SCIT.ATR.TM.2007.BG

Annual Technical Report 2007 on Trademark Information Activities submitted by Bulgaria (SCIT/ATR/TM/2007/BG)

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.

I. Evolution of registration activities

Changes experienced in terms of application filings and registrations with respect to the previous year

In relation with the previous year, there were no changes in the filing requirements and examination procedures for registration of marks.

Applications:
-Under the national route – 7534 (6873 Bulgarian applicants and 661 from foreign applicants)
-Under the Madrid Agreement and Protocol – 5780 (482 Bulgarian applicants).

Registrations:
-National route - 5325
-Madrid Agreement and Protocol - 4981.

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

The comparison with 2006 shows a decrease in the number of trademark applications.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to trademarks

http://www1.bpo.bg/images/stories/statistics/bpo_statistics06en.pdf

II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of secondary sources of trademark information, i.e., trademark gazettes

Publishing, printing, copying techniques

The Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria publishes the applications and registered national trademarks in the Official Bulletin. The Official Bulletin is paper monthly issue.

Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of trademark information

The publications comprise bibliographic data and images (in color, if claimed) of trademark applications and registrations. The bulletin contains the announcements of all entries in the State Trademark Register – legal status changes, renewals, modifications, cancellations and etc.

Word processing and office automation

Windows XP, MSWord 6.0, MSWord 2000, Page Maker 6.5 plus.

Techniques used for the generation of trademark information (printing, recording, photocomposing, etc.)

A publishing system with a HP Scan Jet scanner, a Las. printer HP Laser Jet, PC Intel Pentium Based with Windows XP as OS and Page Maker 6.5 plus. All data are extracted from the CS and the figurative elements also.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online trademark gazettes and to other sources of trademark information, including download of bulk trademark data

http://www1.bpo.bg:8080/bpo_online/jsp/start.jsp

III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of trademark information

In order to classify goods and services, BPO uses the Nice International Classification of Goods and Services. For the classification of figurative elements - the Vienna Classification is used. All changes and supplements are introduced in due time. They are sustained and used both on paper and electronically.

Obligation for applicants to use pre-defined terms of the classification applied

The use of the classification is obligatory still when applying for registration of marks and geographic indications.

IV. Trademark manual search file establishment and upkeep

A manual search is not used since 1996.

File Building

Dossiers of marks, requested under the national route, are sustained on paper in two collections:
Registered marks – numerical order
Refused – application number
Dossies of international marks are filed by number of international registration.
The marks, for which Bulgaria is indicated later, are filed by ET (expansion of territory).
Number.
The marks, for which Bulgaria is a priority country, are filed separately.

Updating

The updating of the files is regular depending on the number of registrations and rejections.

Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file

Trademark bulletins of foreign offices.

V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems

In-house systems (online/offline)

CS v. 3.30 - administrative management system;
TASS - search system for examiners, replaced by Acsepto on June 27, 2007
Acsepto v. 7.0.6.7 - search system for examiners;
Romarin - International Trademark Information Database
BPO_on1ine - web-based service for public access to information of the registered trademarks in BPO.
For the examination purposes a new search system is adopted – Acsepto(contactor Sword).
Using ACSEPTO the BPO examiners search for trademarks, geographic indications, names of medicated drugs, approbated by the World Health Organization, the symbols protected as per ter.6 of Madrid Agreement , well-known and eminent marks, official signs and seals for control and guarantee.
Acsepto also supports direct connection with databases – Madrid Express On-line (WIPO) and CTM On-line (OHIM). The purpose is to extract bibliographical information concerning the searched marks.
Patent office of the Republic of. Bulgaria launched actions for the creation of electronic database for the marks that served for acknowledging the claims for seniority on the territory of Republic of. Bulgaria, which is integrated in the common database of the Acsepto search system.
This task is being executed in compliance with art. 34 and 35 of Regulations (ЕO) № 40/94 of the council from 20 December 1993, regarding the mark of the Community, in pursuance of section VII of the Contract for Technical Cooperation with the Office forHarmonization of the Home Market (OHIM) for the Community Mark and Community Design Systems and with the purpose to harmonize the national electronic databases, concerning the examination of the marks.
The aim of the Patent Office is to cover with information the examination of the marks, including the information from the newly created databases in the Acsepto search system. At the same time through ВРО – On-line to the general public is granted access to full information concerning the marks that served for acknowledging the claims for seniority on the territory of Republic of. Bulgaria.

External databases

USA databases on CD-ROM - CASSIS
TRACES CD-ROM;
OHIM database on CD-ROM;
6-ter CD-ROM;
NIVILO CD-ROM.
Acsepto

Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used

CS v. 3.30
Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), data carriers used:
Hardware:
Server: HP rp 3400;
Workstations: Intel Pentium based PCs, about 60;
Software:
Server: UNIX 1 l.xx as OS, Informix v. 7.31.FD5 as DBMS
Workstations: Windows'XP as OS, MS Office as documents management, etc.;
Carriers used: CDs, DVDs.

VI. Administration of trademark information products and 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)

Planning, administration, automation, security

Paid information services on request available to the public through the Patent Office are as follows:
Identity and similarity search
Searches related to the legal status
Numerical search
Searches on firm names
Search on Cammunity marks and marks under the Madrid Agreement and Protocol

All the searches are carried in house and in the available collections of national marks, international marks and community marks, 6 ter etc. , as well as on CD-ROM collections -"TRACES", "CASSIS". The security is based on the different kind of access.

The trademark information is accessible on the World Wide Web of BPO office by On-line search system for Trademarks - "BPO ON-LINE".

The Central Patent Library provides for public access to the Official Bulletins from foregin countries, to the CD collections and Internet databases containing trademark information.
In 2007 Patent Office or Republic of. Bulgaria participated in the development and successful starting of a project in the sphere of examinations of marks, called CETMOS (Central European Trade Mark Observation Service), together with eight countries: Austria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Republic of Croatia and Czech Republic.
GETMOS is an English language platform which enables the clients to order against payment a trade mark search for the territory of the nine countries (for national and/or international marks as well as for CTMs) by filling in an electronic form. The result of the search will be sent to the applicant on electronic form within six weeks. The aim of the project is to help the applicant on choosing the proper strategy for the registration of its TM and at the same time TMs owners on keeping up with TMs infringements of abuse.

URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of trademark applications

Not available.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and registration procedures related to trademarks; opposition and appeal procedures related to trademarks; etc.

http://www1.bpo.bg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=75&Itemid=122

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., trademark search service(s) and trademark databases), as well as information on how to access and utilize them

http://www1.bpo.bg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=202&Itemid=292
http://www1.bpo.bg:8080/bpo_online/jsp/start.jsp

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of trademark documentation and information

International or regional cooperation in the exchange of trademark information, e.g., in the form of official gazettes

The Bulgarian Patent Office receives by WIPO “The WIPO Gazette of international Marks”
on paper and CD and the “ROMARIN”- on DVD. The Bulletin of OHIM - on CD-ROM and the Official bulletins of other offices.

BPO sends monthly its Official Bulletin on paper to 39 foreign offices.

Exchange of machine-readable information

Quarterly extraction from the BPO database of bibliographic data and images of all marks registered during the 2007 are processed and sent to the Hungarian company ARCANUM Ltd to be integrated into CD-ROM TRACES collection.

VIII. Matters concerning education and training, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)

Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)

In the framework of the Cooperation Programme between the OHIM and the national IP offices, an Agreement for Technical Cooperation has been signed between OHIM and BPO on March 2, 2007, with the main purpose to promote the Community Trade Marks and Designs in Bulgaria

Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)

Seminars “Protection of CTM and RCD” (implementation of Technical cooperation Agreement BPO-OHIM 2007)
Conducting of Trade mark day in BPO (implementation of Technical cooperation Agreement BPO-OHIM 2007)
Creating, publishing and dissemination of guidelines about CTM
Creating, publishing and dissemination of brochures about CTM

Roving seminars – “Trademark abd geographic indications – ways of regional economic development”
Participation of the Bulgarian patent Office in the International Fair Plovdiv (exhibition)
Advertising in different media – electronic, websites

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

provide information on legislation related to trademarks