Annual Technical Report 2002 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Lithuania (SCIT/ATR/PI/2002/LT)

 

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

Application filings and grants in 2002:

140 patent applications filed direct with the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania (SPB), from which 67,1 % applications originating in Lithuania (including 9 PCT international applications);
35 PCT international applications commenced the national phase;
3320 patent applications published, from which 96,5 % European patent applications extended to Lithuania;
104 Lithuanian patents granted;
476 European patents enforced in Lithuania;
1 application for supplementary protection certificate;
1 supplementary protection certificate granted.

Compared with 2001 the number of:

national filings increased by 11,1 %;
filings originating in Lithuania increased by 32,4 %;
Lithuanian grants decreased by 18,8 %;
published European patent applications extended to Lithuania increased by 11,0 %;
European patents enforced in Lithuania is higher by 135,6 %.

Agriculture, Organic Chemistry, Medicine, Biochemistry remain the leading areas as reflected in patent filings 1995 - 2002.

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

SPB official patent publications are:

Patent applications (A documents) and Patent Specifications (B documents);
Official Gazette on Inventions, Designs, Trademarks and Service Marks, Firm Names.

The Official Gazette contains announcements published in 2002:

"BB1A Patent Applications published in accordance with Article 21 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"FD9A Patent Applications withdrawn in accordance with Article 21 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"FG9A Patents published in accordance with Article 22 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"MM9A Patents lapsed in accordance with Article 27 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"PC9A Transfer of Patents in accordance with Article 31 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"QB9A Licensing in accordance with Articles 34-36, 38 and 39 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"QA9A Licences of Right published in accordance with Article 37 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"PD9A, TA9A, TH9A Changes in Patents published in accordance with Article 43 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"BB1A International Patent Applications published in accordance with Article 48 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"TK9A Rectifications";
"BB1D European Patent Applications published in accordance with Article 51 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"FD9D European Patent Applications withdrawn in accordance with Article 51 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania ";
"FG9D European Patents published in accordance with Article 54 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"MG9D Revocation of European Patent extension in accordance with Article 54 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"PD9D Changes in European Patents published in accordance with Article 54 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"PC9D Transfer of Patents published in accordance with Article 54 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"MF9D European Patents revoked in accordance with Article 54 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"MM9D Cancellation of European Patent extension in accordance with Article 58 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"ND9D Applications for Supplementary Protection Certificates published in accordance with Article 271 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"ND9D Supplementary Protection Certificates published in accordance with Article 271 of Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania";
"TK9D Rectifications".

Sections of the Official Gazette are coded in accordance with WIPO Standard ST.17.

Patent applications (A documents), Patent Specifications (B documents) printed at SPB are open for public inspection at Lithuanian Technical Library (LTL). Lithuanian Patent Specifications ("B" documents) are also available on ESPACE-PRECES CD-ROM and esp@cenet (http://lt.espacenet.com/).

The Official Gazette is prepared using DTP tools, printed and may be obtained at LTL.

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

Patent Specifications contain abstracts filed by applicants.

Patent applications published in 2002 have been classified in accordance with the seventh edition of the International Patent Classification (IPC).

Internationally agreed Numbers for the Identification of Data (INID codes) relating to patents were used in the Register, Official Gazette and Patent Specifications.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

The internal file of SPB contains the Lithuanian patent publications and the following CD-ROM and DVD-ROM databases:

"ESPACE-EP-A";
"ESPACE-EP-B+ACCESS";
"ESPACE-WORLD";
"ESPACE-ACCESS";
"ESPACE-FIRST";
"ESPACE-BULLETIN";
"ESPACE-PRECES+ACCESS";
"ESPACE-LEGAL";
"ESPACE-SI";
"ESPACE-ACCESS-EUROPE".

At the end of the year, the stocks of LTB contained over 29,7 million patent documents. In 2002, over 3,7 million documents were acquired.

Last year, PIC stocks were enriched by patent specifications from 21 countries and organizations (BG, CA, CH, CZ, DE, EP, FI, FR, GB, HU, JP, LT, LV, NO, PL, RO, RU, SE, SK, US, WO).

Public users have a possibility to use the following LTL DVD-ROM and CD-ROM databases:

"ESPACE-EP-A";
"ESPACE-WORLD";
"ESPACE-ACCESS";
"ESPACE-ACCESS EP-B";
"ESPACE-CA";
"ESPACE-DE";
"DEPAROM-ACT";
"ESPACE-DE-U";
"DEPAROM-U";
"DEPAROM-KOMPAKT";
"ESPACE-DK";
"ESPACE-FI";
"ESPACE-UK";
"ESPACE-CH";
"ESPACE ACCESS-EUROPE";
"COSMOS";
"BREF";
"JPO CD-ROM A&U";
"JPO CD-ROM B&Y";
"PAJ";
"PAJ/INDEX";
"PAJ/Foreign Applicants";
"ESPACE-RFD";
"ESPACE ACCESS RFD";
"Izobretenija stran mira";
"Opisanije izobretenij k patentam Kyrgyzskoj Respubliki";
"USAPat";
"USAApp";
"Patents BIB";
"GLOBALPat";
"ESPACE-PRECES";
"PRECES ACCESS".

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

In 2002 the Register of Patents was a database (Informix) containing all the bibliographic and legal status data on patents changes of names and addresses and licence and transfer agreements included.

The CD-ROM and DVD-ROM databases as mentioned in Section IV were available in 2002 at the SPB and LTL.

The bibliographic and legal status data of the Register of Patents of the Republic of Lithuania and data of European Patents extended to the Republic of Lithuania are also available on EPIDOS/INPADOC.

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)

LTL offers to its visitors the opportunity to get acquainted with a wide range of Lithuanian publications: Official Gazettes of SPB, full patent specifications in paper and CD-ROM format, patent applications, patent bibliography on DVD-ROMs and CD-ROMs, SPB annual reports, sets of communications and regulations.

The visitors of LTL can be consulted on the spot as well as by telephone or e-mail. LTL is an access provider to the website http://www.tb.lt/PIC/PIC.htm, and provides an opportunity to order patent search.

The distribution of official patent publications of SPB in foreign states and intergovernmental organisations on the basis of mutual exchange is effected also by LTL.

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

In 2002 the official gazette of SPB was distributed in 44 foreign states and intergovernmental organisations (AM, AT, BA, BG, BY, BX, CA, CH, CZ, DE, DK, EE, EM, EP, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, JP, KG, KZ, LV, MC, MD, MK, NO, PL, RO, RU, SE, SI, SK, TJ, TM, TR, UA, US, UZ, WO, YU) on the basis of mutual exchange.

The bibliographic and legal status data on the Lithuanian Patent Applications, PCT Applications, Lithuanian Patents, and European Patents were supplied to the EPO and Hungarian Company ARCANUM INFORMATICS Ltd. on a regular monthly basis to be published on PRECES, EPIDOS-INPADOC as well as on esp@cenet.

ESPACE-PRECES CD-ROMs are distributed by the Hungarian Patent Office.

Several libraries of Lithuanian universities and specialised research libraries free of charge with ESPACE-PRECES CD-ROMs obtained from the Hungarian Patent Office are supplied by LTL.

Exchange of priority documents can be effected and patent applications can be filled only in paper format.

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

Lithuanian specialists took part in the following events:

PATLIB2002;
EAC 2002.

In the conference PATLIB 2002, the Republic of Lithuania was presented in the report "European Patents Extended to the Republic of Lithuania", foreign and Lithuanian press published articles on the improvement of the Lithuanian industrial property information system.

IX. Other relevant matters

During the year 2002 the replies of the Lithuanian party to SCIT Circulars were directed to WIPO and the formats of the publication and exchange of the Lithuanian industrial property data based on WIPO standards were determined.

In 2002, Lithuanian industrial property statistical data were submitted to WIPO to be published in its publication "Industrial Property Statistics".

 

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.