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I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of industrial design information activities and expected time frames for their realization
In 2024, the PPO continued to maintain the electronic services platform (PUEUP).The whole system includes the following modules that were fully implemented from the design phase to production and delivered with the infrastructure:
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In 2024 the PPO continued to maintain API endpoint serving bibliographic data for given numbers and dates of BUP and WUP publications, which replaced the manual preparation of data in accordance with BUP and WUP official publications from PPO’s systems for the needs of EPO, WIPO and the Chinese Patent Office.
New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies(plans) mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks
The new Polish Industrial Property Law is expected to be published, so the PPO will have to prepare BackOffice and other systems for the new law. The purpose of the PPO is to adapt BackOffice to changes in procedures regarding trademarks and industrial models and to include inventions, utility models, EP and SPC which will have to be migrated to BackOffice from Soprano system.
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- e-Registry - viewing the entries entered in the registry and obtaining an excerpt from registry;
- EP Validation - obtaining protection on the territory of Poland;
- Expiration Date Notification - informing about the expiration date of protection;
- Information Subscription - searching for information in defined sources maintained by UPRP (including automatic notifications based on user criteria);
- e-Filing - applying for trademarks, patents, industrial designs registration to obtain an IP protection;
- e-Submission - handling electronic correspondence during the whole IP lifecycle of trademarks, patents and industrial designs;
Changes in registry - management of records changes in registry (e.g. in case of extension of the protection, updating the owners, resignation from protection, changes in rights, pledges, licenses, etc.).
Main areas of industrial design information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year
The PPO is continuously developing the functionalities of the above-mentioned PUEUP modules in accordance with the needs and expectations of customers and users of the platform.
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants (registrations) with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
In 2024, the Polish Patent Office received 890 industrial design applications under the national procedure (out of which 857 by national and 33 by foreign entities). A decrease of 1.77% was recorded in comparison with 2023 when 906 industrial design applications were submitted (out of which 887 by national and 19 by foreign entities).
Exclusive rights granted /entered into the register | 2023 | 2024 | Change (%) 2023-2024 |
Industrial designs | 668 | 762 | +14.07 |
Rights in force as of 31 December | 2023 | 2024 | Change (%) 2023-2024 |
Industrial designs | 7 887 | 7 734 | -1.94 |
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
Statistics are accessed at the following URLs: https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/o-urzedzie/statystyki
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- Statistical module (https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/o-urzedzie/statystyki/modul-statystyczny),
- The PPO annual report (https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/publikacje/raport-roczny-uprp),
- Methodology and glossary of concepts (https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/o-urzedzie/statystyki/metodologia-i-slownik-pojec),
- Infographics (https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/o-urzedzie/statystyki/infografiki),
- Rules for sharing statistical data (https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/o-urzedzie/statystyki/zasady-udostepniania-danych-statystycznych),
- API for statistics (https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/o-urzedzie/statystyki/api-do-statystyk).
News page: https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/aktualnosci
II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Information and support provided by the Office to applicants regarding filing on paper and/or e-filing (instructions, seminars, etc.) – URLs
The PPO information and support options in 2024 included:
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The CRM system is interfacing with other applications (Computer Telephony Integration, callback, meetings time and visits, virtual information service window and live-chat) to facilitate the customer relation management. Tool for measuring the customers’ satisfaction. IP Info Center has a non-verbal communication system to improve information service for deaf and hearing-impaired customers.
Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
All necessary information provided by PPO to applicants is published on PPO site. Customers using PUEUP have access to application files which are sent electronically to the PPO. Customers may also use the forms available in the e-Profile module in order to submit applications in electronic form.
- Information about trademark application procedure https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/przedmioty-ochrony/wzory-przemyslowe/wzory-przemyslowe-procedura-krajowa
- Paper forms https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/przedmioty-ochrony/wzory-przemyslowe/wzory-przemyslowe-procedura-krajowa/pobierz-formularz
Classification and reclassification activities; classification system used, e.g., International Classification for Industrial Designs (Locarno Classification), other classification
In 2024, the PPO used the International Classification of Industrial Designs (Locarno Classification version 14).
III. SOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE
Main types of publications in the field of industrial design information, outline of the content (industrial design applications, design patents, registrations, etc.) and medium (on paper, on CDs, online – URLs)
Information on industrial designs is available on the website of the Office
- The PPO’s website at (http://www.uprp.gov.pl),
- Bulletin and Communications of the PPO at (https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/publikacje/biuletyn-i-wiadomosci-uprp),
- e-Search at (https://ewyszukiwarka.pue.uprp.gov.pl/search/simple-search).
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online – (URL), etc.
Information about the national registered industrial designs are published in the “Bulletin of the Patent Office” (WUP), a weekly which is available free of charge in PDF format on the webpage: https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/publikacje/biuletyn-i-wiadomosci-uprp. In 2024, 763 titles were published in an electronic form in the PPO databases and in the e-Search engine at the PPO website.
Announcements containing ordinances of the President of the Polish Patent Office, official announcements and communications are published in the Official Journal of the Patent Office (https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/publikacje/dziennik-urzedowy-uprp ). Announcements regarding non-procedural matters, but connected to the Office's activity like: general information on the PPO's tasks, references, organizational structure, HR matters are published on the Internet version of "Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej" (Public Information Bulletin: https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/bip ) on the official PPO's website. Many non-regular, important announcements are immediately published on the website.
Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external documentation and databases
In 2024, the following information products were available to examiners:
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- Industrial designs data are stored in specialized internal databases of the PPO called BackOffice in which image information and bibliographic data details are stored.
Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) and services available to external users; conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
Online sources of industrial designs information include:
- e-Search provides simple (full-text) search, advanced (deterministic) search and searching in collections of documents (PDF).https://ewyszukiwarka.pue.uprp.gov.pl/search/simple-search.
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
In order to make entries on the legal status of exclusive rights protected on the territory of Poland, an industrial design register is held. The register includes information necessary to establish the subject and scope of protection (e.g. date of filing, title), entity (or entities) entitled to rights concerning a given subject of protection (e.g. holders, licensees, securities, seizure) and other useful information (e.g. applications for revocation). Everyone who submits a relevant application and pays a fee to the account of the Office can obtain excerpts from the register.
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IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Specific software tools supporting business procedures within the Office: general description, characteristics, advantages, possible improvements
The BackOffice is the main system for managing the procedures for granting and maintaining rights to trademarks and industrial designs in the PPO. BackOffice is the source system for many databases (search engines) and it is interconnected with other systems in the PPO.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
The PPO uses workstations and notebooks with Microsoft Windows 10/11 Pro, MacOS; multimedia tablets with Apple iPadOS system; physical servers with Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Standard and virtual servers using Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Datacenter with Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016,Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2025 installed, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10/11/12, CentOS Linux 5/6/7/8, Oracle Linux 5/6/7, Debian GNU/Linux 6/7/8 and Ubuntu Server LTS, RedHat Enterprise Linux 7.x/9.x; hypervisor servers with VMware vSphere.
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The server infrastructure is supported by local UPSs and secured by the main power supply unit for the PPO. The main IT infrastructure units are located in a secure server room equipped with a fire alarm, CCTV system, redundant air-conditioning and a technical floor.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
Industrial design data are stored in specialized, regularly updated internal databases in which image information and bibliographic details are stored, for example:
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Most of the production databases are hosted by Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise, Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Enterprise and MySQL Server 4/5, PostgreSQL 9.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
The BackOffice is a workflow-based system for dealing with trademarks and designs throughout the entire lifecycle of the process, from application to registration and publication. It also streamlines the work process by enabling users to create and monitor correspondence with customers. It is adopted to work together with Electronic Document Management System (EZD) which facilitates the processing of incoming and outgoing correspondence. External users have access to registers and information on legal status via the e-Search module. The Settlement Module (MR) is used as a supplementary system for managing fees and payments.
Other matters
The PPO maintained a professional call centre service based on Unify OpenScape Contact Centre Enterprise software and a new system of customer relationship management based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server 365 software.
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V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION
Publications related to different business procedures and industrial design information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
As part of promotion of knowledge on industrial property, the Patent Office issues various publications such as guides, information and promotion brochures addressed to wide audience, among others to entrepreneurs, students, school youth. Those publications are available free of charge in an electronic version and PDF format at: https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/publikacje/pozostale-publikacje-uprp . The printed versions of some of them are available at the premises of the Office and distributed during various events organised by the PPO or in which the PPO participates.
The publications include the following titles: Get Familiar with Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property for an Entrepreneur, Your World of Intellectual Property, What Is Intellectual Property, Industrial Property Protection in a Nutshell, Protection of Industrial Designs in Poland and in the European Union, 3,2,1…Startup!, to name a few.
Cooperation with universities, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
The Polish Patent Office collaborates with various institutions in promoting knowledge on intellectual property (organisation of conferences, workshops, trainings, patronage of the PPO President over numerous initiatives etc.).
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- collaboration with governmental administration institutions, including Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, as well as local government authorities.
Education and training: training courses, e learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
In 2024 the PPO organised and co-organised, among others, the following events:
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- The Knowledge Zone includes information, publications and other materials addressed both to entities with advanced knowledge on IP issues as well as those ones looking for basic information on IP protection, procedures and management.
- The Training Zone consists of 2 parts: beginner user and advanced user.For these users, training in intellectual property protection is available, which ends with a test verifying the acquired knowledge.
Other activities
In 2024, the PPO maintained a special Seventica service for non-verbal communication (using the service, the sounds of human language are immediately translated into sign language on a computer or a tablet). The aim of the project was to remove communication barriers among people with hearing deficiency.
VI.INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to information on industrial design,
DesignView - industrial design search engine - EUIPO
DesignClass - a tool supporting users in classifying industrial designs - EUIPO
VII. ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WIPO STANDARDS CONCERNING INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION
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