Annual Technical Report 2012 on Patent Information Activities submitted by United Kingdom (CWS/ATR/PI/2012/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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(1) PDF
A-documents
These are prepared in-house in a 5 week publication cycle using a new bespoke IT system linked to Phoenix (the IPO’s electronic case management system). The front page is compiled by downloading bibliographic data (XML format) from the corporate database OPTICS and is married with the abstract text from our internal examiner database (PROSE). The abstract drawing is extracted from Phoenix and merged to finalise the front page. The finished front page is added to the rest of the specification pages from Phoenix and reproduced in a single PDF image. The PDF image is then loaded onto the IPO’s publication server on our external website for customer download. The IPO no longer publishes “A” documents in paper format, the official publication means being electronic (please see the following link: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-find/p-find-publication.htm).
The PDF A documents are then transferred via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) to the EPO. This is done on a weekly basis and includes a separate ST.36 XML file for the bibliographical and full text abstract data.
B-Documents
These are prepared in-house in a 5 week publication cycle using a new bespoke IT system linked to Phoenix (the IPO’s electronic case management system). The front page is compiled by downloading bibliographic data (XML format) from the corporate database OPTICS and merged with the rest of the specification pages from Phoenix and reproduced in a single PDF image. The PDF image is then loaded onto the IPO’s publication server on our external website for customer download. The IPO no longer publishes “B” documents in paper format, the official publication means being electronic (please see the following link: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-find/p-find-publication.htm).
The PDF B documents are then transferred via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) to the EPO. This is done on a weekly basis and includes a separate ST.36 XML file for the bibliographical data.
Corrected ‘Errata’-Documents (A8, A9, B8 & C)
These are prepared in-house in a 2 week publication cycle using a new bespoke IT system linked to Phoenix (the IPO’s electronic case management system). The front page is compiled by downloading bibliographic data (XML format) from the corporate database OPTICS and merged with the rest of the specification pages from Phoenix and reproduced in a single PDF image. The PDF image is then loaded onto the IPO’s publication server on our external website for customer download. The IPO no longer publishes “errata” documents in paper format, the official publication means being electronic (please see the following link: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-find/p-find-publication.htm).
The PDF Errata documents are then transferred via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) to the EPO. This is done on a weekly basis and includes a separate ST.36 XML file for the bibliographical data.
(2) CD-ROM
In association with the EPO, we publish GB “A” documents on CD-ROM on a fortnightly basis, ESPACE-UK. The CD-ROM collection covers the years 1979 to date, i.e. for GB serial numbers in excess of 2,000,000.
(3) Patents and Designs Journal (PDJ) and the new on-line e-Patents Journal
Up until 26th March 2008 the official notices and selected bibliographic data relating to UK patent applications and granted patents were published in the official weekly electronic newspaper called the Patents and Designs Journal (PDJ) on the date of publication, and are available on our website in PDF format. From 5 March 2008 the new e-Patents Journal became searchable online, and may be downloaded in PDF or XML formats. It also includes a back-file of the UK applications filed section from 26 July 2006. The new Patents Journal and archived PDJs may be accessed from:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/pro-types/pro-patent/pro-p-os/pro-p-journal/p-pj-data.htm
(4) ESPACENET, EPOQUE etc
The full text, drawings and bibliographic data of all newly published UK patent applications and granted patents is published on the EPOQUE system soon after the domestic publication date.
Esp@cenet is a free internet service which contains a number of different patent collections. GB patents published from 1895 and Granted from 2002 are available through the worldwide database, please see http://worldwide.espacenet.com/
Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of patent information
Our website (www.ipo.gov.uk) plays an important role in the dissemination of notices regarding patents and other IPR. In particular, we frequently hold consultations with our community of users. However, we continue to place such announcements in our on-line e-Patents Journal, which is available without charge on our website.
Our website received, on average, 2.5 million page views per month during 2012, of which 14,600 were for the e-Patents Journal.
Mass storage media used (paper, microforms, optical storage, etc.)
The Office has SAN disc, DVD and CD-ROM collections containing published/granted US, WO, EP and GB patent applications on CIMS (Computerised Image Management System). CIMS can be used to produce paper copies of these documents for internal use.
The Office previously maintained a paper collection of GB documents, with some WO and EP documents classified according to the (now discontinued) UK Key between certain dates. However, this collection has been disposed of in favour of online searching and retrieval using EPOQUE.
Word processing and office automation
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The e-Patents Journal is available online (see “(3) Patents and Designs Journal (PDJ)” - above).
The IPO’s publication server is accessible online and enables A, B and corrected publications to be searched by publication number or publication date and viewed or downloaded in PDF format:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/patent/p-find/p-find-publication.htm
III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents
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A collection of historical documents is located at our Newport office and maintained by the Documentation Unit. The available collections include: historical GB abridgements/abstracts (including Bennet-Woodcroft); historical copies of the UK Key and IPC; various pamphlets, manuals and other publications; law reports; name and subject-matter indexes for locating old historic patents; and historical official journals of the UK (Patent and Designs Journal) and of the EPO.. Much of this information is also available on the office Intranet. The collections are located in our main building and are therefore secure.
Our main office is located in Newport, Wales, where the public can obtain official publications and conduct searches using Espacenet for example. In addition we also have a front office in London where customers can file applications.
Collecting, acquisitions, preparation
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The British Library, located in St. Pancras, London, houses the national collection of patents, science and technology. It remains administratively separate from the Intellectual Property 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.
The library has telephone access to selected examiners in the Intellectual Property Office, to help with public enquiries on patent searching.
The library and the Intellectual Property Office jointly offer support to the PATLIB patent libraries, which include 12 libraries outside London, open to the public, which hold patent material. The PATLIB libraries collect most patent specifications in CD-ROM format rather than in paper or microform. Patents from over 25 countries are covered.
The British Library also continues to offer public access to commercial patent online databases. This is a priced service which handles a number of commissioned searches monthly, mostly for subject searches. It also offers public access to free databases such as esp@cenet.
Our office takes part in numerous exchange and grant programmes with other patent offices around the world as in previous years.
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)
On 6 October 2011 the IPO ceased providing patentability, validity, prior art and freedom to operate patent searches to enable resources to be focussed on the processing of statutory patent applications. The IPO’s commercial department, the Search and Advisory Service (SAS) continues to support the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales by providing patent based assessments of innovation on research and development grant applications. 121 such assessments were carried out in 2012 including 30 searches on behalf of the Irish Patent Office and 2 searches in pursuit of a patent application in Hong Kong. In addition the IPO has continued to offer Patent Informatics and mediation services.
Our Information Centre continues to provide a much needed service to customers handling on average 8500 telephone calls and 1000 emails per month. Call volume has remained the same as the previous year. The first call resolution rate and customer satisfaction remain high at 87.4% and 98% respectively.
URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of patent applications
The Intellectual Property Office provides links to Intellectual Property Office web filing, epoline ™ and PCT-Safe at the following web page:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-os.htm
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and grant procedures related to patents; opposition and appeal procedures related to patents; etc.
Information on filing, including Patents application guide and other materials, is available from the following web page:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-apply.htm
The procedure after filing, including publication, examination and grant is described at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-after.htm
Information regarding dispute resolution, including hearings, mediation and opinions may be found here:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-dispute.htm
Results of past patent decisions are available at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-challenge-decision-results.htm
Information on how applicants may appeal is provided at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-appeal.htm
Other business procedures such as the Patents Act, finding patents, how we classify and renewals are covered by web pages accessible from the main Patents portal:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/patent.htm
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., patent search service(s) and patent databases), as well as information on how to access and utilize them
The Patent Informatics service, which delivers analysis and intelligence through patent mapping is described at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/informatics.htm
A link to the EPO search dataset Espacenet is provided from the online patent services portal:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk//p-os.htm
The UK patent register may be searched by publication or application number at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-number.htm
The UK patent register may also be searched by publication date at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-publication.htm
Information on when applicants can expect to receive their first examination report can be accessed from http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-er.htm
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information
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Paper. We can also accept priority documents in CD form provided they have the appropriate electronic signature.
In October 2009 we launched a Patents Digital Access Service for the digital preparation and transfer of patent priority documents to WIPO. The new service is free to electronic filers and will benefit both UK business and the IP community. The new service automatically prepares digital patent priority documents and securely stores them at WIPO for future use. This new service removes the financial burden on our customers who currently pay National IP Offices to prepare priority documents for filing at other IP offices. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ipo.gov.uk/pro-types/pro-patent/pro-p-os/pro-p-apply-online-pdas.htm.
Note: This service was enhanced this year with the introduction of security access codes.
Medium allowed for filing applications
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Our Business Outreach and Education Team continues to raise awareness of IP giving businesses that could be more successful through better use of IP, access to informed advice and support that enables them to use, manage, and enforce their IP to its fullest potential. This is done via a portfolio of business tools including mobile and online resources, seminars, workshops and training, working with partners to deliver broader dissemination and understanding of IP."
We continue to communicate IP awareness to young people, partnering with Aardman to provide online resources for young people and educators to raise awareness of innovation, creativity and intellectual property amongst 4 - 16 year olds. This is delivered through the Cracking Ideas website in the format of resource packs with links to education curriculums, IP challenges, games and a nationwide competition designed to encourage children to be innovative, enterprising and create new ideas.
All marketing and PR is carried out within the BOE team and we are successfully achieving coverage in a variety of regional and national media channels.
Studies to identify trends in new technology, e.g., by the use of patent statistics and preparation of monographs
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All annual reports since 2003/2004 are available at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/ourpublications-review.htm
if necessary, provide further information related to the topics referred to in the current ATR
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We publish a number of newsletters, which cover all aspects of IP, including patent related news: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/newsletters.htm
IPO press releases dating from 2006 are available at:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/press-release.htm
X. Other relevant matters
Nothing new since the 2004 report.
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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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