Annual Technical Report 2003 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Czech Republic (SCIT/ATR/PI/2003/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 2002, there were changes in patent and utility model activities as follows: in 2003, 3.579 patent applications (4.277 in 2002), 1.117 utility model applications (1.121 in 2002) and 82 PCT international applications (70 in 2002) were filed, 1.802 patents were granted (1.805 in 2002) and 1.022 utility models (1.043 in 2002) were registered. The total number of filed patent applications increased by 19 % for domestic applicants and decreased by 21 % for foreign applicants. The highest number of patent applications was filed in the field of organic chemistry.

In 2003, 12 applications for granting of a supplementary protection certificate for medicinal products (SPC) were filed. In 2003 the first SPC took effect after expiration of the statutory period for validity of the basic patent.

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

- 1.802 patent documents and 1.022 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;
- the digitalisation of full texts of Czechoslovak patents from 1919 to 1990 continued within the framework of technical cooperation with the European Patent Office.
- The Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office (Vestnik UPV) is issued monthly (Part A – Inventions, Utility Models, Topographies, Industrial Designs; Part B – Trademarks); both parts issued in 250 copies;
- as from No. 1/2000, the Official Bulletin is available on the web site of the Industrial Property Office as an electronic book in PDF format.
- 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 are printed on title pages of all patent documents and in the Bulletin Part A in the case of published patent applications.

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 CDs or DVDs. In 2003, the Office received Patent Bulletins from 53 countries, including the EPO and WIPO.

Patent library stores over 30 million patent documents from more than 20 countries + EP and PCT documents. The file is arranged according to IPC. 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 STN International, DIALOG and QUESTEL.

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 was given in the public reading room and service section.

Reprographic services were assured in the public reading room.

Search systems on CD-ROM and Internet were used.

Patent searches for the public were carried out in database centres STN International, Questel 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 were 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.

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 Bulletin was distributed to 200 clients within the Czech Republic and 40 clients in foreign countries.

Patent applications can be filed in 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 Republic; groups and individual visitors from enterprises and schools were accepted.

In 2003, the two-year study course of industrial property rights was conducted within the Office's own educational facility - The Industrial Property Training Institute.

The Office presented its information activities and products at the following exhibitions and trade fairs:
- International Machinery Trade Fair in Brno, CZ
- International Fair of ICT INVEX in Brno, CZ
- IENA Exhibition of Inventions and Innovations in Nurnberg, DE
- EUROFORUM Exhibition of Inventions in Budapest, HU
- Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, CH
- “Innovation 2003”. Exhibition in Prague, CZ

Office staff members participated in seminars and conferences organized by the EPO.

The Office co-operated with Regional Patent Information Centres (PATLIB) in information products providing training and education.

The Office issued the Industrial Property Journal every two months.

IX. Other relevant 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.