CWS.ATR.PI.2012.HU

Annual Technical Report 2012 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Hungary (CWS/ATR/PI/2012/HU)

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

Changes experienced in terms of application filings and grants with respect to the previous year

Protections valid in Hungary broken down by title of protection

Patents 15390 (2011) 16699 (2012)
Of them:
Patents granted following the national way 5227 (2011) 4769 (2012)
Valid European Patents 10163 (2011) 11930 (2012)
Plant variety 77 (2011) 82 (2012)
Community plant variety 18757 (2011) 20362 (2012)
Supplementary protection certificate 112 (2011) 125 (2012)
Utility models 926 (2011) 955 (2012)

PATENTS
Hungarian patents filing activity abroad

Of them:
PCT applications originating from Hungary 142 (2011) 157 (2012)
Of them:
by using receiving office services of the HIPO 131 (2011) 146 (2012)
European applications originating from Hungary 168 (2011) 180 (2012)
Of them:
by using receiving office services of the HIPO 25 (2011) 16 (2012)
and filed directly at the EPO 143 (2011) 164 (2012)



Main figures of patent cases aimed at Hungary and filed following the national route - from Hungary and directly abroad - under international cooperations
Cases submitted under international treaties

PCT designations 181900 (2011) 194779 (2012)*
Filing the translation of the text of European patents (validation) 3218 (2011) 3342 (2012)
Filing the translation of European claims 11 (2011) 1 (2012)
Granted European patents designating HU 40372 (2011) 47485 (2012)
Domestic applications 660 (2011) 689 (2012)
Foreign applications filed following the national route 33 (2011) 54 (2012)
Requests for national procedure deriving from earlier PCT designations
5 (2011) 5 (2012)


Figures of patent granting procedures

Granted and validated patents 3195 (2011) 3278 (2012)
Of them:
Validation of European patents 2750 (2011) 2837 (2012)
Patents granted following the national route 445 (2011) 441 (2012)
Of them:
Granted domestic patents
205 (2011) 96 (2012)
Refusals 27 2011) 37 (2012)
Lapse 1430 (2011) 1108 (2012)
Terminations 4652 (2011) 4423 (2012)
Pending patent cases 5976 (2011) 5934 (2012)

SUPPLEMENTARY PROTECTION CERTIFICATE
In 2012, a total of 32 new applications for supplementary protection certificates (SPC) were received by the Office. Over the period concerned, 14 certificates were granted, 5 cases ended with refusals and 3 with withdrawals. The Office received 3 applications for extension of time of supplementary protection certificate; decision on extension with 6 months was granted in 2 cases. The number of the pending cases (the total number of applications for SPC in respect of medicinal and plant protection products) was 133 at the end of the year.

PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION
The HIPO received 25 new applications for plant variety protection. In case of procedures completed during the year, protection was granted in 12 cases, 6 ended in lapse and 84 applications for plant variety protection were pending at the end of the year.
Currently, 82 national plant variety protections valid in Hungary (in addition to this, 124 earlier patent protections) are registered by the HIPO, from which only one is owned by foreign right holder. As a result of Hungary's accession to the European Union, the effect of Community plant variety rights extends to Hungary as well. In 2012, the Community Plant Variety Office received a total of 2868 applications for Community plant variety rights; at the end of the year 20362 protection were in force.

UTILITY MODELS
Breakdown of utility model applications filed following the national route by the origine of applications

Domestic applications
Individual 186 (2011) 171 (2012)
Institutional 53 (2011) 62 (2012)

Total 239 (2011) 233 (2012)
Foreign applications
Individual 12 (2011) 6 (2012)

Institutional 19 (2011) 22 (2012)
Total 31 (2011) 28
Total number of utility model applications 270 (2011) 261 (2012)

Figures of utility model granting procedures in Hungary

Granted utility models 209 (2011) 131 (2012)
Refused applications 9 (2011) 11 (2012)
Lapsed applications 117 (2011) 91 (2012)
Completed applications 335 (2011) 233 (2012)
Pending applications 94 (2011) 127 (2012)

PI_ProtectionsvalidinHungarybrokendownbytitleofprotection.docx PI_Breakdownofutilitymodelapplicationsandgrantingprocedures.docx PI_Casessubmittedunderinternationaltreaties.docx PI_Figuresofpatentgrantingprocedures.docx PI_Hungarianpatentsfilingactivityabroad.docx

Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year

From among the patent applications filed following the national route, the number of the applications filed directly with the HIPO by foreign applicants (54) and the number of international (PCT) applications entered into the national phase (5) were low as predicted since foreign applications had converted to the European route as result of Hungary’s accession to the EPC in 2003.

It is welcome that in the number of patent applications of Hungarian origin a 4% increase can be observed. Out of the domestic applications increased to 689, 60% were filed by individuals, and 40% by institutions. Although there is a trend towards institutional applications, and the number of patent applications filed by domestic institutions increased significantly, by 23 % (281) compared to the previous year, it still moves in an unacceptably low zone.
The number of applications filed in the framework of the international patent cooperation (PCT) designating also Hungary started to grow again from the end of the first half-year of 2010, and this tendency continued in 2012.
The number of requests for the validation of European patents in Hungary continued to rise in the same way as in the previous years (by 4% to 3342). The average yearly volume of the requests for the validation is to around 7-10% of granted European patents designating Hungary since 2006.
During the previous year, patent granting (1586) and validations procedures of European patents (2837) before the HIPO were completed in 4423 cases (together with the European validations); at the end of 2012, 5934 patent cases were pending. The number of pending European patent validation cases representing an administrative workload for the office was 1347 and the number of patent applications following the national route was 4587. The completed patent granting and validation procedures resulted in granting or validation in 3278 cases (decision on national grants in 441 and on European validations in 2837 cases). From the number of the granted protections national patents amounted only to 96; the proportion of grants in the national procedure was 28% in the given year.
The 70% inefficiency of national patent granting procedures is a constant critical factor of the level and marketing of national invention. It can be explained by mainly the lapse of interest of national and foreign applicants, which indicates difficulties in the area of investment and competitiveness. The low national “success rate” is the sign of consciousness and quality weaknesses.
The number of pending domestic patent applications is 4587, from which 1794 are domestic applications and 2793 PCT applications. The execution of the HIPO’s plan for accelerated processing was successful in the previous year: the number of ongoing patent applications decreased by 23% in 2012, compared to the figure recorded at the end of the previous year.
The gross processing time for completed patents applications filed following the national route was 31,6 months (it is slightly more by 13 months than the statutory 18 months for publication), the net processing time was 23,3 months.
A total of 233 utility model procedures were completed during the year under review. To the satisfaction of applicants, the processing time was short, only 6,1 months; in case of perfect applications, the protection was granted in 1,5 months in average after the payment of fees.

At the end of 2012, the number of valid utility models was 955, which is 3% more than in the previous years. 90% of the utility models were owned by Hungarians, the German and Czech right holders represented 2,5% and 2,2%, the Austrian right holders represented 1,5%.
The number of applications filed in the framework of the international patent cooperation (PCT) designating also Hungary started to grow again from the end of the first half-year of 2010, and this tendency continued in 2012.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to patents

Annual Report: http://www.sztnh.gov.hu/hivatalrol/

II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, distribution and use of primary and secondary sources of patent information

Publishing, printing, copying (main types of publications of the Office in the field of patent information, etc.)

Since 1 January 2006, the Gazette of Patents and Trademarks has been published electronically, and accessible on the website of the Office free of charge, in searchable pdf-format, authenticated by electronic signature. The interest in the publication further increased during 2012: users downloaded 2 653 000 pages in a year.
The e-dossier gives inspection and communication platform providing online administration.
The e-register is an electronic register of the industrial property applications filed with the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (HIPO) and of the industrial property rights granted/registered by the HIPO, as well as a register of the licences granted for orphan works of copyright. It is available without charge or prior registration from 1 March 2011.
The IP-search is an electronic searchable database, available also ont he website of the HIPO. All industrial property rights are accessible in it. Granted patent documents are also accessible int he IP-search in searchable format.
As a backfile, published (not granted) patent applications were scanned and OCR-ed in 2012 back to 1993. These documents will be accessible int he Q3 of 2013. As a frontfile, OCR-ed, published patent documents have been accessible since 2011.

Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of patent information

Since 1 January 2006, the Gazette of Patents and Trademarks has been published electronically, and accessible on the website of the Office free of charge, in searchable pdf-format, authenticated by electronic signature. The interest in the publication further increased during 2012: users downloaded 2 653 000 pages in a year.

Mass storage media used (paper, microforms, optical storage, etc.)

Used mass storage media are hard discs, magnetic tapes microfilms and paper for backup.

Word processing and office automation

The digitalization of HU patent documents were completed in2012, back to 1896 as the publication year of the first Hungarian patent document.

(New) techniques used for the generation of patent information (printing, recording, photocomposing, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), etc.)

All incoming paper documents has been scanned and OCR-ed since 2011, These documents are accessible int he Unified Administrative System of the Office.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online publication of patent documents and gazettes, and to other primary and secondary sources of patent information, including patent publication servers and download of bulk patent data

GAZETTE, IP-SEARCH, E-REGISTER, E-DOSSIER are accessible ont he webpage of the HIPO: http://www.sztnh.gov.hu/English/adatbazisok/

III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents

Abstracting, reviewing, translating

Patent abstracts of Hungarian patent applications (that have no family members) are translated into English.

Classification¹, preclassification² (if applicable), and reclassification³ activities; Classification system used, e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC), other classification (please indicate whether or not patent documents are classified by your Office and, if so, which classification is used)

The Adavanced level of IPC is used.
ECLA system is downloadad into the internal administrative system regularly, only for internal use.

Bibliographic data and full-text processing

All bibliographic data of the intellectual property rights and the full text of the patent documents are searchable for the public.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

File building

The Unified Administrative System of the Office covers the bibliographic and image data, the documents and the official letters belonging to the different intellectual property rights (with the additional data that are not accessible for the public).
The scanned HU documents and incoming documents, images from EPO, WIPO, OHIM are downloaded to the database continuously.

Updating

The Unified Administrative System and the electronic public databases have a daily update.

Storage, including mass storage media

Used mass storage media are hard discs, magnetic tapes microfilms and paper for backup.

V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems

In-house systems (online/offline)

The Unified Administrative System of the Office covers the bibliographic and image data, the documents and the official letters that belong to the different intellectual property rights.
The public electronic-databases GAZETTE, IP-SEARCH, E-REGISTER, E-DOSSIER are also used by the Examiners. The IP-SEARCH database has an internal version for internal use only with the additional data that are not accessible for the public. Searches are performed in the EPOQUENET system and in the NPL databases as well.

External databases

Examiners regularly use EP-REG, Espacenet and other web-based patent databases.
Commercial databases are also used in special technical fields, such as Thomson, STN, MEDLINE, etc.

Administrative management systems (e.g., register, legal status, statistics and administrative support)

The bibliographic and image data, the documents and the official letters belonging to the different intellectual property rights are stored in the Unified Administrative System of the Office. Examinars can access all data and documents stored int this database.
In 2012 proceeded the continuous further development of the system of electronic official administration and communication as well as of the electronic information services: the English language version of the E-file inspection and the patent revocation database of E-search were prepared, while development took place in the result interface of the latter service.
Last year the preparations continued for the renewal of the Unified Record and Administration System (ENYV) supporting the official administration, under the working name SZEMAFOR.
Related to the project, in August 2012, the Office submitted an application to the support system of the Electronic Public Administration Operational Programme of the New Széchenyi Plan (EKOP), which in January 2013 was considered by the Managing Authority as worthy of a support of HUF 249 million.

Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used

Servers:

Unix Tru64 server: 2 peaces
Linux server: 45 peaces
Netware server: 1 peace
MS Windows server: 27 peaces
VMware ESX: 11 peaces
Oracle VM/RAC: 2 peaces
ASA VPN: 2 peaces
ZORP: 2 peaces

286 workstations (Windows Xp)
41 notebook (Windows Xp)
140 printer

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)

Planning, administration, automation, security, buildings

The electronic information services are accessible in the Patent Library for its clients.
All official data are in the Unified Administrative System of the Office.
The electonic information services are: E-gazette made automatically with short lead time; the electronic and certified E-register being accessible online; the search platform based on new technology and continuously updated (E-search); the new platform provides electronic document inspection; the electronic register creates the communication platform providing online administration.

Collecting, acquisitions, preparation

The unique collection of documents of the Industrial Property Special Library offers a comprehensive possibility to search and to obtain information in the field of industrial protection. The Patent Library has a pretension to gather and to provide a complete collection of the Hungarian patent and utility model specifications. Documents of more than 30 countries and 3 international organizations can be found as well in its collection.

Collection management, preservation

Restoration of more than 500 volumes began at the end of the year.
These include eg.the complete collection of the Hungarian Patent Gazette (1896), 67 Volumes of the Hungarian Laws, 130 volumes of the Hungarian Regulations and some unique relics.

Interlibrary lending, resource sharing, networks of patent libraries in the country

The official information activities of the Frecskay János Industrial Property Special Library are increasingly performed in the virtual space, at the same time, the number of those requesting information in person further rose in 2012 (from 1625 to 2270 readers) in the traditional library service. As a result of enriching the special library collection, the number of the intellectual property monographs and other volumes almost doubled, and processing was continuous in the 1.10 version of the HunTéka online integrated system for libraries. The number of records available (taking into account the books and special articles) was 49000 in 2012.

Information services available to the public (including computerized services and search files contained in libraries remote from your Office and patent information posted by your Office on the World Wide Web)

In 2012 too, the HIPO offered to its customers, besides free of charge customer services, a wide range of advanced level IP services against payment. The advanced level patent search services offer appropriate industrial property tools necessary for well-founded business decisions.
HIPO offers user friendly, evaluative expertises and patentability search results in a continuously widening product range, from which currently offers the following five services:
• Novelty Search »
• Novelty Search with preliminary Patentability Report »
• Preliminary Patentability Report »
• Validity Search »
• Freedom to Operate (FTO) search »
The activities of the Office’s customer service were followed by high interest also in 2012. Enquiries received by telephone were down by 13% in 2012, but still the telephone was the most frequent means of communication with as many as 10 000 enquiries. There was an increase in the number of enquiries in person or those online: the HIPO received 7502 enquiries in person (in 2011 6372), the number of online enquiries demanding substantive replies was 1505 (in 2011 817). In a further 3657 cases the enquiries aimed at acquirng information from a database.

URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of patent applications

https://ugyintezes.hipo.gov.hu/eBej2/Step1Case1.page

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and grant procedures related to patents; opposition and appeal procedures related to patents; etc.

http://www.sztnh.gov.hu/English/szabadalom/

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., patent search service(s) and patent databases), as well as information on how to access and utilize them

http://www.sztnh.gov.hu/English/adatbazisok/

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

Medium allowed for filing applications

Patent applications may be filed on paper or in electronic form with electronic signature.

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)

Training courses for national and foreign participants, use of audiovisual means

Based on its several decade long activities in the field of education, the HIPO has a decisive role in disseminating knowledge on intellectual property protection. The industrial property courses organised by HIPO substantially contribute to the development of the domestic industrial property culture, to the raising of intellectual property awareness and the education of the new professional generation in Hungary.
During the year, 130 participants received elementary level certificate on IP. It was typically the researchers, lecturers, students and the representatives of enterprises who participated in the courses organised in co-operation with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
74 students passed successfully the intermediate level industrial property exam in 2012. The third semester of the advanced level industrial property course, started in 2011, was completed by 40 students successfully.

Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)

The Office has a decisive role in supporting and developing domestic innovation by substantially contributing to the strengthening of IP awareness and activities of the major target groups of the national innovation sphere (particularly SMEs, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, higher education).
In the framework of the successful VIVACE programme, in 2012, the Office already co-operated with 20 partners to organise awareness events and elementary level IP courses. During the year, in the framework of the programme, there were 16 larger events, which attracted more than 50 participants each and gave task to 3-4 lecturers. At the events participants were not only given intellectual property knowledge but also other useful information for enterprises.
During 2012, the members of the PATLIB network, supporting the most important universities of Hungary, provided information to interested visitors on a total of 171 occasions.

Studies to identify trends in new technology, e.g., by the use of patent statistics and preparation of monographs

Jedlik-plan (national strategy for protection of intellectual property rights, 2013-2016: http://www.sztnh.gov.hu/jedlik-terv/

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

http://www.sztnh.gov.hu/English/jogforras/index.html

contain the Annual Report of the Office

http://www.sztnh.gov.hu/hivatalrol/index.html

contain patent-related news regarding the Office

http://www.sztnh.gov.hu/English/index.html#

X. Other relevant matters