Annual Technical Report 2002 on Trademark Information Activities submitted by Bulgaria (SCIT/ATR/TM/2002/BG)
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I. Evolution of registration activities
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In relation with the previous year, there were no changes in the filing requirements and examination procedures for registration of marks.
The data on the filing applications for the registration of trademarks are as follow:
- Under the National Law - 4 926;
- Under the Madrid Agreement - 4799.
The total of the applications indicate an increase of 1257 marks compaired to the number of such applications filed in 2001.
The data for the registrations are as follow:
- National marks - 2464;
- Under the Madrid Agreement - 4300.
– Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year.
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of secondary sources of trademark information, i.e., trademark gazettes
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The Official Bulletin of the Bulgarian Patent Office is published every month i.e 12 issues per year.
The bulletin contains information on the trademarks (bibliographical data and reproductions) entered in the State Register and also appellations of origin. In addition, the bulletin contains the announcements of all changes of the legal status, modifications and cancellations.
Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of trademark information
- Registered marks
- Renewals
- Transfers of rights
- Modifications of owner's names/addresses
- Lycensies
-Cancellations
-Limitation of goods/services
Mark registrations and renewals are generated automatically by the Common Software (CS) and published.
The Certificates for registrations, all changes and renewals are produced automatically by the CS
Mass storage media and microforms used
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A publishing system with a HP Scan Jet scanner, a Las. Printer HP Laser Jet, PC Intel
Pentium Based with Windows XP as OS and Page Maker 6.5 plus.
All data are extracted from the CS and the figurative elements also.
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of trademark information
In order to classify goods and services, BPO uses the eight edition of the Nice International Classification of goods and services. For the classification of the figurative elements the Vienna Classification is used.
We use the contained in the CS list of goods and services, according to the Nice Classification and the NIVILO CD-ROM.
Obligation for applicants to use pre-defined terms of the classification applied : it is not requested by our Trademark Law.
Bibliographic data and processing for search purposes: the Office uses an Automated Search System (ASS). There is QBE for bibliographic data in CS and we also use ROMARIN.
IV. Trademark manual search file establishment and upkeep
– Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the
available search file - No.
V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems
– In-house systems (online/offline):
1. Trademark Automated Search System - TASS.
2. The ROMARIN on CD-ROM.
3. The Administrative Automated System - COMMON SOFTWARE.
– External databases:
1. USA databases on CD-ROM - CASSIS;
2. TRACES CD-ROM;
3. OHIM database on CD-ROM;
4. 6-ter CD-ROM;
5. NIVILO CD-ROM.
For the administrative and statistic purposes, the COMMON SOFTWARE is used.
– Equipment used:
1. Hardware:
- Server: HP rp 5430
-Workstation: 1xXHP 9000/7050/50 plus 2xHP 9000/700/50 (for Search system only)
-Computers: about 50
-X-Terminals: 8 useable from WSs plus 6xPCs with XonNET emulators (for Search system only)
2. Software:
- Server:
- UNIX 11.XX as OS
-Informix V 7.3 as DB
- Computers:
- Intel Pentium Based PC;
- Windows XP and '98 as Operating System
- COMMON SOFTWARE v. 3.2, a large client application, developed in Hyperscript tools 4.1.5, used to gain access to database.
VI. Administration of trademark services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, registering trademarks, assisting clients with search procedures, obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
Searches in the field of registered and filed for registration trademarks are executed on request. We are doing searches in other countries on CD-ROM collections -“ROMARIN”, “TRACES”, “OHIM”, “CASSIS”.
The security is based on the different kind of access.
Excerpt from the State Register and all information published after the registration of the marks is accessible for the public.
The trademark database is not accessible on the World Wide Web of our patent office.
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of trademark documentation and information
The Bulgarian Patent Office receives by WIPO “The WIPO Gazette of international Marks” -on paper and CD-ROM and the “ROMARIN” CD-ROM. The Bulletin of OHMI - on CD-ROM and on paper the Official bulletin of other offices.
We are sending monthly our Official Bulletin on paper to 40 other offices.
We are sending every three months our trademark database, according to the TRACES project, for creating the Common CD-ROM for some countries - Romania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
VIII. Matters concerning education and training including technical assistance to developing countries
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OHIM
1. Third meeting between OHIM and the Heads of the Industrial Property Offices of Candidate Countries, Alicante
2. EUROFORUM – Trade Marks, THE FIRST European Forum on the Community Trade Mark System for the Candidate Countries, Prague
3. Second Workshop on Relative Grounds for Refusal and Opposition Procedures of the Candidate Countries, Alicante
WIPO
1. WIPO Mission – Visit to the BPO to discuss a plan for the possible replacement of the Trademark Automated Search System (TASS), Mr. Inayet Syed, Director, Intellectual Property Office, Automation Division and Mr. Alberto Bossio, WIPO IT consultant
2. 2nd special session of the Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications on the Report of the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Process, Geneva
IX. Other relevant matters