Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities in 2014 submitted by Norwegian Industrial Property Office
I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 % 2014
Filings
- Direct National National applicant 1070 1079 978 1065 1057
- Direct foreign applicant 162 187 153 146 95
- DO/EO PCT national appl. 28 33 31 36 55
- DO/EO PCT foureing foreign appl. 548 475 403 502 363
Total filings 1 808 1 774 1 565 1 749 1 570 570 - 10%
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- Granted patents 1631 1617 1310 1421 1415
- Refused patent applications 15 16 12 14 21
- Shelved/withdrawn 4173 3339 2083 2539 2156
- Total decisions 5 819 4 972 4 125 3 974 3 610610 - 9%
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- Validated EP -patents 117 758 1 432 2 093 2 556556 + 22%
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- Patent application backlog 18 464 16 128 14 217
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- Reduction in national filingfilings, but within normal year to year variation
- Firm increase in EP-patent for validation in Norway (>20% increase)
- Substantial increase in duration of national patents for 2014: 2 years longer duration comparted to 1999.
- At end of 2014 there was 21 218 patents in force.
- Time to grant increasing due within specific technical fields (manpower issue). Time in average considered too long.
- Measured high customer satisfaction for patent examiniation.
- 20% increase in usage of public search services.
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Information and support provided by the Office to applicants regarding filing on paper and/or e-filing (instructions, seminars, etc.) - URLs
Filing information at
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- NIPO provides link to national e-filing portal only available for national citizens or companies. Extensive info given in Norwegian
- Electronic filing of all types of IP applications, correspondences and requests , plus all correspondence received by Customer electronically through national portal http://www.altinn.no.
- Request of commercial services by NIPO: IP search, -evaluation and -surveillance services
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NIPO allows filing on paper format, or combination with memory stick or ROM.
PDF-forms is available online at http://www.patentstyret.no/en/For-Experts/Trademarks-Expert/Forms-in-PDF-format/
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Main types of publications of the Office (patent applications, full text, first pages, abstracts, bibliographic data, granted patents, etc.), medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URLs)
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
Other sources
IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Specific software tools supporting business procedures within the Office: general description, characteristics, advantages, possible improvements
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
Other matters
V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF PATENT INFORMATION
Patent library: equipment, collection management, network of patent libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign patent libraries
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
Other activities
VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF PATENT INFORMATION
International exchange and sharing of patent information in machine-readable form, e.g., priority documents, bibliographic data, abstracts, search reports, full text information
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
Assistance to developing countries
Other activities
VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS
A-Documents:
- The examiner classifies, selects source documents and thereby approve the publication.
- Administrative officers then uses special made function within Ptolemy (SANT IP automation system) where the different sections of the documents is merged in to one coded PDF, where additional coding and paginating is performed.
- All actions is made in single workflow (push task to individual or group) per application, with internal due date.
- Source document always as original filed: either text coded or as images (TIFF), but abstract is always text coded and proof read.
- When published, the full documents are processed in a separate patent publication archive that generates a search index (by OCR if needed) for entire document, and splits the document to ST36 formatted document with TIFF pages.
- The result is full text search capabilities, grey scale (including colour image browsing if filed as such) with the mandatory official TIFF-image document, as alternative approaches.
- A dedicated image browser has been created by own developer as a result.
- A-documents is created as soon as the document becomes open for public inspection, with up to one week delay.
B-Documents
- Processed exactly like A-documents, but with some additional control and calculations due to grant fee calculation based on number of pages (this is expected to be changed).
- B-documents are normally created one or two weeks in advance of the grant publication, and will be available for the public at the date of grant, since grant date shall correspond with gazette publication date according to patent act.
EP-validations: B-documents only published With front page and Norwegian set of claims.
Patent gazette published weekly on our web site, in Norwegian with use of inid-coding.
Data and documents are shared with connection to Espacenet.
All publications can be downloaded from free public search service.
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.
The gazette is by Act published in one sectioned document per domain (a patent gazette, a trademark gazette and a design gazette). The patent act specifies a minimum content per record and it varies from type to type. The document is merged via MS Office to PDF v.7 format (in order to inline the domains). Publication is weekly. The document is published on our web site. Links are shared with a handful of fixed recipients (libraries) via e-mail, and inserted in our e-mail newsletter.
Current sections that are published in Patent Gazette:
- Other, notes, rare events
- New OPI publications, grants B1 -... B3, EP validated in Norway
- Expired, refused, OPI applications which is shelved
- Opposition filing, administrative limitation and overruling filings, appeal filings
- *Changes in right (lapse, cancellation, reinstatements, etc) when decision in force
- Decisions in force by higher authority
- Assignment, licenses, pledges, change in attorney.
- Lapse of rights
Outline of Gazette function in SANT:
- The SANT-IP case management system contains function to order (automatically by event) or manually (by function select) a record in the gazette.
- The records is gathered, sorted and inserted in a very advanced MS office template, via a user controlled control function, to make sure everything is published and periodization is kept.
- Manual odd publication events is included at this stage. When the actual gazette document is created, there is a record in each individual dossier.
NIPO has developed a depended sub set of statuses - a level under Legal Status, used through out processing of application or actions on rights.
These corresponds to the publication of the gazette (where date is one week prior). Hence a professional user can recreate gazette by search on our search service advanced status coding.
An electronic version of the gazette is planned and prioritized for 2017. This will both make a user friendly interface with links to dossier, while the entry will act as a journal record of the archive (dossier).
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases
PT Examiners uses Epoque as main examination tool, and use of other commercial database hosts when required (such as STN and for NPL). NIPO search strategy is PCT minimum, plus full national and Nordic search in addition. Extensions of search area for certain fields. NIPO has general trust in other authorities search reports.
All National historic patent publication and the continuously produced new publication are structured and imported in to same search archive, covering historic B, C and front page/abstracts, and new A and B-publications. All have a full text index and searchable in Norwegian. The system offers full text search in combination with some bibliographic data (status, IPC, numbers, dates) with an advanced document and image browser capability.
In addition to national search service we have a paper based archive for all Nordic patent material as complement (also sorted on Nordic/German classification system). Pending work on sharing of Nordic electronic documents and German class reclassification.
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
- The historic collection of Norwegian national patent publication will be electronically available in via our search service (pending).
- By 2014 the historic publications dated back to 1985 is available, with publication and full set of bibliographic data.
- Patent publications are available back to 1976 with limited bibliographic data.
- Correspondence letters (In/Out = Record journal) is available in the dossier where document is dated 2010 and later.
- Older material will have a limited set of data attached.
- * Full Nordic paper based archive exists in house and is managed by our library service open for the public.
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
Legal status information can be obtained by the public search service. The legal status is updated & complete for all available applications/rights.
Other sources
NA
IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Specific software tools supporting business procedures within the Office: general description, characteristics, advantages, possible improvements
About the SANT IP automation system
- Tailored software based on IP handling framework Ptolemy, delivered and maintained by Sword SA, Paris.
- Full production in 2004, later modernized and functionally changed under a planned regime.
- Integrated to EMC Documentum 7.1 for full electronic document management (paper less system) and workflows, security and soon archive/time capsule,
- Ptolemy core runs on MS.Net4.n framework based on virtualized Microsoft servers (2008), with virtualized Oracle 11g databases.
- All clients based on Windows 8, via virtual clients on Citrix. All officers has dual screen setup.
- All officer have home office access to anything except print and scan.
- Interfaces to Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat, Alternatiff, with optional usage of other specialized client software.
Highlights of integrations (restricted to patent):
- E-filing interface to national portal, AND interface for electronic correspondence towards all citizens/national companies
- eOlf integation for PCT/RO, and WIPO PCT integration
- Automated EP-patent import and task activation via EBD-Spirit licensed SW,
- Automated CPC import and handler with IPC concordence
- Automatic invoicing integration with Agresso (ERP)
- Daily copy of DB for search services
- e-mail integration, integration to Abbyy (scan/imaging)
- Multi image cropping internal cropping and image enhancement tool (publication, grant, etc)
Highlights of functional perspective:
- All tasks on application and rights within same application. Cross domain nature where functions is shared between design, trademark and patent: Administrative officers can work cross domain, e.g. the formal workflow is identical, all admin changes performed through same function, by same group of officers.
- Legal officers can work on complaints, oppositions, etc, cross domain.
- A separate dossier function with logic linking between relevant cases, also by other domains: One window for all info needed to process anything.
- Multi windowing (Main + search + dossier + special functions/dialogues).
- The workflow system pushes tasks to individual case officer inboxes or group inboxes, based on rules or by forced selection.
- High degree of automation via batch preparation
Other key parameters (General / cross domain):
- 85% of flings and correspondence currently performed electronic.
- System Covers both the dossier, registers and publications, invoicing and annuities/renewals, as well as all related case types, such as oppositions, assignments, divisions etc.
- TMs and DSs in average higher e-fling rate than patent, possibly due to size limitation in national portal.
- NIPO and the SANT IP Automatin system also handles appeals for company name registrar authority.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Database HW: HP Itanium, HP-U 11.31, Oracle 10.2.0.5
Virtual MS Servers 2008 on VMWare
Full virtualization of all servers to be completed in 2015
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
The self developed “Patgransk”-system (Electronic search, based on Contempus docs and Oracle search):
- All historic national patent with a sub set of bibliographic data, page images in TIFF and PDF for all publications.
- Most PDFs are text-coded since approx. 2010.
- A common full text index from auto OCR generated from both historic data (Imaging/OCR) and text coded/ resent publications.
Production database (SANTDB):
- Full bibliographic data/history since 1985, with incomplete records from 1976.
- Full electronic dossier (all images/records) since 2004. All records for all granted patents since 2004.
- Additional hyperlinks to external sources in search reports used since 2004 (various quality due to change in urls over time).
Online search service database:
- Weekly/daily (partial) updated database
- A full copy of production database when applicaiton is deemed open for Public inspection, where all correspondence documents and publications are available when created since 2010 (via secure link to Document management system EMC Documentum)
- Structured according to WIPO ST.36 with additonal schemas since search service has cross domain nature.
Espacenet:
- Content same as NIPO web search + publications.
- Export of same data as extracted to public search site, sent to EPO bi-weekly (bibiographi data) and montly all images (PDF-format) with text coded abstracts for al new publications.
- EPO uploads to Espacenet international, and issues a copy to NIPO site of Espacenet.
- NIPO uses copy to validate and load national services of local Espacenet database (Norwegian interface).
- NIPO plans full historic Archive export to Espacenet within 2017.
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
- National search DB with all national publications references included in search file)
- Searches from Epoque, STN and other commercial tools are documented in dossier (Query and results).
- All used search results are documented in each patent application/-right dossier by the search report
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
Application handling and rights management is all performed within "single dossier" in SANT-application, from birth to death.
A copy of all public data that are published on the public search servicee is updated frequently to a separate online dossier.
Our IT sections performs technical support (first line).
NIPO has a dedicated system management team outside in other department that handle all interventions and contact with suppliers/contractors.
- SANT/Ptolemy and EBD-spirit maintenance, development, upgrades and integrations by Sword SA, Paris
- EMC Documentum, Document management system, maintained by Ciber AS, Oslo
- Template creation and management system PubMan, managed by Perspectives Consulting, France.
Sattelite systems: ERP system Agresso with bank transaction logic from Babelbank by Visual Banking. Oracle reports
Other matters
NA
V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF PATENT INFORMATION
Patent library: equipment, collection management, network of patent libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign patent libraries
NIPO office located in capitol Oslo has a public library function, a visitor center with trained librarians.
Our national and Nordic paper collections are available for visitor, as well as the internet clients for supported use of international search.
The library service will provide professional searches using commercial database hosts, upon coverage of office cost, and we supply direct contact with examiners for novice inventors.
Link to our public site is provided to the national network of libraries, along with links to searches in gazette, patenting information and guides
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
Dedicated information targeting patent novices on web site
- EPO Inventors' Handook, by Graham Barker, translated to Norwegian with access from web site.
- Dedicated collection of information for experts, were 50% is translated to English.
- Full patent act collection
Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
Via home page and exhibitions promote use of Espacenet and other national/international search services.
Direct links to other authority’s web sites.
Information on possible commercial translation services
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
2013: Creation of IPIN (http://www.ipin.no), center for research and teaching of IP, together with Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, and the Centre for Intellectual Property (CIP) in Gothenburg, SE. Aim to include IP awareness and knowledge in general for students and to give support for projects and studies. NIPO has role as lecturer.
As a result of increased political IP awareness, NIPO created and are hosting a national anti-piracy site in cooperation with the authority network of public bodies. www.velgekte.no (only in Norwegian)
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
NIPO training sessions are
- directed towards both professionals and novices within IP.
- We had a substantial increase in customer training, lectures and participation in external conferences, seminars and exhibitions during 2014.
- The data does not separate between the activity fields PT, DS, TM (and others) of the office.
- NIPO hosted in total 30 training courses, with in total 920 participants (10% increase), whereas
- - 15 free "breakfast" meetings - 9 Theme courses - 5 IP introduction courses - World IP Day training and Conference
- Two courses was streamed live to NTNU-university, and over NIPO YouTube Channel.
- NIPO organized 88 external lectures for educational institutions, entrepreneurs, professionals and partners. Audience = 2400.
- NIPO was active contributor/participant in various exhibitions and trade shows.
Other activities
The most important information channel for customers is our web site. In 2014 we registered 260 000 visitors. Customer polls shows high satisfaction with information and training courses. The innovation network of public offices team and cross link their nformation to innovators
VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF PATENT INFORMATION
International exchange and sharing of patent information in machine-readable form, e.g., priority documents, bibliographic data, abstracts, search reports, full text information
- NIPO aims to use relevant WIPO standards for all publications, both in internal structure and for transfer.
- Our search service is buildt on a database according to WIPO ST36, whilst all publications are converted to a structured PDF and a structured TIFF image collection.
- Planned access/use of DAS and IPDL-publication for coming years.
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
- NIPO hosted, with participation by EPO, a common training for european based examiners about communication with professional clients/customers.
- NIPO hosted the annual EPO-meeting for patent IPC classification.
- NIPO examiners has participated in various EPO trainings session for common practice (harmonization)
- NIPO contributed within the national delegations in EFTA meetings, together with our ministry, with special appendices regarding te protection of intellectual property.
- Participation in EFTA/EEA-meetings for Special Committee on Intellectual Property and Working Group on Intellectual Property.
- NIPO participate within the Nordic council (Nordic governmental cooperation organization)
- * NIPO is a partner in the Nordic Patent Institute (With DK and IS)
Assistance to developing countries
Nothing to report for patent area. See ATR for trademark for 2014
Other activities
NA
VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS
In 2014 the first part of the program for manager training was completed. The goal is to improve the office general performance.
The IP-consil was funded in 2014: 7 by competence and interest selected persons shall give general advice to NIPO and the IP-field development in Norway.
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