntary register of works; 3) the application of a management program supporting the ECLA classification system; 4) the renewal of the forms; 5) developments to meet the provisions of the new decree on fees; 6) improvement of PIPACS database, installing check points; 7) faster edition of the Gazette.
The reconstruction (re-writing) of ENYV was continued, the reconstruction plan and the project plan containing specific steps of development, as well as the so called domain model were prepared.
The HPO successfully applied to the National Development Agency for launching the project “Development of Electronic Information Services” under the Electronic Government Operational Programme (EKOP). According to the schedule the developments were accomplished, the step-by-step reform of the electronic register was started.
The HPO – under uniform principles and with active participation of the staff members dealing with official matters – started to review the electronic publication system (e-publication) related to the industrial property official activities. Proposals and schedules were made concerning the development of the integrated e-publication official database based on single data-input and providing uniform data-flow, as well as for all types of protection the establishment of certified registers managed electronically with uniform and reliable database and with online access. The e-publication system was renewed under the EKOP project and as a part of the development of ENYV.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE OFFICE’S HOMEPAGE
The HPO continued to improve and develop its homepage containing a wide range of professional information. The new options in the menu are: Public Procurement, Enforcement of IP Rights, IP Valuation Forum, under Copyright and Related Rights the Voluntary register of works and Orphan works, under Patents the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) based on international cooperation, and VIVACE+ as information for enterprises.
The homepage of the HPO contains a collection having more than 58,000 separate web addresses; 55% of them are available in Hungarian, 45% in English. The homepage includes 58,147 URLs, the total size of the files is 24 GB, with the database it is 36 GB.
The homepage was visited by 545,302 individually identifiable visitors 737,200 times. The numbers of visitors and visits were 43% and 36%, respectively, more than in the previous year. The quantity of downloaded pages increased by 22%, the size of downloaded data increased by 26%, which is more than 760 GB. Through the electronic application system accessible from the homepage 212 electronically filed applications, 29 requests for the validation of European patents and 19 requests for renewal of trade mark protection were received by the HPO.
VI. Administration of industrial design information products and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, registering designs, assisting clients with search procedures, obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
The Hungarian database is named PIPACS, the abbreviation of which is Public Industrial Property Aggregate Collection for Search. However the official authentic design register is not available in an electronic format, for information purposes published designs are searchable in this uniform database system together with other forms of protection.
The public database encompasses all Hungarian national design applications since 1962 as well as the Hague deposits in which Hungary was designated since 1984, the year in which Hungary acceded to the London and Hague Act of the Hague Agreement.
The PIPACS database has a part that is only for internal purposes (not available to the public), that is the collection of all Hague deposits since 1979. This means more then 69000 design records all together. These items comprise the basis of our design search. Since the PIPACS database comprises trademark records as well, we carry out cross-searches as far as three-dimensional trademarks are concerned. In addition to these, we often use the design databases published by foreign patent offices, especially databases of the UK Patent Office, and United States Patent and Trademark Office. We are awaiting the OHIM published searchable design database as well that makes advanced level searches possible.
URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of industrial design applications
https://ugyintezes.hpo.hu/hpo/Ugyinditas1.page (Hungarian only)
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and registration procedures related to industrial designs; opposition and appeal procedures related to industrial designs; etc.
http://www.hpo.hu/English/formaterv/ (English)
http://www.mszh.hu/formaterv/index.html (Hungarian)
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., industrial design search service(s) and industrial design databases), as well as information on how to access and utilize them
http://www.mszh.hu/formaterv/forma_hogyan_kutat.html (Hungarian only)
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of industrial design documentation and information
Industrial design data are published in the official gazette, which is accessible on the home-page of the Office in PDF format.
VIII. Matters concerning education and training, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)
INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY EDUCATION
In the last few decades, the HPO has played an important role in disseminating IP knowledge through its training activities. The two-year long advanced level industrial property course organised by the HPO is a significant element of the development of the Hungarian industrial property culture and of the training of a new generation of professionals. At the end of the course launched in 2007, 22 persons were given an advanced level qualification in industrial property protection, and an additional 10 participants worked on their theses. In September the HPO launched the advanced level industrial property course with the participation of 55 persons, according to the amended provisions on industrial property qualification [Decree 2/2008 (VIII. 22.) TNM].
The intermediate level industrial property course was attended by staff members of patent attorneys' or law offices, the Hungarian Economy Development Centre, the National Office for Research and Technology, the Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard, innovation agencies, pharmaceutical companies, university knowledge centres and enterprises, 46 persons passed the exam successfully. The Office gave the opportunity to obtain the intermediate level industrial property qualification at the Károly Róbert College for the fourth time, 36 persons passed the exam successfully. Moreover, 13 students applied for the exam of the intermediate level industrial property course at the Agriculture Faculty of the College of Szolnok.
The special industrial property trainings organized for the research and education sector give an excellent framework for disseminating the industrial property culture. Under the cooperation with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the HPO organized one-day industrial property trainings on the issues of practical application of IP protection for the staff members of the network of research institutes on three occasions.
Based on the cooperation agreements concluded with 20 major Hungarian institutions of higher education the students can obtain up-to-date IP knowledge in graduate, post-graduate and in distance learning trainings. 78 applications were received to the invitation published by the HPO for assistance with dissertations. The modern distance learning programme complemented with research - with the participation of more than 220 students - contributed to the spread of knowledge on IP protection at the Ergonomics and Psychology Faculty of Budapest University of Technology and Economics, as well as at the University of Debrecen.
The industrial property protection training organized - with the support of the Grants and Innovation Centre - for the tutors of Eötvös Loránd University was successful, as well as the IP protection training organized as a part of basic business education, with the participation of INNOSTART National Business and Innovation Centre Foundation.
The HPO participated with tutors for the first time on the two-year long course - as a preparation for the European patent attorney exam - organized by CEIPI (Centre d'Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle) and the Hungarian Chamber of Patent Attorneys.
DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY AND COPYRIGHT CULTURE, CUSTOMER SERVICE
In compliance with the international trends and the requirements for national offices, the HPO continued to strengthen its quality service provider character. Through its industrial property services, customer services, IT and education programs, the HPO improved the conditions of awareness, information and education in the domestic industrial property and copyright culture.
INNOVATION SUPPORT, COMPETITION PROMOTION
The HPO contributed to innovation support in Hungary with the special tools of IP protection. Its purpose is to exert an influence of measurable efficiency on IP-awareness and activities of the major target groups of the national innovation sphere (particularly SMEs, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, high education).
The internationally reputed Action Plan Promoting Industrial Property Competitiveness was re-launched under the name of VIVACE+ within the cooperation of the National Office of Research and Technology (NKTH) and the HPO. 14 regional organisations including several former partners of the HPO (Chamber of Commerce and Industry, PATLIB centre) and also some recently joined organisations (ITD Hungary, SEED Foundation for Small Enterprise Economic Development) participated in the programme focusing on raising the industrial property knowledge of enterprises. VIVACE+ is based on the following four pillars: 1) enhancing the assistance in innovation; 2) improving industrial property services of; 3) promotion of IP protection and development of regional network; 4) education, content development and providing information in the field of industrial property.
A questionnaire survey on the awareness of industrial property of Hungarian entrepreneurs was prepared with the assistance of the Foundation for Hungarian Business Research and with the involvement of more than four hundred SMEs. The analysis described and evaluated the changes in industrial property awareness of enterprises in the past four years.
Linked to the institutions of higher education as recognised knowledge centres, the industrial property information centres, the so called PATLIB centres were operated at six universities outside Budapest with the professional assistance of the HPO. According to the contracts concluded between the University of Miskolc, the University of Szeged, NYME-ERFARET Nonprofit Kft. and the HPO, the information points in the libraries of the universities, in the Office for the Utilisation of Research Products and Technology Transfer of the University of Pécs, in the Genomnanotech Knowledge Center in Debrecen and in the Regional Knowledge Centre for Vehicle Industry in Győr are parts of the PATLIB network in-line with the standards of EPO. They provide information on patents mainly for researchers, tutors, inventors and SMEs.
Determining the value of Hungarian-owned intellectual assets is a key element of the involvement of capital from external sources. As a further step of the research and development activities focusing on the adoption of the internationally used IP valuation methodology, the HPO launched a series of symposia in cooperation with four European IP offices (Finland, Austria, UK and Hungary). The first meeting was held in November 2008 in Budapest, the second one in Helsinki on 18-19 May 2009 on the economic and business perspectives of IP valuation. Connecting to the international cooperation in methodology the HPO initiated the establishment of an IP valuation forum, the site of which is available in English through the homepage of the HPO (http://ipvaluation.hpo.hu/), so providing an information platform for enterprises, researchers, universities and investors.
The adaptation of the international methodology of IP valuation to Hungarian circumstances continued, the pilot works for IP valuation of technical solutions elaborated in academic research institutions, being partly under patent protection, were commenced based on the cooperation agreement with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
In order to promote the utilisation of intellectual property, in March 2008 the National Office for Research and Technology - upon the initiative of the HPO and to the debit of the Research and Technology Innovation Fund - announced a competition titled "Obtaining Industrial Property Protection for Hungarian Inventions in Foreign Countries" No. IPARJOG_08 with a frame amount of HUF 200 million, to which the applications could be submitted till 31 December 2009. The Office actively participated in the work of the jury, assessing 116 projects received till the end of the year, of which the jury supported 83 applications.
PARTNERS IN PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL COOPERATION
The HPO established professional, training and other cooperation with several institutions, the most significant ones are the following:
Professional cooperation
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungarian Association for the Protection of Industrial Property and Copyright, Hungarian Association for Innovation, Hungarian Academy of Engineering, Association of Hungarian Inventors, Hungarian Research Student Association, NOVOFER Foundation, Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Journalists of the Federation of Technical and Scientific Societies, National Police Headquarters, Hungarian Finance and Customs Guard, Typotex Electronic Publishing Company, ITD Hungary, INNOSTART National Business and Innovation Centre, SEED Foundation, Ötlet Klub 13 Egyesület (Idea Club 13 Association)
Cooperation in higher education
Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest Tech Polytechnical Institution, University of Debrecen, Eötvös Loránd University, Harsányi János College, Károly Róbert College, Hungarian University of Fine Arts, University of Miskolc, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, University of West Hungary, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, University of Pécs, Semmelweis University, University of Szeged, Szent István University, Szolnok University College, International Business School, Police College
Professional communication agreements
Hungarian Television - Delta (TV series on science), Duna Television - Heuréka - Solart Film, Élet és Tudomány Association (scientific association), Jogtudományi Közlöny (Gazette of Jurisprudence), Mérnökújság (engineers newspaper), Napi Gazdaság (economic daily), Világgazdaság (economic daily), Gazdasági Rádió (economic radio), Agrárium, MAG (Hungarian economic development centre), Tudományos Ismeretterjesztő Társulat (scientific educational association), Természet Világa (World of Nature, scientific gazette), Természet-Tudomány Alapítvány (Nature-Science Foundation), Gépgyártás folyóirat (magazine on machine manufacturing).
IX.Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:
http://hpo.hu
http://mszh.hu
provide information on legislation related to industrial designs: http://www.mszh.hu/English/formaterv/
contain the Annual Report of the Office : http://www.mszh.hu/hivatalrol/MSZH_eves_jelentes_2009.pdf
X. Other relevant matters
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION
International cooperation focused on exercising rights and meeting obligations deriving from the European Patent Convention and Hungary’s membership in the European Union, as well as on international professional cooperation within the framework of the World Intellectual Property Organization and on the active regional and bilateral cooperation in IP protection.
DUTIES ARISING FROM THE MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
The HPO established close cooperation with the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and fulfilled its obligations as an EU member state. Hungary is represented in the Administrative Board of OHIM – as a member – by the Vice-President for Legal Affairs and – as a deputy member – by the Head of the Trade Mark, Model and Design Department. The Administrative Board and the Budget Committee held two ordinary meetings each, the joint meeting of the Administrative Board and the Budget Committee were held twice, and the so called “liaison meetings” were held three times.
Since 1 May 2004 Hungary has been represented in the Administrative Council of the Community Plant Variety Office by an official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The HPO’s Vice-President for Technical Affairs performs as an alternate member of the Administrative Council.
The HPO participated at the meetings of the Working Party on Intellectual Property of the Council of the European Union, in the committees of the European Commission and at other experts’ meetings. The HPO participated at 28 such meetings in 2009.
The HPO took an active part in the work of the Inter-ministerial Committee for European Affairs (ICEA). In the system of expert groups of ICEA, the HPO operates the expert group responsible for intellectual property.
The President of the HPO participated – upon an invitation from the Government – at the opening conference of “European Year of Creativity and Innovation” held in Prague. Two reputed Hungarian inventors, Mr Ernő Rubik and Mr Áron Losonczi were also present and were asked to be the “Ambassadors of the Year”.
COOPERATION WITHIN THE FARMEWORK OF THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO)
The HPO represented Hungary in the international cooperation under WIPO. As in previous years, the representatives of the HPO regularly participated at the meetings of the standing committees of WIPO. The HPO represented Hungary at the 47th series of meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States, at the meeting of the Coordination Committee, the Program and Budget Committee, the standing committees, as well as at the meetings of the Administrative and Legal Committee, the Consultative Committee and the Council of UPOV.
The President of the HPO was elected as vice-chair of the PCT Union Assembly at the 47th series of meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States. Hungary was elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the Berne Union for copyright, so Hungary preserved its membership in the Coordination Committee which performs the Member States’ supervision over the Assemblies.
The Assembly of the Lisbon Union accepted the report on the previous year’s activity of the Working Group on the Development of the Lisbon System chaired by the Vice-President for Legal Affairs of the HPO, and also supported the proposals concerning the modification of the Regulations under the Lisbon Agreement.
PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
The HPO successfully made use of the facilities offered by international and European IP projects. In the spirit of this intention the HPO has participated – as head of a working group – since 2008 in the IPeuropAware project assisted by the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) of the European Commission. The purpose of the international project is to coordinate the initiatives of the national patent offices for raising awareness of intellectual property protection. Under the project a publication on the international practice of raising awareness of IP protection entitled „Planning local actions for Intellectual Property Awareness and Enforcement Services” was prepared in English, which is available on http://www.ipeuropaware.eu/outputs.html. The cooperation with other national IP offices also included the organization of events on raising awareness, development of helpdesk services and the preparation of publications.
The report showing the results and the closing of the IP4INNO project, established to disseminate the knowledge on IP and the business practice enhancing innovation among institutions helping enterprises, was prepared.
The eMARKS project, which executed the market evaluation of the database service established under eMAGE programme, was also closed. The purpose of the project was to make a business plan which described the possibilities of self-financing operation of the service for the potential investors, with regard to the results of market evaluation. The HPO was responsible for testing the service among the target groups of users.
The HPO has promoted the Community protections in Hungary according to the cooperation agreements concluded with OHIM every year since 2006. Based on the cooperation agreement for 2009 – among others – a successful regional conference was organized in November on national and Community trade mark systems. The HPO published the “General information on the protection of unregistered Community designs” and prepared a questionnaire survey with the involvement of more than a hundred Community applicants, right holders and representatives on customer satisfaction concerning the forms of Community protection. Moreover, the part related to Community design protection of the distance learning module was elaborated as well.
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1. - The expression "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models.
- Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in this series of Annual Technical Reports.