SCIT.ATR.PI.2008.KZ

Annual Technical Report 2008 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Kazakhstan (SCIT/ATR/PI/2008/KZ)

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 2008, 1474 applications for inventions were filed by the national applicants and 200 applications - by the foreign applicants.
The number of issued titles for inventions increased significantly in 2008 in comparison with the previous year.
The number of issued innovation patents for inventions to the national applicants is 354 in 2008, and 5 in 2007.
The number of patents issued for inventions to the national applicants made up 132 patents, and to the foreign applicants - 39 patents, in 2007 - 129 and 22 respectively.
The number of preliminary patents for an invention issued to the national applicants made up 1126, to the foreign applicants - 104, in 2007, 790 and 64, correspondingly.
Total of 1755 titles for inventions were issued in 2008, what exceeds the figures of 2007 (1010) to 74%.

In 2008, the applicants' activity of application filing for utility models is as follows: 40 applications were filed by the national applicants and 42 - by the foreign applicants. The number of patents issued for utility models has increased, in 2008 - 56 patents to the national applicants and 54 - to foreign applicants, and in 2007 - 42 and 10 respectively.

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

Patent information is available on paper and CD-ROM carriers.

The main source of information on patents registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan is Industrial Property Official Gazette, which is published in Kazakh and Russian. Announcements are published in the Official Gazette. NIIP also issues an Annual Index to Gazette.
In 2008, NIIP prepared and published 2007 Annual Report, four numbers of Journal Intellectual Property of Kazakhstan, and some guidelines.

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

NIIP uses International Patent Classification for classifying patent applications.

Bibliographic data for Gazette is generated automatically from the database. Abstracts, full descriptions and claims are scanned, recognized and edited. Texts can be typed in case the recognition is not possible. The Office uses program ABBYY FineReader 7.0 for Optical Character Recognition.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

When a patent application is received all information on it is entered into the national database. The information is updated in the course of office procedures.

Information on registered patents, including bibliographic data, descriptions is stored on CD-ROMs as well as on paper carriers.

In 2008, Inventions of World's Countries Database was obtained and introduced. It comprises bibliographic abstracts and graphic information on inventions of WIPO, EPO, the UK, Germany, the US, France, Russia (from 2002), Switzerland and Japan published between 1996 and 2006, which enabled Kazakhstan to extend its capacities in patent search for inventions for international novelty.

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

There is used an on-site automated system for search procedures, which includes information on patents filed with NIIP.

Examiners use following external databases for examination purposes: EAPATIS, esp@cenet, PATENTSCOPE, and open registers of Rospatent, RUPAT and RUPAT_OLD.

Hardware: system block P4 Core2Duo 1,8GHz, 160 HDD, 526 Mb, DVD-RW, video 128, m/k, LAN. Software: WINDOWS, Microsoft Office 2003, FOX PRO.

VI. Administration of the industrial property office library, and information products 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)

Republican patent fund is generated at the Republican Scientific Technical Library (RSTL).
Currently it comprises more than 21 million patent documents from 50 countries and three organizations – WIPO, EPO and EAPO.

On the monthly basis NIIP distributes patent information to the RSTL and its twelve branch offices around Kazakhstan.

At the NIIP’s Branch Office Databases Patents of Kazakhstan: Bibliography, Patents of Kazakhstan: Full descriptions and Database Patents of Kazakhstan: Abstracts are generated, which are then recorded on optical disks and distributed around Kazakhstan and abroad.

In the year 2008, about 2000 copies of NIIP's publications were distributed including Gazette Industrial Property and Journal Intellectual Property of Kazakhstan as well as database on published titles "Patents of Kazakhstan" with search system on optical disks.
In the year under review the NIIP's Training Center rendered 998 consultations on drawing up application materials for the intellectual property subject matters, carried out thematic, corresponding patent, numeric searches for applicants.

On June 1, 2008 the Consultation sector was opened in the Registration and Control Service for assisting to applicants and advising on filing, granting procedures and other business issues.

Currently the System for electronic filing of patent applications is being developed. Instructions on filing applications for industrial property subject matters is at: http://www.kazpatent.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1208951998&id=1209467172

The list of services offered by NIIP in the field of industrial property is at: http://www.kazpatent.kz/index.php?lang=rus&uin=1216034056

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

NIIP carries out mutual exchange of Official Gazettes, Annual Reports and databases with near and far abroad countries and the international organizations.

In the year 2008, about 2000 copies of NIIP's publications were distributed including Journal Intellectual Property of Kazakhstan and various databases.

The exchange of patent information is carried out on paper as well as optical carriers.

VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)

In the very beginning of the year 2008 the National Contest Shapagat-2008 on innovations was successfully held for the fifth time. The Contest is aimed at promotion of innovation activities, improving inventor’s image through recognition of their achievements and contribution to innovation development of the country.

During the year some videos were developed and further rotated on the national channels.

A national event INTELLECT was organized by the Committee for Intellectual Property Rights of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan in cooperation with territorial Justice Agencies with the participation of interested state bodies and public organizations.
Within the Intellect campaign NIIP’s specialists and examiners gave lectures at the Universities, and also held a round table on Legal Issues of Industrial Property. There were held open days at the Offices of NIIP where any interested person could obtain full information on issues of interest for free.
A national competition of essays on Problems and Ways of the Intellectual Property Rights Protection was organized among college and university students as part of the national event Intellect.
In 2008, the Training Center held 14 events including 6 charged workshops, 3 workshops for free, 2 conferences, 3 round-tables. Over 230 specialists were trained in the Center including 38 examiners and specialists of NIIP, 108 specialists - under the State Program (pursuant to Plan of CIPRs) with 90 representatives of law enforcement bodies among them.
The information about the upcoming courses is always available on the site of NIIP.

In 2008 fifteen examiners and specialists of NIIP successfully completed distance learning program DL-101 General course on Intellectual Property and received WIPO certificates of completion.

Several examiners took professional development courses at the Russian State Institute of Intellectual Property in Moscow.

IX. Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:

Information on legislation in the field of IP protection, Annual Report and other general information can be found on the official web-site of the Institute at www.kazpatent.kz

Patent law of the Republic of Kazakhstan can be found at: http://www.kazpatent.kz/index.php?lang=eng&uin=1211781357

X. Other relevant matters