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Approximately 11,868 trademark applications were filed electronically in 2015 (c.27 per cent of the total number of trademark applications).  In addition, in the Personal Office section on the FIPS website, approximately 2,000 prosecution cases were opened for electronic correspondence.

In 2015, the following measures were taken to increase the number of applications filed electronically:

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2,215 new prosecution cases were opened through the Personal Office service of the FIPS website, in order to conduct correspondence electronically, while 350 new users accessed the service. The growth in electronic filing of applications for inventions and utility models is presented in the diagram below:

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The main factors influencing the substantial growth in electronic filing of applications in 2015 were the promotion of electronic interaction with Rospatent, and the implementation of a number of projects to integrate electronic filing systems with the prosecution systems of applicants and representatives thereof.

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In 2015, training of FIPS examiners continued in the classification rules of current patent documents using the Joint Patent Classification (JPC). Checkboxes Check-boxes for JPC headings are planned to begin in 2016 in parallel with the IPC headings, on all current applications for inventions and utility models.

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The forms of notifications on inventions and utility models published in the Rospatent Official Gazette, Inventions and Utility Models, are presented in Table 6:

 Table 6

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The main source for establishing the State Patent Collection (GPF), including its electronic PatSearch system content, is the international exchange of patent documentation. At present, international exchange continues to exist and evolve in a new format using new information technology based on PatSearch requirements , and ensures the GPF is updated free of charge.  

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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

The Automated Databank (ABD), designed to prosecute applications and protection titles for inventions and utility models, has subsystems that manage the work of examiners and support staff, as well as capturing statistical information on various aspects of the activities of Rospatent subdivisions. The subsystems for statistics allow the creation of over 300 different forms of reports on the activities of the Office’s subdivisions.

The electronic prosecution system for the examination of inventions (AS EA), which is integrated with ABD, supports the following functional capabilities:

• upload and download electronic documents to Applications e-Work;
• plan examiners’ work, draft master plans and portfolios of examiners’ applications;
• capture statistics;
• provide access to Applications e-Work and application components and bibliographical information,
• prepare outgoing correspondence and sign decisions on issuance of patents by electronic signature,
• verify and revise the electronic package of application elements intended for publication,
• application search function,
• developed user administration system.

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

The main functions of the All-Russian Patent Technology Library (VPTB) is the establishment of the State Patent Collection (GPF), including patent documentation on all industrial property subject matter, scientific and technical and legal and patent literature on all carrier types, and also providing them to all categories of users. In so doing, VPTB fulfills the functions of a public library and the library of the Office at the same time. The main source for the GPF is international exchange, which ensures updating of patent documentation and Official Gazettes of foreign offices, while national and foreign scientific and technical, and legal and patent, literature is updated through subscription and obtaining books and periodicals.

As at December 31, 2015, the GPF comprised 123,646,600 documents overall. 

In order to assist VPTB readers, both general and specialized reading rooms are provided:

- computer room (for optical disks and remote databases);

- paper and micro-form patent documentation;

- information and bibliography services.

VPTB provides free access to patent collections that are targeted at all categories of RF users, as well as those in neighboring and other foreign countries without any restrictions. Visits and services are free of charge for all categories of library users.

The VPTB patent collection is managed according to type of industrial property and information carrier.

The Library premises are equipped with an alarm system and an automatic fire-fighting system.

A total of 86,100 persons consulted GPF in 2015.

In 2015, users (including examiners) were issued with over 31.4 million copies of patent documents: over 29.4 million copies on optical disks and from remote databases; over 1.9 million copies on paper, and 3,500 copies on micro-carrier.

The patent information services of VPTB are provided to remote users on request, including performing patent information searches and factual references, and providing certified copies of documents of title. In 2015, most user requests involved searches for title documents of specific natural persons and legal entities. Overall, during the course of the year, over 3,000 patent information services were provided at the request of remote users. 

The Russian patent office does not have a regional network of patent libraries, although in 2015, as part of the project to create Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC), it cooperated with Russian libraries in providing patent documentation.

As part of international exchange of patent information, it cooperates with a number of foreign patent libraries, including the Library of the Patent Office of Austria, the Central Patent Library of the Office of Bulgaria, the State Patent Technology Library of the Republic of Tajikistan, and other libraries.

Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.

The VPTB offers a unique collection of legal and patent, and dictionary and reference literature (PPL collection), which is an important constituent part of the GPF is available. The PPL collection on paper and electronic information carriers includes publications on a wide range of theoretical and practical issues of intellectual property protection in the Russian Federation and abroad, including issues relating to the creation, legal protection, and commercialization of the results of intellectual activity, jurisprudence, protection of intellectual property on the Internet, activity of international organizations, and international cooperation in the field of intellectual property, etc.

The PPL collection contains various types of information source: legislative acts, international and intergovernmental agreements, treaties, regulations, as well as instructions, orders, rules and other documents; comments and reviews; guidelines and study aids; standards in the field of patent and scientific and technical information; annual reports of patent offices; symposium and conference materials; collections of court decisions; collections of statistics; bibliographical publications, industry, terminology and language dictionaries, reference books and encyclopedias.

At present, the PPL collection comprises approximately 89,700 publications, with the oldest publications dating from 1810. 

Aside from the above-mentioned information sources, all categories of users are provided with access to Kluwer IP Law database (publisher, Kluwer Law and Business), containing information on various aspects of legal protection of intellectual property subject matter in different countries throughout the world, and Edward Elgar and MyiLibrary electronic books.

The Office examiners are also provided with access to non-patent literature through interlibrary lending and electronic document delivery systems. In order to meet examiners’ requirements, the collections of nine specialized Moscow libraries are used, as well as foreign electronic resources (Elsevier, among others). 

An electronic catalog, Legal Protection of Intellectual Property: Domestic and Foreign Publications, has been created based on an analysis of publications entering into the PPL collection, bibliographies, publications posted on the Internet, and other sources. The catalog is a comprehensive information resource of patent and legal information and is a search-reference tool for the PPL collection. The catalog is a comprehensive information resource of patent and legal iunformnation and is a search-reference tool for the PPL collection. The catalog contains bibliographical descriptions in the original language, and Russian translations of titles and/or abstracts, and as of January 1, 2016, there were approximately 149,700 bibliographic records. The catalog also contains 4,400 links to full-text documents posted on patent owners’ websites.

The VPTB Division posts various information products and materials on the FIPS website. These are prepared on the basis of the State Patent Collection, and obtained as a result of identifying and studying global patent-information resources. During 2015, the VPTB Division section was updated and supplemented with materials.  The following are updated quarterly: Guide to the VPTB Collection and Internet Resources, Internet Navigator for Patent Information Resources, Recommendations on the List of Essential Methodology, Legal and Patent Literature and Documentation for the Provision of Documents for the Patent Subdivisions and Services of the State Science and Education Sector and Organizations of the National Nanotechnology Network, and translations into Russian of the EPO publication, Patent Information News. Bibliography lists are made available on a monthly basis to help regional experts with current issues regarding protection of intellectual property subject matter and jurisprudence, and issues in the commercialization of the results of intellectual activity and means of individualization. In 2015, the Glossary of Intellectual Property terms was updated in the For Beginners section of the FIPS website.    

Overall, in 2015, more than 134,700 users consulted the information available in the VPTB Division section of the FIPS website.

Reference information on the stages of prosecution in patenting subject matter of patent law is published on the Rospatent website in the Subject Matter of Patent Law section:

http://www.rupto.ru/activities/objects.

Information on the systems for granting legal protection abroad is available in the Foreign Patenting section: http://www.rupto.ru/ohrana_zarubezh, as well as in the International Cooperation section: http://www.rupto.ru/activities/inter.

In order to ensure the uniform practical application of the provisions of Part IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation regulating the grant of legal protection to the subject matter of patent legislation and means of individualization, a range of guidelines have been posted on the FIPS website in the Inventions and Utility Models section:

http://www1.fips.ru/wps/wcm/connect/content_ru/ru/inventions_utility_models/rec_inv.

To assist the patent subdivisions and the State services of the science and education sector and organizations of the national nanotechnology network, a range of method-related materials are available on the website:

http://www1.fips.ru/wps/wcm/connect/content_ru/ru/regions/nano_pat;

Recommendations on the list of essential methodology, legal and patent literature and documentation for the provision of documents for the patent subdivisions and services of the State science and education sector and organizations of the national nanotechnology network, are published in the Rospatent and the Regions section:

http://www1.fips.ru/wps/wcm/connect/content_ru/ru/regions/recomend;

In the Information Resources section, in the Open Registers, information is provided on registering intellectual property subject matter with an indication of its legal status or state of prosecution:  

http://www1.fips.ru/wps/portal/Registers/

Internet publications from the All-Russian Patent Technology Library Division are available on the FIPS website in the State Patent Collection and VPTB Information Products sections at:

http://www1.fips.ru/wps/wcm/connect/content_ru/ru/fonds/.

Presentation of patent information analysis capabilities using Office information products:

http://www1.fips.ru/wps/wcm/connect/content_ru/ru/publishing_activities/present.

For novice users of patent information, links can be found to WIPO publications in Russian under the What is Intellectual Property? heading in the For Beginners section: http://www1.fips.ru/wps/wcm/connect/content_ru/ru/about/ip.

Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)

The PROMT translation system is used at Rospatent in order to provide foreign patent information in Russian. To date, the PROMT system has been operating at Rospatent with two objectives. Firstly, it is embedded into the in-house search system, PatSearch, where it may be used to translate search terms when conducting searches in foreign arrays, or to translate foreign documents found. In addition, PROMT has been installed on an in-house server for use when translating the sources of scientific and technical literature found on the Internet, Word documents, and emails, for example.

In 2015, PROMT was updated twice with the latest improved versions, facilitating higher-quality translation of thematic texts.  

The latest version of PROMT in its hybrid structure has translation profiles, which this year have been aligned with the number and names of IPC classes for convenience when translating texts on various topics. Each profile was populated with relevant, thematic, specialized and customized dictionaries. The customized dictionaries were created or replenished in different subjects, processed, and integrated into PROMT.

Work has continued on updating the English-Russian customized PROMT dictionaries along narrow, specialized themes, which were integrated into the appropriate translation profiles. Work with customized dictionaries which will capture a broader range of topics will continue, thereby improving the translation quality of foreign patent documentation.

Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.

Given the importance of knowing the basics of intellectual property and in order to train new specialists in the skills for successful work in science, economics and industry, the VPTB Division holds a range of different events in cooperation with universities, research centers, Technology and Innovation Support Centers, etc., including:

• Organizing and holding seminars and practical classes based on GPF for students from a number of Moscow higher education institutions. In 2015, 30 excursions and practical classes on working with patent documentation were held, which were attended by 392 persons. For the first time, an excursion was held for students of the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship, and four excursions for students of the Polytechnic College No.8 in Moscow.
• In order to promote knowledge of intellectual property, thematic meetings with management and senior Rospatent and FIPS specialists have been organized for representatives of small- and medium-sized businesses, students and lecturers of institutes of higher education,and other professionals interested in intellectual property matters.

In 2013, eight thematic meetings were held, two of which were attended for the first time as speakers by employees of the Russian State Academy of Intellectual Property (RGAIS). Overall, the thematic meetings were attended by 1,205 persons, including 274 via video-conference (21 sessions) from nine TISC: Altai Regional Universal Scientific Library (Barnaul), Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod State Universal Scientific Library, Voronezh State Academy of Forestry, State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk), Don State Technical University (Rostov-on-Don), St.Petersburg Peter the Great Polytechnic University, N.G.Chernyshevsky Saratov State Technical University, and Autonomous Institution High Technology Technopark (Khanty-Mansiysk).

• Assists with the updating, on a non-remunerated basis, of patent collections of patent documentation on optical disks in the regional organizations of the Russian Federation most actively involved in innovation processes.  In 2015, 44 disks with foreign invention descriptions, along with 12 disks of foreign patent periodicals, were sent to the regions of Russia.

In 2015, as part of the Program for Regional Information Support, Rospatent provided 23 new accesses to FIPS’ full-text databases of descriptions of national inventions and utility models to business entities in the Russian regions free of charge, including an additional opportunity for Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC) to conduct industrial design searches.

The opportunity to access databases on the FIPS website free of charge via the Internet was provided to 302 organizations in nine federal districts of the Russian Federation as at December 31, 2015. Access was provided to: 48 support organizations; eight science cities; 41 State scientific centers (SSC), 35 scientific centers of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SC RAS), 18 organizations within the framework of the Federal Target Program, Development of Nanoindustry Infrastructure in the Russian Federation for 2008–2011 (FTP), 133 TISC and 19 other organizations.

Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.

At FIPS, professional development for employees is organized under the Common Training System (ESO), according to the principle of continuous training from the time of hiring.  Both internal and external training methods are used.  Guaranteeing conditions for the continuous professional development of employees is provided for under the FIPS Charter.

Organization of FIPS employee training using in-house training methods

In 2015, in accordance with the Combined Plans for In-House Training of Employees, as approved by the Director of FIPS, the following were held: 

- 12 centralized sessions, for the managers of the structural subdivisions, their deputies, and senior FIPS employees, covering issues relevant to the practice of activities, and targeted at various categories of employee);

- 457 sessions directly in the FIPS subdivisions in accordance with the quarterly in-house training plans focused on studying newly released regulatory documents, issues in the performance of examinations, as well as analyzing the results of internal and external examination quality control in specific subdivisions.

• Training of examiners continued in the use of various search systems, including search techniques in the Rospatent search system, PatSearch.
• In accordance with the Agreement of September 25, 2013 between the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) and the European Patent Office regarding Joint Patent Classification (SPK), Rospatent has adopted SPK as its in-house classification system along with the International Patent Classification (IPC). In order to implement this Agreement by way of exchange of experience, EPO specialists trained FIPS examiners in classification methods and performing searches under SPK, which was attended by 318 examiners. 
  

Professional Development of Newly-Recruited FIPS Examiners

Professional development of newly recruited examiners of inventions and utility models is carried out on a regular basis, and relevant certificates are awarded.  

In 2015, based on the results of an open tender, a civil contract was concluded with RGAIS, in accordance with which training was organized and conducted of the 13th stream of newly-recruited FIPS examiners, consisting of 22 people. The training was carried out in accordance with the thematic curriculum, and was 214 academic hours in duration.

FIPS employee training at RGAIS

Under FIPS higher professional education programs:

- Two FIPS employees gained a first degree in intellectual property management and Law respectively;

- 18 FIPS employees are continuing their studies on the masters’ program (in Law).

- Two FIPS employees are continuing their studies as post-graduates.

Training for staff examiners in how to use different search systems

In order to ensure the required quality of examination searches, both newly recruited and experienced examiners have undergone training in how to use the various search tools optimally. The aim of the examiner training was independent use during the examination process of available electronic databases and automated systems. Consultations on correct use of various automated systems, databases and software also took place.

The main area of focus was the in-house search system, PatSearch, the main one used by examiners in the workplace. Furthermore, training in the use of foreign databases containing information that is not in PatSearch. This training primarily concerned the updated databases of Asian countries (Japan, Republic of Korea, and China).

Twice in 2015, training was undertaken on new versions of the PROMT translation system, which was fundamentally differentiated by the translation algorithm and the capabilities relative to the previous versions.

On several occasions, the functionality of the electronic application prosecution system was improved and supplemented due to the introduction of the new features of the Electronic Archive system, in which examiners underwent training.

Traditionally, newly-recruited examiners underwent mandatory training in the use of  automated systems and databases that have been selected for examination searches. Training took place on specially developed programs, taking into account updated functionality of systems and databases for each of the themes. The theoretical part, which contains a large number of examples highlighting the features of the examination search, has been supplemented with a practical part in order to reinforce the usage habits of the different operators and enable the nuances of request formulation to be mastered for each of the individual subjects. Groups were formed with the optimal number of students working on similar topics, in order to assimilate the material better. Refresher training was conducted individually and in groups for less confident users.

In 2015, Rospatent took part in organizing and staging three international invention exhibitions:

• April 2-5, 2015- 18th Moscow International Exhibition of Inventions and Innovation Technologies, Archimedes 2015 (Moscow);
• October 1-3- 11th International Exhibition of Inventions and New Technologies, New Time (Sebastopol);
• November 19-21- 64^th World Exhibition of Innovation, Research and New Technologies, Brussels- Innova/Eureka 2015 (Brussels, Belgium)

In 2015, Rospatent participated in organizing and holding 48 conferences, seminars and round-tables in 26 regions of the Russian Federation:

• February 11- session on intellectual property organized by the Skolkovo Fund as part of the Russian Startap Tour (Tomsk);
• April 3- Rospatent practical research conference on ‘Protection of Intellectual Property Subject Matter’ in accordance with Amendments to Part IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation’, at the 18th Moscow International Exhibition of Inventions and Innovation Technologies, Archimedes 2015 (Sokol’niki Exhibition and Congress Center, Moscow); 
• April 16- round table on Managing Intellectual Property: Legal and Economic Aspects (Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Moscow);
• April 16- seminar on Chapter IV of the Civil Code of the RF: IP News (A.M. Gorky State Budgetary Institution of Culture, Tver’ Order Badge of Honor Regional Universal Scientific Library, Tver’);
• April 20- round table on ‘Patent Law’ as part of the events organized at the St.Petersburg city festival, ‘Intellectual Property Days, 2015’ (St. Petersburg);
• April 20-21- training seminar for RF Technology and Innovation Support Centers organized in conjunction with WIPO as part of Intellectual Property Days, 2015 on Basic Resources of Internet Patent Search (FIPS, Moscow)
• April 21- round table on ‘Agreement on Patent Cooperation’ as part of the events organized at the St.Petersburg city festival, ‘Intellectual Property Days, 2015’ (St. Petersburg);
• April 22- round table on ‘Trademarks, Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications’ as part of the events organized at the St.Petersburg city festival, ‘Intellectual Property Days, 2015’ (St. Petersburg);
• April 22- practical research conference, ‘Intellectual Property– Innovation Potential of Russia’, organized by Rospatent as part of the Eighth International Forum, ‘Intellectual Property in the 21^st Century’, held at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Rospatent, Moscow);
• April 23- training seminar for RF Technology and Innovation Support Centers organized in conjunction with WIPO as part of Intellectual Property Days, 2015 on ‘Service Inventions’ (Rospatent, Moscow)
• April 23- round table on ‘Current Copyright Issues’  as part of the events organized at the St.Petersburg city festival, ‘Intellectual Property Days, 2015’ (St. Petersburg);
• April 24- round table on ‘Electronic Interaction of Applicants with FIPS’ as part of the events organized at the St.Petersburg city festival, ‘Intellectual Property Days, 2015’ (St. Petersburg);
• April 28- round table on ‘Commercial Secrets. Alternative Methods of Protecting Intellectual Property: Know-How (Production Secrets) – Industrial and Commercial Secrets’ (ASERGRUPP Ltd., Moscow);
• April 28-29- 13^th Volga Practical Research Conference on ‘Current Intellectual Property Protection Issues’ (State Budgetary Institution of Further Professional Education, Nizhegorodsky Scientific and Information Center, Nizhny Novgorod);
• April 29- seminar on ‘Legal Protection of Software for Computers, Databases and Educational Resources of Higher Education Institutions’ (Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Tuva State University, Kyzyl);
• May 20- regional practical research conference for specialists in the Volga Federal District of the Russian Federation on ‘Current Issues of Legal Protection and Use of the Results of Intellectual Activity’ (Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, N.G.Chernyshevsky Saratov State Technical University, Saratov);
• May 26-27- National Seminar on the International Patent System (PCT Seminar), organized in conjunction with WIPO (Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science, State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk);
• June 2-3- annual All-Russian startap- conference of entrepreneurs and innovators (Skolkovo Startap Village Innovation Center, Moscow);
• June 16- National Seminar on the International Patent System (PCT Seminar), organized in conjunction with WIPO (Tyumen’ Regional Social Organization, All-Russian Society of Inventors and Innovators);
• June 18- National Seminar on the International Patent System (PCT Seminar), organized in conjunction with WIPO (Autonomous Institution, High-Technology Technopark, Khanty-Mansiysk);
• June 24-26- practical research conference, ‘Petersburg Collegial Reading- 2015’, on the theme: ‘Intellectual Property: Theory and Practice’ (Regional Public Organization, ‘St.Petersburg Patent Bar’, St.Petersburg);
• June 30-  regional practical research conference for specialists in the Crimean Federal District of the Russian Federation, ‘Current Issues in Legal Protection and Use of the Results of  Intellectual Activity and Means of Individualization’ (Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol’); 
• September 2-3- organized by the information and analytical magazine, ‘University Book’ as part of the 28^th Moscow International Book Exhibition and Fair, a conference on ‘Legislative Initiatives and Legal Regulation of Russian Publishing and Book Distribution (VDNKh, Moscow);
• September 8- seminar organized by the Higher School of Economics in conjunction with the companies, LexisNexis and Yandex, on ‘Management of Patent Risk: Insights and Solutions’ (Higher School of Economics, Moscow);
• September 9-10- Fourth Congress of Technology and Innovation Support Centers of the Russian Federation, organized by Budgetary Institution National Library of the Chuvash Republic of the Ministry of Culture of Chuvashia, and the Chuvash Republican Public Organization VOIR, in conjunction with WIPO (Cheboksary);
• September 14-18- organized as part of the 14^th International Practical Research Conference, ‘Electronic Age of Culture’, the annual practical research conference of the Russian Association of Digital Libraries (NP ‘ELBI’, Nizhny Novgorod);
• September 17- meeting between management and specialists of Rospatent and FIPS, and patent attorneys of the Russian Federation (Rospatent, Moscow);
• September 23-24- Nineteenth Rospatent Practical Research Conference, Dedicated to the 60^th Anniversary of Rospatent, on ‘Intellectual Property: History and Current Trends’ (Rospatent, Moscow);
• September 23-25- training seminar organized by the Eurasian Economic Commission in conjunction with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Ocean- workshop on the implementation of analysis- research into government procedures and business processes in relation to foreign economic activity (Eurasian Economic Commission, Moscow);
• September 30- regional practical research conference for specialists in the Siberian Federal District of the Russian Federation, ‘Current Issues in Legal Protection and Use of the Results of  Intellectual Activity and Means of Individualization’ (Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Omsk State Technical University, Omsk);
• October 6-7- republican seminar on ‘Intellectual Property- a Tool for Economic Development of the Region’ (State Budgetary Institution of the Komi Republic, National Library of the Komi Republic, Syktyvkar);
• October 7-9- Skolkovo Patent School (Skolkovo Innovation Center, Moscow region);
• October 15- jubilee international practical research conference, the 10th Annual Scientific Readings in Memory of Professor S.N.Bratus’, on‘Law and Business: Current Challenges’ (Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow);
• October 16- webinar organized by LexisNexis on work with the Patent Strategies tool for analysing patent landscapes (Moscow);
• October 20-21- national seminar organized in conjunction with WIPO on ‘Promoting Efficient Use of the Madrid System for the International Registration of Trademarks, and the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs’ (Federal State Independent Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, First President of Russia, B.N. Yeltsin, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg);
• October 27- practical research conference on ‘Problems of Legal Protection and Effective Use of Intellectual Property’ (Kaluga Scientific and Technical Information Center, branch of Federal State Budgetary Institution, Russian Energy Agency, Russian Ministry of Energy, Kaluga);
• October 27-28- training seminar for Technology and Innovation Support Centers of the Russian Federation, organized in conjunction with WIPO with the participation of Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Petrozavodsk State University (Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Petrozavodsk State University, Petrozavodsk);
• October 30-31- 11^th international practical research conference, ‘Intellectual Property: from Reliable Protection to Effective Management’ (Yekaterinburg);
• November 11-13- Fifth Eurasian Economic Forum, ‘Orenburg-2015’ (Orenburg);
• November 12- international seminar on ‘International Technology Transfer: Russian and German Experience. Selecting Patenting Strategy. Protection of Industrial Property Rights’ (M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow);
• November 17-19- 19^th International Conference and Exhibition, ‘Information Technology, Computer Systems and Publications for Libraries’ (‘LIBKOM-2015’) (Suzdal’);
• November 17-18- national seminar organized in conjunction with WIPO on intellectual property for small and medium-sized enterprises (Southern Urals Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chelyabinsk);
• December 9-10- training seminar on ‘Strategy and Tactics of Intellectual Property Protection for Industrial Enterprises’  (Regional State Budgetary Institution, ‘Altai Center for Cluster Development’, Barnaul);
• December 10- meeting of the scientific section on ‘Intellectual Property and Innovation’, M.Gorky House of Scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St.Petersburg);
• December 10-11- Third International Conference on ‘Foreign Economic Activity as a Factor in Effective Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Russian Federation’ (Vologda);
• December 15-16- national seminar organized in conjunction with WIPO on intellectual property for small and medium-sized enterprises (Republic of Tatarstan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kazan’).

A total of over 2,000 people from various regions of the Russian Federation attended the conferences, seminars and round tables that took place in 2015.

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

In order to fulfill its obligations in relation to exchange of patent information, FIPS posts trademark documentation on the Institute’s FTP server, and has granted log-in and password access to the documentation to the offices of 47 foreign countries and four international organizations.

In order to keep the State patent collection up to date, the VPTB Division of FIPS at present engages in international exchange of patent documentation with 57 countries and six international organizations.

In 2015, VPTB of FIPS received:

- 2,757,346 copies of full descriptions of foreign patent documents electronically (of which 1,604,434 documents were received on optical disk, and 1,152,912 were downloaded from foreign patent office websites or Internet resources) from 20 countries and four organizations; 33 annual sets of invention descriptions on optical disks.

- 1,677 copies of Gazettes containing information on inventions were received in all formats from 45 countries and one international organization: 64 paper copies; 291 copies on optical disks; and 1,322 copies were downloaded from the websites or Internet resources of foreign patent offices.

Three sets (27 copies) of the combined regional output of CIS countries on CD-ROM CISPATENT were forwarded to six foreign patent offices and EPO. Nine countries participating in the Direct Libraries project were sent four sets (36 copies).

Under the framework of international exchange with foreign patent offices in 2015, aside from patent documentation, legal and patent publications were also sent to individual patent offices in accordance with existing agreements (21 copies in total: 17 on paper and 4 on disk).

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the instigation of WIPO between VPTB and the information and education services of the WIPO information division, as a WIPO Depository Library, VPTB has since 2009 received one copy, in English and Russian, of every new WIPO publication free of charge.

In 2015, Rospatent, acting as a Receiving Office, transferred 898 registered copies of international applications and 637 certified copies of priority applications to WIPO electronically by means of PCT-EDI, without sending paper copies. 

In 2015, 2,296 international search reports and written notes prepared by Rospatent, acting as an International Searching Authority, were transferred to WIPO electronically by means of PCT-EDI.

Acting as International Preliminary Examining Authority, Rospatent has begun transferring opinions of the international preliminary examination to WIPO electronically by means of ePCT.

Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information

Active participation continued in the work to establish and refine both new and existing WIPO standards in the field of patent information under the relevant Task Forces of the Committee on WIPO Standards.

At the Task Force meeting which took place at WIPO (Geneva, Switzerland) from June 8-12, 2015, which was attended by a FIPS specialist, progress was achieved in resolving the following matters:

• While discussing proposals for the development of a new WIPO standard for exchanging data on the legal status of patents, it was agreed that the new standard should apply to both utility models and supplementary protection certificates. Participants agreed that the new standard must provide the option to use a high-level event and status model, along with a detailed model, i.e. use a structure similar to the IPC (group-subgroup, where a group is an element of the high-level model, and a subgroup is an element of the detailed model).
• Annexes 5 and 6 to the updated version of WIPO standard ST.96 were developed. Discussion continued of the Common, Patent, Trademark, Design components. It was noted in particular that in order to use Standard ST.96 for interaction on PCT applications, many PCT-specific elements still needed to be added. FIPS took over development of the schemes for the report on search and appellations of origin.
• During discussion of the review of standard ST.14, Recommendation for the Inclusion of References Cited in Patent Documents, agreement had been reached on two issues: 1. Use of special symbols to highlight links to the URL and DOI, which will not lead to errors when posting this information in XML. 2. Preparation of examples of inclusion of publication formats in accordance with the new paragraph, 15(ii).    

Active involvement continued in the work of the WIPO Committee of Experts on IPC and ICID, primarily- on draft reviews thereof. Updated Russian versions of these classifications are being prepared following completion of the reviews. The alphabetical indexes for the current versions of IPC are regularly republished.

In 2015, Rospatent continued its active involvement in work to improve the PCT system in the framework of the relevant working bodies of the PCT Union (Meeting of the International Authorities, PCT Working Group, and PCT Working Subgroup). The main focus at this stage was to develop a set of measures to ensure the highest quality of international search and preliminary examination, improvement of the system of additional searches, providing mutual access to the results of the preceding search and examination, make the international search report more informative, review the PCT minimum documentation, increase the level of electronic document flow between offices and WIPO, more complete and effective use of the results of the International Authorities’ work in the transition of international applications to the national phase, and ultimately, eliminate duplication in offices’ work.

The bilateral agreement with the Chinese patent office on the PPH and PCT-PPH programs has been extended. During 2015, the number of participants in the pilot program of the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPT) increased. By the end of 2015, 20 patent offices other than Rospatent were participating in the GPPH program. In 2015, as part of the agreements on exchange of experience in intellectual property protection, the exchange of experts program has continued with the Japanese patent office. In total, as of December 31, 2015, some 916 applications to participate had been filed at Rospatent since inception of the PPH program. The number of applications considered for the various types of PPH program increases each year. During 2015, virtually the same number of applications to participate in PPH were filed at Rospatent as for the whole of the preceding period of the program.

In 2015, the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding between Rospatent and WIPO for the creation of TISCs in the Russian Federation continued to be implemented. 

Cooperation agreements have been concluded, including the main provisions on the organization of a basic TISC (level one TISC), with five organizations: Federal State Independent Educational Institution of Higher Education, St.Petersburg Peter the Great Polytechnic University, State Budgetary Institution of the Republic of Crimea Order of Red Banner of Labor, Nikitsky Botanic Garden- National Scientific Center, Federal State Independent Educational Institution of Higher Education, V.I.Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, State Budgetary Institution of the Republic of Crimea, Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture of the Crimea, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, N.P.Ogaryov Mordovia State University.

Additionally, 15 level-2 TISCs have been created on the basis of tripartite agreements:

• In Belgorod region, at: State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Belgorod State Institute of Arts and Culture, Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization Higher Professional Education Belgorod, University of Cooperation, Economics and Law, Closed JSC Research and Development Plant, VladMiVa;
• In the Republic of Tatarstan at: Public Organization, Society of Inventors and Innovators of the Republic of Tatarstan Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, A.N.Tupolev Kazan’ National Research and Technical University- KAI, BizBrend Ltd., JSC Kazan’ Helicopter Plant, Intellect and Law Ltd.
• In Penza region, at Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Penza State University;
• In the Republic of Mordovia at Rostr Ltd.
• In the Republic of Bashkortostan at Eridan-Servis Ltd.
• In the Republic of Chuvashia at: Independent Institution of Chuvashia, Institute of Advanced Medical Studies, Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization of Higher Education, Academy of Technology and Management;
• In Kirov region, at Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science, Kirov Scientific Research Institute of Haemotology and Blood Transfusion of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency;
• In Krasnodar region at Krasnodar Scientific and Technical Information Center- branch of  Federal State Budgetary Institution, Russian Energy Agency, Russian Ministry of Energy.

As at the end of 2015, TISC had been established at 135 economic entities from 64 regions in nine federal districts of the Russian Federation. A full list of economic entities providing TISC services has been posted on the Internet on the official FIPS website (www.fips.ru) in the Cooperation with Regions of Russia, Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) section.

An important aspect of the TISC project is conducting free training seminars and workshops for training center staff. In 2015, Rospatent held two training seminars:

- April 23- training seminar for RF Technology and Innovation Support Centers organized in conjunction with WIPO as part of Intellectual Property Days, 2015 on ‘Service Inventions’ (Rospatent, Moscow)

- October 27-28- training seminar for Technology and Innovation Support Centers of the Russian Federation, organized in conjunction with WIPO with the participation of Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Petrozavodsk State University (Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Petrozavodsk State University, Petrozavodsk).

- On September 24-25, 2015, the Fourth TISC Congress took place in Cheboksary. Congress organizers: WIPO, Rospatent, Budgetary Institution National Library of the Chuvash Republic of the Ministry of Culture of Chuvashia, and the Chuvash Republican Public Organization, VOIR.

In accordance with Annexes 1 and 2 to the Agreement on TISC, during 2015, the VPTB Division sent TISC sets of Russian patent documentation on DVD-ROM optical disks (1,154 discs in total). Information products and materials prepared by the VPTB Division were regularly updated, and posted on the FIPS website in the Information Resources for TISC section. Bibliographic indexes were prepared for attendees of the Fourth TISC Congress (September 9-10, 2015), on issues of legal protection of intellectual property, and conducting patent searches.

- From April 2-5, 2015, at the Sokol’niki Exhibition and Congress Center, Moscow, the 18th Moscow International Exhibition of Inventions and Innovation Technologies, Archimedes 2015, took place, with the support of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of Moscow, WIPO, Rospatent, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia, and Union Society of Inventors and Innovators. The Archimedes 2015 Exhibition was attended by representatives of more than 315 organizations and more than 700 inventors, and participants from 17 countries and 44 regions of the Russian Federation, representing 680 inventions and innovation projects. 

- On April 3, 2015, as part of the 18th Moscow International Exhibition of Inventions and Innovation Technologies, Archimedes 2015, Rospatent’s practical research conference took place on ‘Protection of Intellectual Property Subject Matter in accordance with Amendments to Part IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation’. The conference was attended by representatives of WIPO, as well as administrative and management structures, the public organization, Union Society of Inventors and Innovators, scientists, industrial and other organizations from a number of regions of the Russian Federation. Overall, 118 persons from two countries attended the conference: three participants from the Republic of Serbia, and 115 from 19 regions of the Russian Federation (Moscow, St.Petersburg, , Krasnodar, Tver’, Kaliningrad, Belgorod, Volgograd, Vologda, Kaluga, Togliatti, Dnepropetrovsk, Murmansk, Magnitogorsk, Novocherkassk, Moscow region, Republic of Dagestan, Republic of Mari El, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Krasnoyarsk region).   

During the conference, 16 papers were presented, and a round table was held on the subject of the conference. Employees of Rospatent, FIPS and Federal State Budgetary Institution, FAPRID, addressed the conference.  

In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed on November 21, 2012 between the Eurasian Patent Office and the Federal Service for Intellectual Property on granting public libraries and leading higher education institutions access to the Eurasian patent information system, EAPATIS, appropriate proposals were prepared during 2015, and EAPO granted 14 organizations- most of which had the status of a TISC- access to the EAPATIS system.

Assistance to developing countries

In accordance with the Agreements between Rospatent and the International Bureau of WIPO, Rospatent, acting as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority, prepares search reports with preliminary examination reports on applications filed with the International Bureau of WIPO by developing countries.  In 2015, 11 search reports together with examination reports were prepared on such applications.Assistance to developing countries

Other activities

VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS

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