Annual Technical Report 2007 on Industrial Design Information Activities submitted by Australia (SCIT/ATR/ID/2007/AU)
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
Changes experienced in terms of application filings and grants (registrations) with respect to the previous year
2006:
Design Applications filed = 5876
2007:
Design Applications filed = 5796
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to industrial designs
http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/about/statistics.shtml#Designs
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of industrial design documents and of secondary sources of industrial design information, i.e., official gazettes
Publishing, including printing, copying techniques and electronic printing
The Australian Official Journal of Designs is published fortnightly. There are 25 issues per year - the Easter and Christmas weeks being excluded. The Journal is available on-line, free of charge, via the IP Australia web site and contains both bibliographic text, and images. Hard copy journal publication was discontinued in January 2005.
Standard Notices and Letters are produced via the Designs mainframe business application as XEROX XICS output.
Examination Reports are generated in Word.
Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of industrial design information
The Official Journal contains the following announcements:
- Applications Filed
- Applications Registered or Published
- Amendments and Changes
- Applications Lapsed/Withdrawn
- Assignment, Transmittals and Transfers
- Cancellation of Entries in Register
- Renewal of Registration
- Official Notices
- Removal for Non-use Proceedings
- Official Notices
Mass storage media and microforms used
The Office's bibliographic data is maintained on an ADABAS Natural (zOS) mainframe. Design images (representations) are stored in a Unix file directory.
Australian registered designs are published in the Australian Official Journal of Designs and on microfiche (historical).
Bibliographic data and images for registered designs post 1985 are also available on the Australian Designs Data Search (ADDS) system on the internet.
Databases and office automation
The Canberra Office has an ethernet-based LAN providing high speed bandwidth for each user desktop connection. A frame relay-based WAN provides connections from Canberra to each State Capital. A DMZ-based, DSD approved firewall using IAN ports (Internet IEFT Assigned Numbers) provides the secure means to allow access from internal systems/users to external entities such as the Internet or public/private organisations.
Current standard desktop software includes Windows XP and Lotus Notes.
The strategic server infrastructure environment includes Sun Solaris, Oracle RDBMS, J2EE, BEA Weblogic, and Objective EDMS.
The Office's publication system is partially mainframe based. The mainframe provides the following functions using "XICS" typesetting software:
- production of camera ready copy of the Australian Official Journal of Designs;
- production of design certificates and original register entries; and
- production of notices for design applicants or their agents.
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online industrial design gazettes and to other sources of industrial design information, including download of bulk industrial design data
The Australian Official Journal of Designs can be accessed at the following URL:
http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/epublish/content/olsEpublications.jsp
http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/adds2/adds.adds_start.intro
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of industrial design information according to the classification systems applied
Classification and reclassification activities; Classification system used, e.g., International Classification for Industrial Designs (Locarno Classification), other classification (please indicate whether industrial designs are classified by your Office and, if so, which classification is used)
Industrial Design applications are classified according to the current International Designs Classification [Locarno]. Active IDC classes are, in specific instances, further subdivided into internally defined subdivisions.
Bibliographic data and processing
As indicated above, bibliographic data is maintained on an ADABAS Natural (zOS) mainframe.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
File building
The Designs Office maintains and updates a search file system using the abovementioned IDC subdivision of current applications, previously registered designs in Australia and maintains a store of current local and international publications.
Updating
Search files are regularly updated as appropriate.
V. Activities in the field of computerized search systems for industrial designs
In-house systems (online/offline)
Designs bibliographic data and representations [images] for registrations from 1985 can be searched through a web browser application (ADDS – Australian Designs Data Searching). The Official Journal of Designs is also searchable over the Internet for data from July 2001.
External databases
Disclosures relating to other designs filings/registrations of other countries are accessed via relevant Internet databases and search facilities.
Administrative management systems (e.g., register, legal status, statistics and administrative support)
As mentioned previously, the primary business system is the ADABAS Natural mainframe application, DESADMIN, running on IBM zOS. DESADMIN interfaces to a number of satellite applications, eg Word for production of reports, XICS for publishing output and ADDS. Document management is handled via paper casefiles.
All processing relating to the life-cycle of a design (apart from financial processing) is conducted within this environment. The Designs Office, along with the Patent and Trade Mark Offices in IP Australia is in the process of transitioning our business applications from the mainframe to our strategic server infrastructure environment. This environment includes Sun Solaris, Oracle RDBMS, J2EE, BEA Weblogic, and Objective EDMS.
Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), data carriers used
The Canberra Office has an ethernet-based LAN providing high speed bandwidth for each user desktop connection. A frame relay-based WAN provides connections from Canberra to each State Capital. A DMZ-based, DSD approved firewall using IAN ports (Internet IEFT Assigned Numbers) provides the secure means to allow access from internal systems/users to external entities such as the Internet or public/private organisations.
The current SOE includes Windows XP with Office SE 2003, IE 6.0 SP1, and Lotus Notes.
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)
Planning, administration, automation, security
IP Australia has State Offices in each of the Australian State Capitals providing public access to a range of services, including filing, searching, official publications, registers and general advice and information. Increasingly, IP Australia is using its web site as a means of providing an alternative means of public access to these services. Designs can be searched via ADDS. IP Australia is currently exploring the design of a system to support business-to-business data exchange of patents, industrial designs and trade marks transactions with its high volume clients (Patents and Trade Mark Attorneys). This system will be consistent with WIPO electronic filing and National e-commerce standards.
Collection management, preservation
All Australian Designs records/documents are handled in accordance with Office procedures set down under Australian Law and archiving practices.
Information services available to the public (including computerized services and search files contained in libraries remote from your Office and industrial design information posted by your Office on the World Wide Web)
Information services are available on the IP Australia website and at State Offices.
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.ipaustralia.gov.au/resources/index.shtml
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.ipaustralia.gov.au/resources/index.shtml
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of industrial design documentation and information
International or regional cooperation in the exchange of industrial design information, e.g., in the form of official gazettes
Largely restricted to the Official Gazette which is available on-line.
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)
Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)
Some of IP Australia’s promotional activities included:
• Hosting a range of promotional activities to mark 100 years of the Industrial Designs system, including: seminars; a special web-site; and media advertising.
• Holding a successful seminar series in capital cities about the Chinese IP systems. The target audience was Australian companies thinking of conducting business in China. The objective was to increase businesses understanding of the administration and enforcement of IP in China.
• Hosting an APEC 2007 symposium, Trading Ideas – The Future of IP in Asia-Pacific. Speakers from around the region provided unique insights into the IP challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region and broader international community. Approximately 500 delegates representing Australian business, the IP professionals, governments from around the region, universities and research centres attended the event. Over 30 countries were represented at the event.
• Promoted the theme of IP at a major floral festival which attracted over 370,000 people.
• Participation in a number of national small business summits and conferences.
• Organising a number of initiatives for World IP Day, including: promotional activities on major national television and radio networks; an on-line forum; and events at all State Offices which attracted over 1000 people.
• IP Australia launched Fashion Rules, a guide to intellectual property (IP) for Australia's clothing and fashion design industry.
Training courses for national and foreign participants
IP Australia worked jointly with WIPO to host a workshop titled “How to Enhance Intellectual Property Competitiveness in Select Industries in ASEAN”. The workshop was held in Cambodia from 5-6 November. The focus of this activity was to enhance the ability of Chamber of Commerce organisations and IP offices within the ASEAN to improve the understanding of IPR issues among their members.
Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)
IP Australia, with the IP offices of Singapore and Hong Kong, implemented part of a four year APEC-funded project which aims to enhance the public education and awareness skills and resources of all APEC Member Economies.
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 industrial designs
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/da200391/
contain the Annual Report of the Office
http://www.innovation.gov.au/Pages/A2ZIndex.aspx?keyword=annual%20reports
contain industrial design-related news regarding the Office
http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/resources/lists_index.shtml