Annual Technical Report 2004 on Trademark Information Activities submitted by The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (SCIT/ATR/TM/2004/MK)
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I. Evolution of registration activities
In the year 2004, the total number of trademark applications (including national applications and international applications - Madrid System) was 4,221, which compared with the previous year 2003, when the total number of trademark applications was 4,073, is an increase of 3.5%. In 2003, the number of trademark registrations was 535 and in 2004, the total number of trademark registrations was 294 which is a decrease of 45.1% in the number of trademark registrations.
According to the International Classification of Products and Services, (Nice agreement) the situation with the received trademark applications by classes has changed significantly in comparison to last year. Thus, the majority of the applications in 2004 were for pharmaceutical products, class 5 of the Nice classification (268 applications with 12.01% participation). In second place were application with reference to the class 30 (210 applications and participation of 9.42%) and in third place was class 35 (172 applications and participation of 7.59%). These first three were followed by the applications for the services in the class 41 (109 applications and participation of 4.87%) and the applications related to class 03 (98 applications and participation of 4.46%). This data indicate the increasing interest for trademark protection in the area of food industry from class 30, which may be attributed to the existence of a food industry in the Republic of Macedonia.
In 2004, 51 countries filed trademarks applications under the national procedure. The number of trademark applications filed by the national applicants constituted 43.4%. of the total number of applications filed. The most active applicants were from DE (195 application),US (173 application), HR (106 application).
The internationally registered Macedonian trademarks within the framework of the Madrid agreement in 2004 were reduced in comparison to the previous year. In 2003 the State Office of Industrial Property has internationally registered 9 trademarks and territorial expansions. In 2004 the number of internationally registered trademarks was 7 and territorial expansions 1.
In 2004, within the framework of the Madrid System ( Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol) 2678 international trademark applications were received and 487 territorial expansions where the applicants were members of the Madrid Union and request protection in Republic of Macedonia. In that context the most applications were from Germany 27.71%, Italy 8.63%, France 7.92% Switzerland 6.27%, and According to the participation of the countries in the total number of the applications we recognized that there were some changes in the position kept by countries in 2003 (Germany 26.8%, Switzerland 9.2% and France 8.8% and Italy 8.3%).
In 2004, 157 trademarks were renewed, 712 changes in the trademark registers were made, 951 trademark certificates were issued .
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of secondary sources of trademark information, i.e., trademark gazettes
The Industrial Property Protection Office of the Republic of Macedonia issues the official gazette “Glasnik”. The Gazette is issued every three months. This official gazette contains data concerning:
-Trademark registration
-Trademark renewals
-Trademark assignments
-Change of data concerning trademark owners
- Change in the list of goods and services
-Registration of license agreements in respect of trademarks
-Cancellations of national trademarks
-Official decisions,
and information regarding other activities of the Office, in the country and abroad. There are very often commentaries of ongoing activities in protection of industrial property rights. The Office issues an Annual Report of its activities from the previous year. This Report contains basic data for trademarks.
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of trademark information
The Industrial Property Protection Office of the Republic of Macedonia uses International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification).
Bibliographic data of trademark applications and registered trademarks are stored in a database on magnetic disc and they are machine searchable
IV. Trademark manual search file establishment and upkeep
Trademark files are kept in paper form in the library, and they are updated continuously.
V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems
From the beginning of the year the Office, in cooperation with WIPO, started the implementation of the IPAS Software for the Patents and Trademarks domain and it is planned to gradually encompass Industrial Designs too.
- Administrative management systems:
IPAS Software
VI. Administration of trademark services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, registering trademarks, assisting clients with search procedures, obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
Information concerning Trademarks is available in electronic format and searchable (but until the end of the year 2004 it was still not available for online searches). Additional information (as application procedures and such) is available at the Office Web-site http://www.ippo.gov.mk.
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of trademark documentation and information
The Office sends and receives trademark gazettes in paper form. The official gazettes, as well as the Annual Report are distributed to the following countries: AM, AL, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BR, BA, BG, BE, BY, BX CA, CN, CY, CZ, CH, DE, EE, EG, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IT, IL, JP, LI, LV, LT, LU, MA, MD, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RU, SI, SE, SK, TR, UA, US, and YU. The Office receives gazettes and annual reports from the following countries: AT, BG, ER, BY, MD, PL, HU, UA, FI, CZ, RU, SK, JP, YU, HR and SI.
VIII. Matters concerning education and training including technical assistance to developing countries
In the year 2004, the educational and training activities of the employees of the Trademark Department was as follows:
WIPO
Seminar: International Classification of goods and services for the purposes of registration of marks under the Nice Agreement (Geneva)
Seminar: Madrid System for International Registrations of Marks (Geneva)
Seminar: Madrid Agreement for International Registration of Marks and Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement (Geneva)
Two seminars realized under the Regional Industrial and Intellectual Property Rights- CARDS Work program.
IX. Other relevant matters
Nothing to report.