SCIT.ATR.PI.2002.CZ

Annual Technical Report 2002 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Czech Republic (SCIT/ATR/PI/2002/CZ)

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

In comparison with the year 2001, there were changes in patent and utility model activities as follows: in 2002, 4,277 patent applications (4,733 in 2001) and 1,121 utility model applications (1,166 in 2001) were filed, 1,805 patents were granted (1,719 in 2001) and 1,043 utility models (1162 in 2001) were registered. The total number of filed patent applications decreased by 8,5 % for domestic applicants and by 10 % for foreign applicants; the number of filed utility model applications decreased approx. by 4% compared to 2001. The highest number of patent applications was filed in the field of organic chemistry.
Since May 10, 2000, (amendment of the patent law) till the end of 2002, a total of 41 applications for grant of SPCs were filed (38 for medicinal products, 3 for plant protection products).
After accession to the European Patent Convention on July 1, 2002, 5 European patent applications of Czech applicants were filed.

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

- 1,863 patent documents and 1,043 utility models were issued in printed form; abstracts were printed on all title pages of patent documents;
- Patent documents in paper form were distributed to industrial property offices of seven countries and to six technical libraries in the Czech Republic;
- Since July 2002, the Office started to scan full descriptions of Czechoslovak patent documents from 1919 to 1990;
- The Official Bulletin is issued monthly (Part A – Inventions, Utility Models, Topographies, Industrial Designs; Part B – Trademarks); Part A issued in 225 to 250 copies;
- Production of the Official Bulletin on CD-ROM continued; the Bulletin was also available in the computer network. Since the beginning of the year 2000, (from vol. 1/2000) it has been published in pdf format on the Office’s website.
- CD-ROM ESPACE PRECES (Patents from the Region of Eastern and Central European States) and CD-ROM PRECES ACCESS (Bibliographic data and abstracts of the patents from the Region of Eastern and Central European States) were produced, including also Czech patent documents.

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

- Abstracts were printed on title pages of all patent documents and in the Bulletin Part A.
- Patent and utility model documents are classified according to IPC.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

The Office received foreign patent documents both in paper form and on CD-Roms or DV-Roms. In 2002, the Office received Patent Bulletins from 53 countries, including EPO and WIPO.

The patent library stores over 30 milion patent documents from 26 countries + EP and PCT documents. The file is arranged according to IPC and countries. The CD-Roms collection is built and used.

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

- Searches were carried out in DC STN, DIALOG and QUESTEL.
- The database PFS EPIDOS in Vienna was used.
- Creating the search database of Czech and Czechoslovak granted patent documents, published applications and registered utility models continued; information is made accessible through Internet.
- The Office automation management system was used (data since 1986); the following databases were operated: Patent applications, industrial design applications, register of inventors, register of applicants and register of organizations corresponding with the Office.
- The following CD-ROM search systems were used: CASSISS (US), ACCESS (EP), PATOS (DE), PAJ, LEGAL, US SEARCH and GLOBALPAT.

VI. Administration of the industrial property office library 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)

- Methodical and consultation assistance for the public is given in the reading room and service section.
- Reprographic services were assured in the reading room.
- Search systems on CD-ROM and Internet were used.
- Patent searches for the public were carried out in database centres STN Karlsruhe and Dialog (WPI, CA, Inpadoc, PlusPat)
- Patent documents on CD-ROM from EP, WO, DE, US (also on DVD), GB, AT, BE, LU, NL, CH, DK, FR, JP, RU are available.
- CD-ROM ESPACE-BULLETIN was used.
- Czech patent documents were sent to the public according to off-line thematic profiles defined by the IPC symbols.
- Electronic order forms of patent searches were available through the Internet (by means of e-mail).

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

- Exchange of CD-ROM carriers expanded, Czech patent documents in paper form were distributed to industrial property offices of seven countries.
- Official Bulletins were distributed to 43 places abroad.
- Patent applications can be filed on paper or in electronic form.

VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries

Various courses and seminars were organized for the Czech public; excursions from enterprises and schools were accepted.
The Office presented its information activities and products at following exhibitions and trade-fairs:
- International Machine Trade Fair and INVEX in Brno,
- IENA Exhibition of inventions and innovations in Nuremberg,
- the exhibition accompanying the international conference EUROFORUM on Community trademarks organised in Prague,
- the exhibition accompanying the regional conference for the World Summit on information society in Bucharest
- the exhibition “Inovace 2002”.
Office staff members participated in the seminars and conferences organized by the EPO.
The Office cooperated with regional centres of patent information in the matters of information products providing, training and education.

IX. Other relevant matters

In June 2002 the Office, in cooperation with the European Patent Office, completed the first phase of the project of the patent collection conversion, i.e. scanning of title pages of Czechoslovak patent documents since 1918. Facsimiles obtained in this way were made accessible by the Office through the database of national patents and utility models. For the time being, it is only possible to search according to a patent number.
Since July 2002, the Office started to scan full descriptions of Czechoslovak patent documents from 1919 - 1990. In 2002, the Office prepared a software application enabling to gain the bibliographic data and the abstract from title pages of patent documents.