SCIT.ATR.PI.2002.TR

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

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

In the year 2002, the total number of applications in the Turkish Patent Institute was 2805 (Patents : 1883, Utility Models : 1786) you can see the detailed distribution in the graph “ta02”.

The distribution of applications and grants in 2002 with respect to Utility Models, Patents, resident, non –resident applications and grants is shown in graph “2002 app-grant”.

As you can see easily from the graph “01-02changes”, PCT applications have decreased about 48 % , on the other hand there is a remarkable rise in the EPC applications, and it is expected to rise in the following years.

trwipostat2002 - excel file for statistics 2002-TR

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

In the C classification of IPC, which is chemistry and metallurgy, there is a remarkable decrease in the applications if we compare 2001 with respect to 2002.graph “ ipc01-02”. In the other classification classes there is no remarkable change.

Changes in terms of applications and grants between 2001 and 2002 are shown in the graph “app-grant 01-02”.

You can find the evolution of the total number of patent applications with respect to years from 2001 to 2002 from the graph “01-02 app”.

(for graphs look to "trwipostat2002.xls" file)

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

In Turkey, patent and utulity model applications are issued because of the Decree Law No.551 pertaining to the protection of Patent Rights. The “Official Patent Bulletin” is published monthly and it contains bibliographic data of applications in paper form, and each monthly “Official Patent Bulletin” of TPI contains announcements of the below-mentioned items.

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

· Patent applications,
· Utility model applications,
· Granted patents (with or without substantive examination),
· Granted utility models,
· License offers,
· EPC applications which were submitted with only their claims,
· Granted EPC patents
· Search report
· Applications with substantive examination requested
· Patent applications without examination system
· Withdrawn applications because of no annual fees payment,
· Patents and Utility Models which will regain validity,
· Patents and Utility Model applications which will regain validity
· Applications withdrawn, refused and deemed to be withdrawn
· Corrections

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

In the TPI archive, there are about 39,000 patent documents granted by TPI inpaper form. In addition to this, all the Turkish patent applications filed and published between 21/01/1998 and 21/05/2003 were scanned in EPO on behalf of Turkey. Everybody was able to access these documents via http://tr.espacenet.com url.

The name of our national database for patent applications is PATARA and it uses an ORACLE database system. Bibliographic data of the applications and standard codes for comunications between TPI and applicants can be seen from the PATARA screen via the intranet system in the Patent Department of TPI.

MICROFILM DATABASE:
From the date 15/01/1970 and the patent number 16950, 5322 Turkish patent documents have been recorded on 54 rolls of film.
Data and images of PCT applications between years 1983-1989 have been recorded on 564 rolls of microfilms.



CD-ROM DATABASE:

· ESPACE (EP-A, ACCES, EP-B, BULLETIN, FIRST MIMOSA)
· USPTO (PATENT ASSIST, ASSIGN, SNAP, PATENTS-BIB, PATENT CLASS, USAPAT
· PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN

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

Classification:

Turkey has been using the IPC system since 1956. TPI became a member of the IPC Agreement on 01.10.1996. Turkish translations of IPC manuals exist in order to be used by Turkish examiners. Currently the seventh edition of the IPC is used for the classification of applications.

Bibliographic data and full-text processing for search purposes

The bibliographic data and abstracts of all applications have been entered in the PATARA database of TPI. Bibliographic data and abstract search has already been made in our database.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

The national patent documents are maintained in paper format in our archives. TPI is using CD-ROM’s produced by EPO, JP and USPTO for searching purpose as well as Internet.

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

The current Turkish Patent Institute IT System is abbreviated as follows.

Current IT Investment is illustrated in the figure below. As seen from the drawing TPI is operates in two buildings which are connected with F/O channel. Current IT operation is run by 3 programmers with the following applications:

- MIS Applications: Developed in ORACLE DB v.8, and with Oracle Developer tools. All applications are in operation. Applications are forofficial and have not been Internet enabled yet.

- PATARA: Patent Applications System (currently, 32 users and 15 applications per day)

- MARKARA: Trademark Application System (partially in use, currently 98 users and 110 applications per day)

- TASARA : Industrial Design Applications System. (partially in use, currently 12 users and 10 applications per day)

- TPEGEL: Incoming Documents Processing (textual, only for applications, currently 2 users and 480 documents processed per day)

- TPEGIT: Outgoing Documents Proccessing (currently 4 users and 560 mailings processed per day)

- MUHSIS: Administrative and Financial.( currently 11 users and 420 invoices processed per day)

- PERSONNEL: Personnel Affairs.

Our Patent Library: Jukebox and Server are provided by the German Patent Office for the collection of DVD/VCD from EPO, JPO, US-PTO, OHMI in particular EP-A, EP-B access DVD-Global Pat. It contains 1,200 CD/DVD. A directory of the documents contained in the CD is not available, since the system is not functioning.

-Esp@ceNet: The Esp@ceNet server is provided by the EPO, for local patents. For this purpose, during the last 6 years (January-1998 - May 2003) patent documents were scanned by EPO.

- Internet Services: Currently 2 Mbit Internet service is provided by TPE, through WEB Server built on W2k platform. DMZ Internet security is provided by CISCO PIX firewall.

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)

The Information and Documentation Department of TPI is responsible for services of all publications and the library. This department publishes applications, granted patents, Offical Bulletins, educational and informative books, brochures and periodicals. It collects and stores information and documents and provides them as a service to the public.

Information services are available to the public only on request.

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

We send some statistical information concerning national patent applications, including PCT applications in national phase, regularly to EPO. There is an exchange agreement between EPIDOS and TPI. We also send some statistical information concerning national patent applications to WIPO.

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

In the scope of harmonisation of our patent law with the International treaties , EU directives and EPC, a working group is working on the project of “ Renewal of Decree law 551”. In this task, the views of other related governmental institutions and attorneys have been taken into consideration.

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

Training seminars for TPI staff in TPI:

-In the year 2002 five seminars were held in the TPI building. Examiners from EPO and WIPO gave these seminars to the Patent department staff. The subjects of the seminars are as follows:

1-Examination of pharmaceutical applications and related international legislation
2-Protection of working methods and computer programs
3-PCT procedures
4-EPC Receiving Office
5-IPC

-Meetings at the EPO and WIPO:

In the year 2002, TPI Patent Department staff participated in 23 seminars abroad, in the EPO and WIPO.

-Domestic seminars for dissemination of patent information in Turkey:

In the year 2002, TPI Patent Department examiners have held and participated in 14 seminars in various cities of Turkey.

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

A software development project is currently ongoing. (Online applications, availibility of bulletins via internet and new software for patents).

IX. Other relevant matters

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY PROJECT:

A) Industrial Property Campus:

Construction started at the end of 1999, and major parts of the construction took place throughout the year 2002. The building is expected to be in service by the end of 2003. The new building is designed by taking into account efficiency in services, future employee recruitments and technological advances.

B) TPI Special Software :
In the scope of technical counselling the “TPI special software” project is currently being developed and will be ready before the campus is functioning, at which time all administrative tasks will be automated at the highest level.