Annual Technical Report on Industrial Design Information Activities in 2020 submitted by Industrial Property Office CZ

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

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

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

Compared to 2019, there were changes in industrial design activities in 2020 as follows:

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

Since 2017,  the number of industrial design applications irregularly increases and decreases.  Concerning amount of registered industrial designs, there was a drop in 2020 in comparison with 2019.

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

Statistics

Since 2000 the Annual Reports and statistics have been available at the Office’s website: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/publications/annual-reports

The Bulletin: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/ipo-bulletin

The Office website

Helpdesk: helpdesk@upv.cz

List of news and events: https://upv.gov.cz/en/news

Electronic filing of industrial design applications: https://isdv.upv.cz/webapp/epweb.homeElement of proceedings:  https://isdv.upv.cz/webapp/!resdb.rejst.frm

Legislation related to all IP rights: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/legislation

FAQ: https://upv.gov.cz/en/ipo-cz/faq

Search services – industrial design database (IPO CZ,) https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/national-databases/industrial-design-databases

Use of an electronic source to check the International classification for industrial designs: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/classification-systems

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

The Office website https://upv.gov.cz/en is a rich source of information.    

Electronic filing of industrial design applications: https://isdv.upv.cz/webapp/epweb.homeElement of proceedings: https://isdv.upv.cz/webapp/!resdb.rejst.frm

Search service: https://upv.gov.cz/en/client-services/information-services/search-servicesFees and payments: https://upv.gov.cz/en/ip-rights/fees

Information on business procedure related to industrial designs: https://upv.gov.cz/en/ip-rights/industrial-designsInformation on Services: https://upv.gov.cz/en/client-services/information-services

Publications: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/publications

Industrial design databases: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/national-databases/industrial-design-databases

Industrial classification system: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/classification-systems

Availability of the application dossier in electronic form

The content of the file (element of proceedings) is available at: https://isdv.upv.cz/webapp/!resdb.rejst.frm

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

The 12^th edition of the Locarno Classification has been used since January 1, 2019.

Bibliographic data and processing

Registered designs are searchable by proprietor as well as the former proprietor (for IPO CZ employees only), designer, by date of filing, registration and publication, by number of application and registration, and by indication of the product, legal status and the Locarno class and subclass, as well as by registration and application number, number of the publication Bulletin, and proceeding status.

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)

Office notices are published weekly in the electronic Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic.  Notices are also published at the Office’s website.

Mass storage media used are hard discs, magnetic tapes for backup and paper.

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

Publishing, including printing, copying techniques and electronic printing

Lists of designs which have been registered, renewed, corrected, or which have requested restoration are published weekly in the Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic.  Since 2007 an electronic weekly (updated on Wednesdays) Bulletin has been published at the Office´s web site (https://upv.gov.cz/en).  No prior registration or subscription to view the Bulletin is needed; however the pdf viewer (e.g. Adobe Reader) must be installed.  The information as published is the authentic one for legal purposes.

Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of industrial design information

Office notices are published weekly in the electronic Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic.  Notices are also published at the Office’s website.

Mass storage media and microforms used

Used mass storage media are hard discs, magnetic tapes for backup and physical original in paper version.

Databases and office automation

Registered designs, including Community designs (RCD), are searchable in the public database.  It provides a range of search options including proprietor, designer, image, indication of the product, legal status, date of filing, registration and publication, and Locarno class and subclass.  The Official Bulletin picks up data from the internal database.

Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external documentation and databases

The Office’s Examiners have access to:

• Internal SyPP database – contains all pending as well as already decided applications
• Internal database of industrial design applications since 1967
• EUIPO research tool Designview
• Other external public databases: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/foreign-databases/industrial-design-databases

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

National and international industrial design (paper) documentation

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

Internal and public Industrial Design databases

Other sources

Access to online industrial design bulletin and to other sources of designs information, including download of bulk industrial designs data

The Official Bulletin URL: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/ipo-bulletin

The public database URL: https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/national-databases/industrial-design-databases

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

Within the Office, there are obeyed, maintained and improved several business management systems:

• ISO 9001 – QMS (Quality Management System) helps to assure a constant level of quality of services provided by the Office
• ISO14001 – EMS (Environmental Management System) is used to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes, etc.) negatively affect the environment (i.e., cause adverse changes to air, water, or land); (b) comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements, and (c) continually improve in the above.
• ISO 27001 – ISMS (Information Security Management System) specifies a management system that is intended to bring information security under explicit management control.  Fields of concerns are Security policy, Asset management, human resources security, access control, incident management system etc.
• OHSAS 18001 – (Occupational Health and Safety Advisory System) helps companies to propose and implement precautions that, wherever possible, remove, reduce risks or isolate employees from them in a workplace.  In case this is not possible, working activities have to be planned and managed through organizational precautions so that employees’ performance was safe and healthy.

The business process management system (BPMS) internally named ADONIS that describes the office’s processes flow structure is also deployed, maintained and improved. Each employee can find information on organizational structure, valid laws, rules and other documents, available applications, databases and information systems.

Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office

Workstations - HP, processor Core I3 and Core I5, RAM 4- 16 GB, HDD 160 - 500 GB.  300 workstations (aprox. 60 laptops, 240 desktops) connected in the Office network are of the Office staff direct service.  Thereof 50 computers connected in the Office network are intended for the clients of the Office and staff training.  MS OFFICE – 2013/2016 and Office 365 software.  The Office uses CD, DVD and magnetic tapes as data mediums.

Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources

In-house systems (online/offline)

The Office maintains an in-house search database of national applications of industrial designs and registered industrial designs.  The database is not accessible to the public, but its structure corresponds to the public database (contains only national registered industrial designs since no. 3500 and Registered Community Designs).

External databases

The Office provides publicly free access to the database comprising the data concerning registered national industrial designs since no. 3500 and registered community designs at the IPO CZ website https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/national-databases/industrial-design-databases

The Office also performs searches in design databases freely accessible in the Internet such as Hague Express Database (WIPO), eSearch plus, DesignView (both maintained by EUIPO) and other national databases.  The links to these databases are provided at the Office´s web site (https://upv.gov.cz/en).

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

File building

The industrial design search file consists of the collection of registered industrial designs of the Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia.  The full retrospective collection of registered and published industrial designs is accessible via public database.  The database contains bibliographic data as well as images of approx. 33850 published national registrations.  The oldest data comes from the 1966/67 turn of the year.

Updating and Storage, including mass storage media

The data is updated daily and stored electronically (official databases, hard discs, magnetic tapes for backup) and in a paper version.

Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file

Collections of official bulletins of foreign offices are available in an electronic form (via Internet or in a paper or on CDs/DVDs (older volumes).  WIPO and Community Design Bulletin are available in electronic version via Internet (new volumes) and in CD/DVD version (previous volumes).

Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)

The Office uses the internal information system SYPP2 (starting from January 2014) to proceed the applications of patents, supplementary patent certificates, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks and geographical indications.  The system has been developed since 2011 as a major upgrade of previous version SYPP which was used from 2004 until 2013.  The new application is more flexible, based on Oracle Forms with easier maintaining and more flexible data structure.  Data is stored in xml format including the history.  The system is also more user-friendly.  System is connected with central registers of the Czech Republic (ISZR).  The project was co-financed by the European fund for regional development within the EU project Enforcement of Industrial Property Rights.  The system enables to maintain official registers of all the industrial property rights.  Furthermore, it archives all incoming and outgoing communications of the Office, provides the information on the state of proceeding, legal status of registrations and statistical data.  The Document Management System (DMS) is integrated as well.  The system also processes foreign applications within PCT and the European patents valid in the territory of the Czech Republic.  The data are transferred to the electronic Office’s Bulletin and to the public search database.  The system is compatible with electronic filing recognizing authorized electronic certificates.  The current version of on-line filing system was launched in 2017 and is based on a web application.  This system has replaced the previous application which was based on pdf forms.  Starting from January 2008, the system produces automatic electronic extracts from registers upon online request.

In 2020, IPO CZ launched a new website using unified design „DesignSystem GOV.CZ“ for state administration bodies. The website is available at domain upv.gov.cz, the former domain www.upv.cz still works and redirects the requests to the new one.

Information services available to the public

The information centre and the helpdesk operate during the working days.  They provide the general information concerning the industrial property rights.

Design information services for the public are provided within the information centre, in the public reading room, common questions can be addressed to the helpdesk (helpdesk@upv.cz) and search requests and orders to the search section (objednavky@upv.cz).  The Office received a total of 4 design search requests in 2020.  A total of 2725 searches (for patents, designs, trademarks) were provided for the State administrative bodies.

The Office provides full range of brochures and flyers free of charge.  They can be downloaded in PDF format from the Office´s web site, taken in the office headquarters or sent upon request.  The Office publishes its own books and the Industrial Property Journal (6 issues per year) reflecting the current issues of IP rights.

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

Patent library stores the industrial design collection which consists of registered industrial designs of the Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia.  The full retrospective collection of registered and published industrial designs is accessible via public database or in paper form.  The database contains bibliographic data as well as images of approx. 33 850 published national registrations.  The oldest data comes from the 1966/67 turn of the year.  The documents can be studied in the public reading room equipped with PC workstations available for visitors.

The Office cooperates with Regional Patent Information Centres (PATLIBs) on IPR information dissemination.

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

The Office provides the full range of all IP rights dedicated brochures, leaflets and guides free of charge.  They can be downloaded in PDF format from the Office´s web site https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/publications/information-brochures, taken in the office headquarters or sent upon request.  All the materials are distributed to visitors during fairs.  The Office publishes its own books.

The Industrial Property Journal reflecting the current issues of IP rights is published four times per year (both in paper and electronic versions, https://upv.gov.cz/informacni-zdroje/publikace/casopis-prumyslove-vlastnictvi).

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

The IPO CZ cooperates with several universities.  There are seminars and educational activities (various topics) for students and academic staff organized in Office’s premises or in university headquarters.  University students are also regularly invited for excursions and guided tours in the Office’s premises.

Online lectures were held at a number of innovation, technology and PATLIB centres.

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

The IPO CZ regularly organizes a wide range of training courses and seminars - such as Designs - National and International Legal Protection, Searches in the National and Foreign Design Databases, IP Protection and National (CZ) and International Systems of IP Protection, Intellectual Property Protection in Business (SMEs),  Enforcement of Intellectual Rights, IP Jurisdiction (administrative and judicial issues).  All the educational activities are organized for the public, mainly for students, academic staff of universities, representatives of SMEs or research institutions and IP professionals.

Every year, a two-year distance study learning of industrial property rights begins within the Industrial Property Training Institute – Office's own educational facility.

In total, IPO CZ gave nearly 50 lectures in 2020, most of them online.

The Office presented its information activities, information and educational products at the following exhibitions and trade fairs:

• Střechy Praha (Prague CZ)
• Online Science Fair (Prague, CZ)
• For Interior 2020 (Prague, CZ)

Other activities

The IPO CZ continued its activities for children and youth (elementary school pupils and secondary school students).  The Office offers to them short training sessions on industrial rights, guided tours to the Office's headquarters and an example search in patent databases, as well as courses for teachers interested in adding the topic of IP to their curricula.  A special section for youth was maintained on the IPO CZ website.  The leaflets and comics on the topics of patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyright can be downloaded in this section.  All the materials mentioned are also available for children and youth during their excursions to the IPO CZ or during the fairs and exhibitions.  The e-learning course on industrial property for elementary and secondary school students was maintained.  The course acquaints young people with the principles or individual institutes of industrial property rights protection in an entertaining way.  The IPO also kept on cooperating with the RVP.CZ Methodological Portal, operated by the National Institute for Education to support teachers.

In cooperation with the Educational Institute of the Central Bohemia Region, the Office gained accreditation from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic for a course for teachers titled Industrial Property and How to Teach It. The course will especially be offered to primary and secondary school teachers as part of their lifelong learning. The IPO CZ worked with other partners on projects which popularize technical fields and motivates students of elementary schools toward technical education.  It carried out searches on students’ ideas and issued them search reports.

The IPO CZ presented itself at the Veletrh vědy [Science Fair] in 2020. This event, aimed at students and pupils of primary and secondary schools, intends to support their interest in science, technology and the study of technical fields, and is organised annually by the Czech Academy of Sciences, this time online.

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)

The Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic is published exclusively electronically as of the beginning of 2007.  The Official Bulletin is published on a weekly basis (updated every Wednesday) instead of the monthly basis as it was before.  The paper version has been discontinued.  Electronic version of the Official Bulletin has been available since 2000 (Czech version, English version has been available since 2007) and accessible at the Office’s web site:

https://upv.gov.cz/informacni-zdroje/vestnik-upv (Czech version)

https://upv.gov.cz/en/information-sources/ipo-bulletin (English version)

Various courses and seminars were organized for students and representatives of SMEs or research institutions; Groups of university students were accepted for excursions and guided tours in the Office’s premises.

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

Once entered into the registry run by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante, Spain, design owners gain protection for the entire territory of the European Union.  The IPO CZ has been integrated into the Designview database, becoming the eleventh National Office to do so.  The IPO CZ has uploaded more than 65000 designs into Designview.

The Office actively participates in a number of EUIPO projects aimed at harmonising the activities of national industrial property offices and the Community design system.  These projects are especially focused on quality of services, provision of information to users and raising awareness of the importance of legal protection of industrial designs.

Since 2008, upon the European Union's joining into the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs, Czech applicants have had the possibility to use the international industrial design protection system.  The system is managed by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Assistance to developing countries

At the request of foreign IPOs (or WIPO) the Office offers study visits for their staff members.

Other activities

The IPO CZ continued to fulfil responsibilities resulting from the Czech Republic's membership in the European Union especially related to the area of industrial property protection.  It participated in the meetings of the EU Council Working Group on Intellectual Property.

As part of the Academy eLearning Portal project, three educational videos were recorded, one of them was dedicated to the topics of cancellation of an industrial design, (two on topics of objections in trade mark cases and cancellation and declaration of trade mark invalidity). All these and other videos are available on the Office’s YouTube channel..