Annual Technical Report 2013 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Uzbekistan (CWS/ATR/PI/2013/UZ)

 

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. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of patent information activities and expected time frames for their realization

The legal protection of inventions and utility models is carried out according to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan «About the inventions, utility models and industrial designs» (new edition) of August 29,2002 № 397-II with changes and additions of July 30, 2008 №ZRU-164 and December 26, 2011 №ZRU-312.
In 2013 procedures of filing of applications, carrying out examination and issue of patents for inventions and utility models remained invariable.

Main areas of patent information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year

Сomplex of information systems (CIS) «The Innovation» is developed and introduced. Development of an internal information portal of Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Uzbekistan (IIP) is begun. The internal information portal has to provide information service of internal users –Agency stuff and administration for the purpose of increase of level of management and decision-making support at the expense of the organization of collecting, consolidation and the analyzing of information on types of intellectual property objects.

Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes

Inventions
In accounting year 557 applications for granting of patents for inventions have filed that on 9,2 % is more than in 2012. From national applicants filed 299 applications that makes 53,7% from total of the received applications. Foreign applicants filed 258 applications or 46,3% from total number of applications from which the prevailing quantity (96,1 %) is filed according to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
As well as in previous years the tendency of activity of patenting by applicants on two sections of the International Patent Classification (IPC) remains: A - «Human Necessities» - and C - «Chemistry and metallurgy». The total of the registered inventions in accounting year has made 184 that on 5,1 % more than last year. From them on a share of national applicants is necessary 57,1 %, on a share foreign - 42,9 %.

Utility models
The total of the filed applications for granting of patents on utility models in 2013 has made 173 that is less on 5,5 % in comparison with last year. By national applicants filed 171 applications (98,8 %), for a share of foreign applicants 1,2 % from total number of the filed applications are necessary. The greatest number of applications in accounting year is filed on sections: A «Human Necessities» - 60 applications, D «Textiles and paper» - 29 applications and F «Mechanics, illumination, heating» - 28 applications; the share of applications on the given sections makes 67,6 % from total number of the filed applications. In accounting year the total of the registered utility models has decreased for 11,3 % in comparison with last year and has made 86 utility models from which 96,5 % are registered addressed to national applicants, the others of 3,5 % are a share foreign applicants.

Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.

The statistical data on inventions and utility models are available on the following link: http://ima.uz/ru/about/statistic/?ELEMENT_ID=29
Annual reports of Agency available on the following link: http://ima.uz/ru/pub/?SECTION_ID=34.
Official information on inventions and utility models are available on the following link http://ima.uz/ru/news/

II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Information and support provided by the Office to applicants regarding filing on paper and/or e-filing (instructions, seminars, etc.) – URLs

By examiners of Agency free consultations and expert meetings-negotiations regarding rendering of the methodical help on filing of applications for applicants and general public are spent. The information on conditions of filing of applications is placed on the Agency web site.
The information on filing and consideration of applications is available on the following link:
inventions - http://ima.uz/ru/togovernment/?ELEMENT_ID=932
utility models - http://ima.uz/ru/togovernment/?ELEMENT_ID=933
Questions of registration of application materials on granting patent for invention and utility models are component of the various actions spent by Agency directed on increase of legal culture and knowledge in the field of intellectual property.
Besides, at Agency the State Unitary Enterprise “INTELLEKT EKSPERT” renders services on receiving protection documents for all intellectual property objects, support of examination and consultations.
In 2013 works on receiving applications on machine-readable carriers (as the third copy) are continued - it is accepted over 300 applications.

Availability of the application dossier in electronic form

Agency has a full collection of application documents on inventions and utility models (originals) on a paper. Besides, these documents are stored in bibliographic databases and in electronic storehouses in internal database. The bibliographic data and files of national documents in electronic storehouse can replenish and-or be corrected in process of the reference.

Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), reclassification3 activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information

Applications for inventions and utility models are classified according to the International Patent Classification of corresponding edition, the 8th edition of IPC - a base level is used. Preliminary classification is used before carrying out the substantive examination, which is used for the internal purposes and also at the publication of applications for inventions. Reclassification is not carried out in connection with introduction of new editions IPC.

Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information contained in patent documents

Published patent documents on inventions and utility models join abstracts in Russian and Uzbek languages; abstracts are published in the official bulletin on applications for inventions and utility models also in two languages; transfers are carried out by employees of Department of preparation of publications of the Training centre "IP-Center" at Agency. The bibliographic data is selected and sorted by specialized inquiry from a database (SUBD MS SQL Server 2000) and texts of documents (abstracts) from electronic storehouse. The subsequent operations (page makeup, replication) are made by means of programs Word and Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Pro.

III. SOURCES OF PATENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE

Main types of publications of the Office (patent applications, full text, first pages, abstracts, bibliographic data, granted patents, etc.), medium (on paper, on CDs, online – URLs)

Release of complete descriptions to patents for inventions and utility models on a paper is carried out. In 2013 160 descriptions for inventions and 78 descriptions for utility models are published.

Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online – URL), etc.

Agency monthly publishes the official bulletin «Rasmiy ahborotnoma» on CD-ROM disks, in 2013 year 12 numbers are let out, besides the official bulletin takes place on the Agency site on the Internet. Data on the registered inventions and utility models have published in sections "Inventions" and “Utility models” of the official bulletin. Data on inventions includes bibliographic data and abstracts, data on granted inventions include bibliographic data and formula and data on utility models include bibliographic data and abstract; all data are translated in Russian and Uzbek languages. Data on 487 filed applications for invention, 170 registered inventions (patents) and 80 granted utility models are published in bulletins in 2013 year.

Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases

Agency experts provided access to patent and non-patent databases online. The most widely used expert public patent databases on the Internet include network Espacenet, database Rospatent, the U.S. Patent Office, WIPO, the Eurasian Patent Office. The followings date bases are used widely by examiners on the Internet: Scirus, PubMed, Google, Yahoo and Yandex.

Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)

The collection of annual indexes to the official bulletin «Rasmiy Ahborotnoma» for 2013 (sections on inventions and utility models) on the electronic carrier is published.
The Annual Report of Agency for 2012 on the electronic carrier and on a paper is published; the electronic version of the Annual Report is placed on the Agency site on the Internet.
Agency participates also in issuing of CISPATENT, which is joint regional patent-information product on CD-ROM disks, being the collection of official publications of patent offices of the states-participants of CIS and Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO). 227 abstracts of inventions and utility models in two languages (English, Russian) are prepared in 2013. Also full descriptions of inventions and useful models in Russian and the processed document files send to Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks (ROSPATENT).

IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

The equipment is used for supporting of business management processes
1.Server HP ProLiant DL380 G4 – 3
2.ServerHPProLiantML370 – 3
3.Server HP ProLiant DL380 G7 – 1

Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources

With a view of increase of efficiency of search and processing of patents in Agency the subsystem of automation of patent search and preparation for the publication of patent documents (PIPS) functions.
PIPS - patent-search information system (conducting bibliographic bases, patent search, reports: registers, statistics, decisions of examinations).
The system of automation of search and preparation of documents of Agency has been designed on the basis of technologies Intranet with wide use of language means of the objective structured data presentation - universal language of the description of data XML/XSL and control system of databases of corporate level MS SQL Server.

Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)

Administration of information systems is carrying out with ActiveDirectory and systems administration tools.

Other matters

In 2015 the External information portal development and deployment is planned which has to provide information service of external users – Agency clients and applicants with granting to them on-line of services and access to information on IPO. The external information portal is expansion of an internal information portal, with further increasing of users categories and providing controlled access to a database and functionalities of system.

V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF PATENT INFORMATION

Patent library: equipment, collection management, network of patent libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign patent libraries

The State Fund of the Patent Documentation (SFPD) is structural division AIP and practically unique full collection of the patent documentation in territory of Uzbekistan. On the basis of SFPD patent-information service, both expert structure of Agency, and the broad audience of the public is carried out, i.e. functions of public library are carried out.
Collection SFPD is presented by the domestic and foreign patent documentation, official and abstract editions of patent departments, legal-patent documentation, methodical and reference books, periodicals. The volume of fund for December, 31st, 2013 made more than 76,5 million copy of patent documents on various kinds of carriers.
The basic sources of acquisition of fund are: official publications of Agency; the patent documentation received on the international exchange; a subscription to periodic both specialized editions and purchase of the special literature through news agencies-subscription. All received documentation is registered, classified and grouped for the purposes of storage.
In 2012 has acted more than 1,6 million copies of patent documents on optical disks. The collection of fund on CD-ROM and DVD-ROM makes more than 21,7 thousand the disks containing full descriptions of inventions to applications, the patents useful to models, official and abstract editions of patent offices.

Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.

With a view of informing of the public on the most important inventions and utility models created by the Uzbek inventors in 2013, the fourth release of the collection «Perspective inventions and utility models of the Republic of Uzbekistan» is placed on the Agency site. Inventions and utility models included in number of perspective correspond to priority directions of development of science and technologies in Uzbekistan. The publication of data on the most interesting inventions will help their more active use, development of the market of objects of the industrial property, attraction of investments into innovative sphere and increase of competitiveness of domestic production. The web page address on which the collection is placed: http://ima.uz/ru/pub/? SECTION_ID=30.
In accounting year left five issues of the magazine «Intellect-Info» on which pages it is published more than 20 articles of scientifically-practical character concerning intellectual property.
The web page Address on which the magazine is placed:

Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.

Regional seminars are held on a theme «Legal protection of objects of intellectual property» in 12 cities of republic. Within the limits of the given seminars teachers, scientists, masters of some republic high schools took part. At seminars questions of legislative basis of granting of legal protection to objects of intellectual property in Uzbekistan are taken up.
On the basis of the State Fund of Patent Documentation practical trainings on work with patent information sources for students of 20 high schools is spent.

Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.

At Agency the State Unitary Enterprise «Center on retraining and advanced training in sphere of intellectual property» («IP-Center») functions. In 2013 IP-Center organised and spent courses of improvement of qualification of shots under the program of "Intellectual Property Basis», on which 60 persons from institutes of system of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Higher Certifying Commission, Agency and other organizations of republic were trained.

Other activities

With a view of the best understanding of a role and value of intellectual property in stimulation of creativity and innovations and spreads of knowledge in the field of protection of intellectual property rights by Agency work on the organization of competitions, seminars and other measures of various level which cover a various contingent of participants is carried out: representatives of the state structures, the research organizations, high schools, patent attorneys, businessmen, developers of new techniques and technologies.
In accounting year in the various measures organized and spent with participation of employees of Agency, 1800 persons have taken part from above.
Agency took active part in work of VI Republican fair of innovative ideas, technologies and projects (April 24-26, 2013). Participation in carrying out of Round Table «Actual problems of the further development of innovative activity in Uzbekistan» where questions of development of national innovative system have been considered is accepted. The thematic exhibition «Innovative activity and intellectual property» is organized; the banners shining activity of Agency and unitary enterprises "Intellekt-Ekspert" and «IP-Center» are placed; The exhibition of patent-information resources presented by editions of Agency (standard-legal collections, scientifically-practical magazine «Intellekt Info», collections «Perspective inventions and utility models of the Republic of Uzbekistan», official bulletins «Rasmy ahborotnoma», and etc.), foreign editions. As a distributing material booklets with the description of objects of intellectual property and order of their legal protection in republic have been presented. Experts of Agency render consulting services to participants of fair concerning the legislation in the field of protection of objects of intellectual property, to registration of the rights to objects of intellectual property, and etc. (over 300 consultations).
It is organized and spent, become annual, Republican competition «YANGI INTELLEKT» on the best objects of intellectual property. In accounting year competition was spent on four nominations: «Best invention», «Best utility model», «Best industrial design» and «Best software product».
Definition of winners on all nominations was carried out by the Competitive Commission consisting of experts of Agency and representatives of the ministries and departments, and also by results of online voting on the Agency site. Awards of Agency on Intellectual Property in the form of monetary awards for 1, 2 and 3 places, and also diplomas and memorable prizes have been handed over winners of competition. The given action will allow continuing work on the further development and strengthening of the processes connected with propagation of intellectual property with a view of creation and strengthening at national level of a basis for more efficient control by intellectual property.
In the National Press centre of Uzbekistan within 2013 with the assistance of Agency it is spent five press conferences, including the conference devoted to the International Day of Intellectual Property. Participants of press conferences have been informed on the works spent on perfection of is standard-legal base of sphere, on registration of objects of intellectual property, on struggle against a turn of counterfeit production and on other aspects of activity of Agency on Intellectual Property.
Work on rendering of assistance in creation of conditions for development of scientific and technical creativity among youth proceeded. Employees of Agency have taken part in quality of judges in republican competition «The best inventor of year» for pupils of schools, lyceums and the republic colleges, organized by the Center of Technical Creativity of Youth «Barkamol avlod».
Activity of Agency and actions carried out by it were shined in following mass-media: newspapers «Uzbekistan Today» (information-analytical weekly journal), "Turkiston", «Person and the law», "Darakchi", and etc., on radio channels "Uzbekistan", "Yoshlar" is given by employees of Agency interviews on various questions of legal protection of objects of intellectual property in republic, propagation and carrying out of regional seminars. Participation in broadcasting "Davr" of TV channel "Yoshlar", programs of TV channels "Uzbekistan", "Tashkent" is accepted.
Representatives of Agency took active part in the various measures spent by other organizations of republic.

VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF PATENT INFORMATION

International exchange and sharing of patent information in machine-readable form, e.g., priority documents, bibliographic data, abstracts, search reports, full text information

The basic sources of acquisition of SFPD in accounting year were the bilateral exchange with foreign offices on intellectual property protection of 27 countries, two international (WIPO, UPOV) and two regional organizations (EPO, EAPO).
In 2013 the exchange of the patent documentation on various carriers proceeded on which in Agency official bulletins on optical disks - from 7 countries and EAPO have arrived. Patent documents of 14 countries, EPO and EAPO on CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks are received. Official bulletin of Agency «Rasmiy ahborotnoma» with data on the registered inventions and utility models on CD-ROM disks as bilateral exchange is sent in patent offices of 27 countries, EPO, WIPO, UPOV and EAPO.

Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information

On May 2013 the National seminar on Patent cooperation treaty system (PCT), organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Uzbekistan is held. In the course of work of the seminar by representative of WIPO and experts of Agency questions of drawing up, filing and consideration of the international applications (PCT-SAFE demonstration), international search, international preliminary examination, electronic filing of PCT applications, service for applicants (ePCT) and information resources on PCT are taken up.
On September 5-6, 2013 Sub-regional seminar «Enforcement of Intellectual Property», organized by WIPO and Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Uzbekistan is held. At the seminar following questions have been considered: the international contracts and legal aspects of protection of intellectual property rights; counterfeiting and piracy, other infringements of intellectual property rights in the countries of the Central Asia, experience of struggle against offences; administrative and criminal liability, and law enforcement practice on protection of intellectual property rights; role of legal owners in protection of intellectual property rights, their cooperation with law enforcement bodies; an exchange of experience on practical questions in the field of protection of intellectual property rights, and etc. Representatives WIPO, experts and judges from the European countries, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, representatives of republican law-enforcement, judicial, tax, customs bodies and other interested organizations have taken part in seminar work.
In accounting year experts of Agency participated in work of seminars and conferences in the field of intellectual property, having provided representation of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the following measures spent under the aegis of WIPO:
• Seminar on patent law and examination (March 5-14, 2013, Daejeon, Republic of Korea);
• International seminar for some countries of Caucasus, Baltic, Central Asia, Central and Eastern Europe concerning application and use of flexible possibilities in patent sphere (October 16-18, Astana, Kazakhstan);
• Seminar on system of the Patent cooperation treaty (PCT) for experts of intellectual property offices of the separate countries (November, 11-14, 2013, Geneva, Switzerland);

Interaction with the European Patent Office (EPO) is carried out in the field of improvement of professional skill of employees in EPO Academy. In 2013 two employees of Agency have passed distance training at the course «System approach to patent search», after graduating of which certificates are received.

VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS

 

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.