Annual Technical Report 2002 on Industrial Design Information Activities submitted by Syrian Arab Republic (SCIT/ATR/ID/2002/SY)
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The expression "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models. Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in this series of Annual Technical Reports.
I. Evolution of registration activities
Industrial designs are protected under law No.47 of 1946, organizing the protection of industrial property in Syria, modified by law No.28 of 1980.
The deposit is the depositor’s responsibility without any governmental responsibility.
Anybody can refer to the court to offer an action.
The procedures
Due to the developments that have occurred in the field of industrial property, the administration has applied some methods for the protection of industrial designs; some modifications have applied to the formal examination, to ensure novelty.
Serious steps have been taken by the Directorate to update the law following special committee studies, that will be in accordance with the new laws in the world.
The actual system consists of publishing the certificates of deposit for industrial designs in the official gazette.
The law gives the right to all citizens to be informed about all deposits of industrial designs.
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of industrial design documents and of secondary sources of industrial design information, i.e., official gazettes
In the future, D.C.I.P. will publish a regular monthly gazette about industrial property; this gazette will contain all interesting information about IP, industrial designs, trademarks, and granted patents.
The efforts are directed to:
1. the training of human resources;
2. introducing the full automation of works;
3. storing and archiving of documents.
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of industrial design information according to the classification systems applied
The actual classification is a local classification that consists of:
- archiving the application files;
- archiving copies of drawings;
- special file.
The Directorate does not apply any international classification.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
Nowadays, the administration is committed to strengthening activities of automation search concerning industrial designs for the following points:
1. number of industrial designs;
2. kinds;
3. interests;
4. institutions follow it (local + international);
5. controversial status;
6. presentation about the status of the industrial design whether it is deposited or has a similar;
7. retrieving photos and samples;
8. establishing a system to extract information;
9. registration taking place abroad;
10.the legal position for any industrial design;
11. request for any statistics concerning the above-mentioned matters.
12. support the administration of industrial designs with office equipment, required qualified staff, computers and means of communication:
- The means used in administration of industrial designs are old;
- Deposit records and saving rights;
- Computers for extracting information on industrial designs.
The existing deposit system according to Act No.47 of the year 1946, relating to industrial designs, enables citizens to:
1. deposit their industrial designs after paying the required fees;
2. obtain an industrial design certificate after a formal study and check about the novelty;
3. save their rights as depositors in the archives of D.C.I.P. and their right to publish in the official gazette;
4. the possibility to get any document or certificate relating to industrial designs deposited after paying the fees;
5. continuing to make an inventory and designator of industrial designs.
The above-mentioned acts are made traditionally to save and deposit the industrial designs, but the other automation service acts that are offered to the public and searching files no matter whether they are in the administration of the industrial designs or in other offices, are services that still don’t exist.
Recently, much effort has been put into developing the performance of D.C.I.P.
Generally speaking, there is a plan to put the information of D.C.I.P on an international website in accordance with the available possibilities.
The administration of D.C.I.P is trying to document the D.C.I.P information, as a first step, by establishing an official publication specialized in D.C.I.P. (industrial design information is to be included therein). The new draft law contains a version about establishing such a publication.
V. Activities in the field of computerized search systems for industrial designs
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The administration, through putting a program about matters relating to D.C.I.P on Internet, will put such information on laser discs or preserved documentaries to publish their program and make it available to the public.
The administration of D.C.I.P. tries to qualify the staff of D.C.I.P. in the industrial design division. Furthermore, the administration is proceeding to benefit from the technical assistance that is offered by specific authorities.
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of industrial design documentation and information
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D.C.I.P. organizes local and regional seminars on industrial property matters; it also participates in international seminars and conferences.
D.C.I.P. organizes each year the Al-Basel fair for invention and innovation in which industrial designs and drawings are exhibited.
D.C.I.P. sends its representatives to visit the IP offices in Arab and foreign countries.
WIPO helps us by sending experts from WIPO or from other Arab countries.
Finally, D.C.I.P. depends on the traditional field in depositing industrial designs and protecting depositors’ rights.
D.C.I.P. will depend on the new legislative decree in practicing IP matters such as:
1. Protection of depositors’ rights;
2. Multi-media services;
3. Researching bulletins that relate to scientific research;
4. Establishing a private library;
5. Benefiting from the developing programs of developing countries;
6. Automation work;
7. Issuing a regular monthly gazette and technical cooperation with other countries and exchange of these publications;
8. Loading the WIPO IP program on Internet.
9. Training employees;
10. Organizing a local seminar on IP rights, etc.
IX. Other relevant matters