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Annual Technical Report on Industrial Design Information Activities in 2014 submitted by Norwegian Industrial Property Office

Please fill in your items before submitting your report

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 expression "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models.

...

I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO) is a government authority organized under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.
Main office goals:

  • Handle applications on industrial rights with correct quality and within due time
  • Contribute to increase in IP awareness and knowledge in Norway

Main priorities:

  • Customer orientation, efficiency and competence.

Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of industrial design information activities and expected time frames for their realization

Strategic technical focus:

  • Established case handling efficiency project (2015->) to improve internal process and tools
  • Continue to improve and maintain the SANT IP Automation System for  Case Management and registry handling
  • Automate integration to WIPO for Hague (MECA Hague) transactions
  • Upgrade infrastructure where further virtualization of servers and Oracle databases, Documentum, Microsoft servers and Citrix clients are central (2015)
  • Reuse of national registers: Integration to national registries for citizen birth number and company ID (Master Customer database).
  • Enhanced tech cooperation with WIPO to ensure 100% electronic exchange (2015 - 2017)
  • Implement electronic gazette publication (2017)
  • Improve online surveillance services, online search and create online payment for renewals (by 2016)
  • Create national archive (separate) live from production according to national standard (By 2017)
  • Create and host the national anti-piracy information site (by 2015)

New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies(plans) mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks

  • All rights searchable in DSView (OHIM)
  • Participation in OHIM Convergence Programme for harmonisation
  • Board of appeals is now a separate public institute with dislocated office, see link below.
  • The modernization and porting of the IP case management system to MS.Net (4.n) completed, in the 10th year of full production for system. From 96 to 33 workflows for all IP-handling.
  • Agreements with contractor for time-capsule archive for IP case handling was signed
  • Scan production line replaced by Abbyy-recognition server and adaptations. 
  • New e-mail integration to create documents directly in IP case management system created. 
  • Project for online payment solution for renewals started. Project aim to allow direct payment (payment card) or payment order generation of all renewal fees.
    • This project is a continuation of the current on line search service and the newly created surveillance service, where customer can make a portfolio and be warned when renewal is due, and for other events, such as change in legal status and new records/events in application or IP-right.

Main areas of industrial design information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year

  • Participation in OHIM Convergence Programme for harmonisation
  • Board of appeals is now a separate public institute with dislocated office, see link below.
  • The modernization and porting of the IP case management system to MS.Net (4.n) completed, in the 10th year of full production for system. From 96 to 33 workflows for all IP-handling.
  • Agreements with contractor for time-capsule archive for IP case handling was signed
  • Scan production line replaced by Abbyy-recognition server and adaptations.
  • New e-mail integration to create documents directly in IP case management system created.

Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants (registrations) with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes

                                                            2010            2011             2012             2013            2014
Filings

  • Direct National applicant            279              262               303               276               301
  • Direct foreign applicant              350              257               233               186               217
  • Int.designations Hague              165              519               610               831               700
           Total new                            794            1 038            1 146           1 293            1 218

 ---------

  • Number of individual designs  2 200          2 950             3 200            4 300           3 900  (approx)

---------

  • Registered DS rights                 588            1 009            1 154           1 199            1 220
  • Refused                                         0                 0                     0                  0                   0
  • Shelved/withdrawn                  52                62                   51                74                67
           Total decisions                   640            1 071             1 205           1 273           1 287

 ---------

  • Number of renewals                    613               658                660              610               628

---------

  • Total number of rights in force                                                                                    8 402

2014-highlights  

  • - Time from filing to registration decreased  - customers satisfied with quality and timeliness.
  •  - 20% increase in usage of public search services.  
  • - SANT/Acsepto IP automation system availability measured to 99.5%

Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.

NIPO homepage: http://www.patentstyret.no/en/

Annual Report NIPO:

NIPO public IP services

  • homepage with Norwegian and English interface: https://search.patentstyret.no/
  • Access to advanced IP search (cross-domain), general guides, e-filing redirector, statistics, access to international DBs
  • Surveillance services with alert functions, classification assistant and "name check" (App),
  • Pending development for direct payment (renewal) and customer interactivity.

Other related:

II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

 

Information and support provided by the Office to applicants regarding filing on paper and/or e-filing (instructions, seminars, etc.) - URLs

Filing information at

Electronic filing:

  •  Filing of all types of IP applications, correspondence and requests online, plus all correspondence exchanged electronically, via national portal http://www.altinn.no.
  •  Request of commercial services by NIPO: IP search, -evaluation and -surveillance services

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/

Availability of the application dossier in electronic form

The full dossier of open for public IP applications and IP granted rights, including designated Hague Registrations, are available at https://search.patentstyret.no/

The dossier contains all bibliographic data, legal and processing status, all design images, publications, and all incoming and outgoing correspondences.
The dossier contains also links to info about appeals etc.

  • Individual documents – correspondence and certificates - may be downloaded.
  • A PDF-document with summary of bibliographic data, all designs, all images, legal status etc, may be created on demand per application/right.
  • Surveillance self service for changes in dossier (status, values, and documents) can be activated by any user (require registration/log on) 

Classification and reclassification activities; classification system used, e.g., International Classification for Industrial Designs (Locarno Classification), other classification

  • Locarno classification used for industrial designs classification. Classification assistant in Acsepto v10 for Designs
  • Automated image pattern recognition coding for search/ordering along with product definition index

Other activities

NA

III. SOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE

 

Main types of publications in the field of industrial design information, outline of the content (industrial design applications, design patents, registrations, etc.) and medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URLs)

Full dossier published within public online search service; https://search.patentstyret.no/
Application (or right) available externally when officer has confirmed Open for Public status (normally 6 months from filing).
The dossier is complete with bibliographic data, designs, images, legal status, classification, coding, all filing documents, all correspondences and links to possible other cases such as administrative overruling, oppositions, and appeals. The content is revised in full weekly (changes or new records).

Dossier contains registration certificates as journal records.

The official gazette is published on office web site as sectioned PDF (searchable) at http://www.patentstyret.no/en/For-Experts/Designs-Expert/Official-Gazette-/
The gazettes can be digitally searched:

A full extract based on search service (public data/documents) is published via DSView.

Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.

The gazette is by law published in one sectioned document per domain (a patent gazette, a trademark gazette and a design gazette).
The design regulations specifies a minimum content per record and it differs from type to type of record.
The document is merged via MS Office to PDF v.1,7 format Publication is bi-weekly
The document is published and archived on our web site. Links are shared with a fixed set of recipients (libraries) via e-mail, and link inserted in our e-mail newsletter.

Current sections that are published in Patent Gazette:

  • Other, notes, rare events
  • New registrations new granted designations
  • Expired, refused, published applications which is shelved
  • Administrative limitation and overruling filings, appeal filings
  • Changes in right (lapse, cancellation, reinstatements, etc) up on decision in force
  • Decisions in force by higher authority *Assignment, licenses,  change in attorney, when requested
  • Lapsed designs

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 application/right/register.
NIPO has developed a 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 (database) 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 (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external documentation and databases

NIPO is registration authority and do only perform novelty search and evaluation upon request from applicant.

Acsepto v.10 for Designs application by Sword is used for electronic search of prior registrations and applications open for public inspection. The database and image search/browser contains all applications and rights dated back to 2003.

A manual paper based record archive organised according to Locarno is used for search in older design rights and OPI-publications.

Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) and services available to external users; conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)

Our free of charge online search database is an image of our production database and give public online access to:

  •  All bibliographic data, records, legal status, images etc from 2003
  •  All valid design rights in force at 2003 until now.
  •  All correspondence documents and certificates from 2010 up to date

The search service offers a user friendly interface (simple and advanced) with access to other services like customer portfolio overview and surveillance. By 2015 interactive service for renewal including payment is expected.

The entire coverage of the current search service is updated in DSView.

The manual paper based record archive of publicly available registrations and applications is also available for the public through or library service

Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)

Legal status information can be obtained by the public online search service. The legal status is updated & complete for all available application/rights. Status is assigned at two depended levels, where

  • first level is legal status (pending, registered, terminated, lapsed, etc) and
  • second level is either processing step (pending) or reason or actions (such as pending limitation procedure, pending complaint, etc).

Other sources

NA

IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 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 planned 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 interfaces limited to trademark area): 

  •  E-filing interface to national portal, AND interface for electronic correspondence towards all citizens/national companies,
  •  Manual Hague import (indexing) with automated image download. Planned automations by 2016. Auto event trigger (push).
  •  Automatic invoicing integration with Agresso (ERP),
  •  Daily copy of DB for search services,
  •  e-mail integration, integration to Abbyy (scan/imaging),
  •  Closely integrated to Acsepto DS coding and search
  •  Multi image cropping internal cropping and image enhancement tool
  • Paper based issue of notification to Hague-system, planned automation for full electronic/automated exchange by 2016.

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: 

  • 85% of flings and correspondence currently performed electronic. 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 system 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

Production database (SANTDB):

  •  Full bibliographic data/history since 2003, with limited records from all historic registration in force and publicly available designs at database creation in 2003.
  •  Individual designs handled in sub structure to separate from application case handling. 
  •  Full electronic dossier (all images/records) since 2003 incl all records/documents/journal.
  •  Allow unlimited number of designs in one application/registration, with a limited number of images per design

Acsepto v10 for design - classification, coding and search database: 

  • Licensed SW from Sword SA, Paris.
  • An online integrated copy with additional text and image coding for search and examination, with same content as, and link to, production database.

Online search service database:

  •  Weekly/daily updated database - full copy of production database, where all correspondence documents (since 2010) and publications are available (via secure link to Document management system EMC Documentum)
  •  Structured according to WIPO ST.36 with additional schemas since search service has cross domain nature.

Export to DSView for selected bibliographic content (according to DSView spec).

Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file

  • NIPO is only registering authority and novelty search/evaluation is only performed upon request.
  • Search results included in database
  • Acsepto v10 for design, used as main search and examination tool that stores search results and selected hits, several searches possible on same application.
  • Results from other sources stored in dossier.
  • All used search results are documented in each design 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 service 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 Acsepto/SDU maintenance, development, upgrades and integrations by  Sword SA, Paris Document management system EMC Documentum by Ciber AS, Oslo Template creation and management system PubMan, managed by Perspectives Consulting, France. Satellite 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 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION

 

Office's library (if deals with industrial design information): equipment, collection management, network of libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign libraries

  • NIPO office located in capitol Oslo has a public library function, a visitor center with trained librarians.
  • Our national collections are available for visitors, as well as the internet clients for supported use of international search.
  • The library service will provide professional searches 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 industrial design information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.

  • Dedicated information targeting IP novices on web site 
  • Dedicated information targeting IP professionals in separate section on NIPO web site www.patentstyret.no/en.
  • Approximately 50% of content translated to English

Cooperation with universities, 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. 2014 saw 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. In general:

  • 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 http://www.patentstyret.no . 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 information to innovators

VI.INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION

 

International exchange of industrial design information in machine-readable form (e.g., Official Gazettes)

Export of bibliographic data, legal status, mark/denomination to DSView of OHIM: Gazette only available in downloadable weekly PDF document on NIPO web site.

Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to industrial design information

  • NIPO contributed within the national delegations in EFTA meetings, together with our ministry, with special appendices regarding the protection of intellectual property.
  • Participation in EFTA/EEA-meetings for Special Committee on Intellectual Property and Working Group on Intellectual Property.
  • We participate within the Nordic council (Nordic governmental cooperation organization)

Assistance to developing countries

Nothing to report for 2014, see ATR for TM for 2014

Other activities

NA

VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS

In 2014 the fist part of the programme 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.