Annual Technical Report 2009 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Jordan (CWS/ATR/PI/2009/JO)

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 term "patent" covers utility models and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs). Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in their Annual Technical Reports on Industrial Design Information Activities.

I. Evolution of patent activities

Changes experienced in terms of application filings and grants with respect to the previous year

452 patent applications (446 international, 6 national) were filed in 2009 against 585 patent applications (535 international, 50 national) in 2008

51 patent applications were granted in 2009 against 21 in 2008

Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year

There is no remarkable change with respect to the previous year

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to patents

http://www.mit.gov.jo/tabid/465/Statistics.aspx

II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, distribution and use of primary and secondary sources of patent information

Publishing, printing, copying (main types of publications of the Office in the field of patent information, etc.)

Official Gazette

Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of patent information

Official Gazette (published as hardcopy and softcopy (on the office website))

Mass storage media used (paper, microforms, optical storage, etc.)

Patent applications and granted patents are entered into a computer database for storage and easy searching in addition to paper storage of patent applications.

Word processing and office automation

Office automation is done through using Oracle System Database. In addition, the office uses Microsoft Office Programs.

(New) techniques used for the generation of patent information (printing, recording, photocomposing, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), etc.)

Patent application information is available in a database carried by Oracle. The Official Gazette (where patents are published) is available on the web site.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online publication of patent documents and gazettes, and to other primary and secondary sources of patent information, including patent publication servers and download of bulk patent data

The URL is: http://www.mit.gov.jo/Default.aspx?tabid=998

III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents

Abstracting, reviewing, translating

Patent examiner checks the abstract of patent applications to insure that it is suitable to be published on the official gazette.

Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), and reclassification3 activities; Classification system used, e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC), other classification (please indicate whether or not patent documents are classified by your Office and, if so, which classification is used)

No classification for patent applications. However, patent examiners use the IPC classification for the aim of prior art search

Coordinate indexing (domestic deep indexing systems, keyword indexing)

n/a

Hybrid system indexing

n/a

Bibliographic data and full-text processing

Bibliographic data and abstract of all patent applications are available and searchable using the Oracle database. This database is accessible by staff members only.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

File building

n/a

Updating

n/a

Storage, including mass storage media

The hard copies of the files are stored in the warehouse. In addition bibliographic data and abstract are stored in the Oracle database.

Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file

n/a

V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems

In-house systems (online/offline)

The patent databases were done by Oracle system and it is accessible by staff members.

External databases

For patented literature search; free databases relate to certain patent offices like; EPO, USPTO are used.
For not patented literature search; free search engines are used.

Administrative management systems (e.g., register, legal status, statistics and administrative support)

The legal status information is stored in the office database

Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used

The Jordanian Patent Office uses an internal network for managing the work

Existing online thesauri; their structure, presentation and usefulness for computerized searches

n/a

VI. Administration of the industrial property office library, and information products and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, for assisting clients on searching procedures, for obtaining official publications and registry extracts)

Planning, administration, automation, security, buildings

n/a

Collecting, acquisitions, preparation

n/a

Collection management, preservation

n/a

Interlibrary lending, resource sharing, networks of patent libraries in the country

n/a

Information services available to the public (including computerized services and search files contained in libraries remote from your Office and patent information posted by your Office on the World Wide Web)

Information about services offered and instructions for filing patent applications is available on the web site.

URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of patent applications

Electronic filling is not available.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and grant procedures related to patents; opposition and appeal procedures related to patents; etc.

Opposition and appeal procedures related to patents are available in the Jordanian patent law and patent regulations which found on the following URLs:
Patent law: http://www.mit.gov.jo/portals/0/tabid/507/patent%20law.aspx
Patent regulations: http://www.mit.gov.jo/portals/0/tabid/537/patent%20regulation.aspx
Filing procedures are available only in Arabic language on the following URL:
http://www.mit.gov.jo/Default.aspx?tabid=976

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., patent search service(s) and patent databases), as well as information on how to access and utilize them

The official gazette is available for the public in our website at the following URL: http://www.mit.gov.jo/Default.aspx?tabid=998

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

International or regional cooperation in the exchange of machine-readable information, e.g., bibliographic data, abstract and/or full text information

n/a

Medium used for exchange of priority documents

Hard copies only

Medium allowed for filing applications

Application filing was allowed only on paper.

VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)

Training courses for national and foreign participants, use of audiovisual means

Our staff employees have attended many training courses about patent examination at WIPO, EPO , USPTO and other organizations

Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)

n/a

Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)

The Jordanian Patent Office has held many seminars to increase public awareness about patent issues

Studies to identify trends in new technology, e.g., by the use of patent statistics and preparation of monographs

n/a

Assistance furnished by offices to facilitate the changing over of receiving offices to electronic data carriers for the exchange of patent documents (see also fourth sub-item of item VI, above)

n/a

IX. Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:

provide information on legislation related to patents

Legislation related to patents; are available in Jordanian patent law and patent regulations which found on the following URLs:
Patent law: http://www.mit.gov.jo/portals/0/tabid/507/patent%20law.aspx
Patent regulations: http://www.mit.gov.jo/portals/0/tabid/537/patent%20regulation.aspx

contain the Annual Report of the Office

n/a

if necessary, provide further information related to the topics referred to in the current ATR

n/a

provide open source codes related to patent information systems

n/a

contain patent-related news regarding the Office

All news about the Ministry of Industry and trade are available in our website:
http://www.mit.gov.jo

X. Other relevant matters

n/a

1.Classification is allotting one or more classification symbols (e.g., IPC symbols) to a patent application, either before or during search and examination, which symbols are then published with the patent application.

2.Preclassification is allotting an initial broad classification symbol (e.g., IPC class or subclass, or administrative unit) to a patent application, using human or automated means for internal administrative purposes (e.g., routing an application to the appropriate examiner).  Usually preclassification is applied by the administration of an office.

3.Reclassification is the reconsideration and usually the replacement of one or more previously allotted classification symbols to a patent document, following a revision and the entry into force of a new version of the Classification system (e.g., the IPC).  The new symbols are available on patent databases.