Annual Technical Report 2012 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Georgia (CWS/ATR/PI/2012/GE)
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
In 2012, 372 applications for inventions were filed with Sakpatenti, which is less than the number of applications filed in 2011. Of these, 137 applications were filed by local applicants, which is approximately 1% less as compared with the number filed in the previous year. The number of foreign applications for inventions filed with Sakpatenti under the PCT decreased: 219 applications instead of 245 applications filed in 2011.The amount of applications filed by foreign applicants directly with Sakpatenti increased, namely, 16 applications (15 applications were filed in the previous year).
In 2011, as in 2010, the majority of applications were filed from the United States of America.
As the dynamics of filing applications with Sakpatenti in 2008-2012 shows, the total quantity of foreign applications (the sum total of applications filed directly with Sakpatenti and international applications) in 2008 it decreased by up to 24% as compared with 2007, and in 2009 increased by 3.4% as compared with 2008. The period of stable growth of the number of local applications covers only 2011 as in 2010 and 2008 the number of applications reduced.
The activity of the applicants from other countries (mainly European countries) remained at the level of the previous years.
In 2012 US applicants with 69 applications (19 % of the total amount) occupy the second position. Local applicants filed 137 applications, which is 37% of the total amount.
The analysis of the data corresponding to the breakdown of local applications according to branches (Sections of the International Classification) shows that the largest quantity of inventions was again in the branches corresponding to Section A (medicine and veterinary; food and foodstuffs; agriculture) and is on average 26% of the total amount. All other important groups belong to the respective branches of B (21%), F (16%) and C (14%), E (7%), G (7%) and H (9%) sections (performing operations; mechanical engineering; chemistry and metallurgy; fixed constructions; physics; and electricity) and remain at about the same level. The quantity of applications with respect to other branches is insignificant. It should be noted that the number of applications linked with respective branches of Section E (fixed constructions - building; mining) increased by about 75% as compared with the previous year, the number of applications related with respective branches of Section C (chemistry; metallurgy) increased by approximately 40% as compared with the previous year, whereas the number of applications belonging to Section H, namely, telecommunications branch, decreased by 32%.
Unlike local applications, most of the foreign inventions belong to the respective branches of Section C - 54 %, and their majority (about 90 %), as in previous years, again represent organic substances used in pharmacology.
As regards Section A, its portion is 29 %, mainly in medicine again - about 90%. It is also noteworthy that the number of foreign applications belonging to telecommunications branch decreased sharply.
In 2012 Sakpatenti granted 346 patents for inventions. The number of patents granted to local and foreign applicants is about the same.
Utility Model
Unlike inventions, applications for utility models are practically filed only by local applicants and their total number varies within 60 and 130. In 2012 local applicants filed 49 applications, which is approximately less than the quantity of the local applications filed in 2011.
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, distribution and use of primary and secondary sources of patent information
Preliminary processing of the documents is performed by electronic system by use of software applications installed on server. Conducted works include: primary processing of applications; entering of bibliographic data, abstracts and drawings into the database; and record-keeping of received documents.
-The Official Bulletins data bulk for publishing in the Georgian language is prepared by generating from the database and formatting them with MS Word text processors.
-The Official Bulletin of Industrial Property is published twice a month on paper, and on the WebSite of SAKPATENTI.
Web pages of the Office's website are available that provide access to online publication of patent documents and gazettes, and other primary and secondary sources of patent information:
http://www.sakpatenti.org.ge
III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents
Bibliographic data and abstracts of all patent documents are translated from Georgian into English
All patent documents are classified by Sakpatenti only using IPC classification (core level). Other classifications are not in use.
Patent documents are reclassified in accordance with IPC8
It is possible to conduct searches in patent bibliographic data with the Office patent database.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
All documents are maintained in the Office library on paper in numerical and classified collections, which are regularly updated, as well as on CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs
The library is also equipped with two workstations having access to the Office patent database and the Internet
Various Official Bulletins from other International Property Offices of the world are also kept in the library.
V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems
Patent search in local databases are conducted online by means of LAN. Every examiner has access to the local databases from his/her working place. External databases are accessible via the Internet.
Data flow processing, monitoring and control:
1. primary processing of applications on inventions and utility models, both domestic and international; entering of bibliographic data, abstracts and drawings into the database; and record-keeping of outgoing documents.
2. Entering primary information of domestic applications on inventions, bibliographic data, abstracts, and images into the database.
All kinds of changes made in applications, such as corrections, alterations etc. are entered into the database and they are available to the management staff and other persons upon request.
The objective of the functional complex is to administer the following actions:
receiving documents, registration and making modifications to them;
control of time limits;
communication with an applicant with established forms;
formation of databases
conducting searches in the databases;
creation of reference systems and their use;
registry upkeep;
preparation of materials to be published in Official Bulletins;
providing the statistical and other data to the management staff.
For further upgrading the automated system some efforts were made objectives of which were as follows:
- increase of the speed of information processing;
- improvement of operation reliability;
- provision of full automation of the technological cycle;
- formation of the electronic Bulletin in real time;
- possibility of conducting searches with keywords in bibliographic data;
- secure storage of accumulated data;
- extensive use of the Internet for information exchange;
- capability of online filing of applications;
- control of time limits according to the rules of international agreements and protocols;
- control of meeting the requirements of the laws in force, normative acts, rules etc.
The bibliographic data, abstracts and images as well as full-texts of patent documents are extracted from the database and published on the Website database, which is equipped with search engine on MySQL.
VI. Administration of the industrial property office library, and information products and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, for assisting clients on searching procedures, for obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
National Intellctual Property Center library is equipped with every necessary documentation as well as computers for assisting public in searching procedures, for obtaining official publications, for providing consultations as concerns applications drafting, novelty searches as well as information concerning the innovation.
A set of documents is available in the library specifically designed for young businessmen, being updated on a regular basis.
Web pages of the Office's website are available that provide information on filing, publication, examination and grant procedures related to patents; as well as URLs of web pages of the Office's website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office as well as information on how to access and utilize them:
http://www.sakpatenti.org.ge
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information
All Official Bulletins stored on CD discs (trilingual versions) are exchanged with various Intellectual Property Offices worldwide. These bulletins are stored in MS Word format. Priority documents are received on paper as well as through the Internet. All bulletins, starting from 2005, are published on the Office Website in PDF format.
Since 2008 the Office has been working on PCT electronic filing and exchange of documents online within the framework of WIPO PCT Cooperative Program.
VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)
The Office is well equipped with audiovisual means for conducting seminars and training courses. Power Point presentations were mainly used as visual means for training purposes.
staff members of the Office attended seminars and different events abroad. Several of them successfully finished the Distance Learning Advanced Courses provided by the WIPO Academy.
Trainings were provided in corporation with WIPO , EPO and other organizations during 2013.
IX. Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:
• provide information on legislation related to patents
• contain the Annual Report of the Office
• contain patent-related news regarding the Office
are as follows:
http://www.sakpatenti.org.ge ; http://www.sakpatenti.org.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=20 ; http://www.sakpatenti.org.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=19
X. 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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