Annual Technical Report 2003 on Patent Information Activities submitted by United Kingdom (SCIT/ATR/PI/2003/GB)
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
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See “Publishing, printing, copying etc.”.
III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents
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The office classifies UK patent applications on the UK Classification Key (Edition V in 2003) and the IPC (7th Edition). The office does not reclassify documents except as a result of a UK Key change.
On 1 January 2003, Edition V of the UK Key came into force. Certain amended parts of the Key were republished and these republished parts together with the unamended parts of Edition T collectively constitute Edition V. Key changes for Edition V have been effected in the following headings:
A6D Radical overhaul.
G1A Clarifications in heading introduction
G4A Reorganisation and further detail classification.
G4H Detail classification
G4T Clarification of heading scope.
G4V Clarification of classifying schedule; Detail classification and introduction of indexing schedule 3.
G4X Detail classification and introduction of indexing schedule.
H2E Further detail classification.
H3P Detail classification
H4B Detail classification.
H4F Replace Terms FBB and FRW with FBBB and FRWX
H4L Further detail classification; Clarifying amendments.
H4M Clarification of relationship with between headings H4P and H4B
U1S New Schedule - Schedule 4
Coordinate indexing (domestic deep indexing systems, keyword indexing)
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Bibliographic data, abstracts (checked by examiners) and full specifications of GB documents are uploaded via CDs and tapes to EPO databases such as EPODOC on a weekly basis. This information can be searched there.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
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See “File building” above. Patent collections from the rest of the world that are not in our collection are available by online search techniques.
V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems
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Register and legal status information is stored on the OPTICS database, as are a number of types of statistics such as file sizes for UK Key marks. Examining group statistics, file movements etc. are recorded using a Paradox system called PAFS (see “Word processing and office automation” above).
Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used
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All staff are free to suggest additional material for inclusion in our library collection, and suggestions are periodically invited by management.
Collection management, preservation
The Documentation Unit is charged with the task of maintaining our library.
Interlibrary lending, resource sharing, networks of patent libraries in the country
The Science Reference and Information Service (SRIS) of the British Library, located in St. Pancras, London, houses the national collection of patents, science and technology. It remains administratively separate from the UK Patent Office, and is funded by the UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport and by revenue from its services which are heavily used.
SRIS has telephone access to selected examiners in the Patent Office, to help with public enquiries on patent searching.
SRIS and the Patent Office jointly offer support to the Patents Information Network (PIN), which consists of 13 libraries outside London, open to the public, which hold patent material. Both SRIS and the PIN libraries collect most patent specifications in CD-ROM format rather than in paper or microform, although some continue to arrive on paper. Over 25 countries’ patents are covered.
SRIS also continues to offer public access to commercial patent online databases through its Patents Online search service. This is a priced service which handles a number of commissioned searches monthly, mostly for subject searches.
The Patent Office takes part in numerous exchange and grant programmes with other patent offices around the world as in previous years. IP documentation received by the Patent Office is not held by us but by the British Library which provides a national resource for users of this information.
Information services available to the public (including computerized services and search files contained in libraries remote from your Office and patent information posted by your Office on the World Wide Web)
The Patent Office’s Search and Advisory Service continues to promote its activities in providing priced non-statutory patent and trade mark investigations. In all, 7050 patent and trade mark-based searches were processed, an increase of about 20 % over the previous 12 months. This is a result of considerable growth in trade mark requests and UK award schemes for smaller technologically-oriented companies, such as the Smart scheme which aims to enhance competitiveness by encouraging innovation. The Service is also looking to build on its provision of commercial patentability and infringement searches.
The Patent Office’s call centre (Central Enquiry Unit) continues to provide a much needed service to customers, with about 3,000 enquiries coming in every week. Customer satisfaction is very high.
See “Interlibrary lending” for details of library services remote from our office.
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information
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We apply all relevant WIPO standards including ST.8 for machine-readable records.
Medium used for exchange of priority documents
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We send copies of GB A- and B-specifications electronically to the EPO weekly.
VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries
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Nothing new since the 1997 report.
Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)
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As in past years, the Marketing and Information Division of the Patent Office has continued to have a presence at many exhibitions, to give seminars, and to host visits to the Office. In order to get the widest possible coverage in the media, the Patent Office employs a PR company whose role it is to develop newsworthy stories about a wide range of intellectual property issues and to effectively communicate them to the media, as well as having a more general liaison role with the media.
Studies to identify trends in new technology, e.g., by the use of patent statistics, preparation of monographs, etc.
See “Evolution of patent activities” above.
Assistance furnished by offices to facilitate the changing over of receiving offices to electronic data carriers for the exchange of patent documents (see also item 4 of Chapter VI, above)
Nothing new since the 1997 report.
IX. Other relevant matters
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| 1. | Classification is allotting one or more classification symbols (e.g., IPC symbols) to a patent application, either before or during search and examination, which symbols are then published with the patent application.
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| 2. | Preclassification is allotting an initial broad classification symbol (e.g., IPC class or subclass, or administrative unit) to a patent application, using human or automated means for internal administrative purposes (e.g., routing an application to the appropriate examiner). Usually preclassification is applied by the administration of an office.
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| 3. | Reclassification is the reconsideration and usually the replacement of one or more previously allotted classification symbols to a patent document, following a revision and the entry into force of a new version of the Classification system (e.g., the IPC). The new symbols are available on patent databases.
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