Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities in 2022 submitted by the State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI)

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

Information on the following topics is desired:

1. Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of patent information activities and expected time frames for their realization
2. New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies and plans mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks
3. Main areas of patent information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year
4. Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
5. Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.

As mentioned in the previous report, the amendments to Law No. 50/2008 were developed to ensure the applicability of the flexibilities of the TRIPS Agreement, to which the Republic of Moldova is a party. The draft is in the process of being realized, as on 27.10.2022, it was examined during the general secretaries’ meeting. The Draft Decision on approving the Draft Law on Amending Certain Normative Acts (unique number 797/AGEPI/2022), author - AGEPI, was submitted for approval/expertise to the relevant authorities. 

The final draft was submitted to the Government of the Republic of Moldova for adoption. 

The draft is developed at the initiative of the State Agency on Intellectual Property, for the purpose of improving and adjusting the procedures for the examination of patent applications and for the grant of patents, as well as for the effective application of the flexibilities offered by the TRIPS Agreement, especially those related to the compulsory licensing procedure. 

The implementation of TRIPS flexibilities in national legislation will create a practice in their application, will determine the registration of valuable inventions and will stimulate voluntary licensing and a more pro-competitive environment on the market of pharmaceutical products. The proposed mechanism for granting compulsory licenses comes to optimize the procedure for granting compulsory licenses and to establish a mechanism for implementing this procedure, which will provide a wider range of possibilities for granting compulsory licenses, thus being placed at the forefront of the vital and social needs that can intervene and that must be addressed urgently. 

The fundamental goal is for the legislation to balance the interests of pharmaceutical companies, taking into account the interests of patients, and for the state to be able to timely use the necessary mechanisms for developing solutions to save people’s lives. 

Also, by introducing in the national legislation a provision similar to that of the “Bolar” exception, an important step is taken in the field of pharmaceutical products. Thus, if there is a vocation to manufacture a generic medicine, the market price of that medicine will decrease.

Rights in an invention in the Republic of Moldova are acquired and protected by granting by the State Agency on Intellectual Property, as provided by Law no. 50-XVI of 07.03.2008 on the Protection of Inventions (hereinafter - Law no. 50/2008), of the following titles of protection:

- patent for invention (PI);

- short-term patent for invention (STPI);

- supplementary protection certificate;

- Eurasian patent;

- validated European patent.

After entry into force, on 4 October 2008, of the Law of the Republic of Moldova No. 50-XVI of 07.03.2008 on the Protection of Inventions, their protection became possible by both patent for invention (PI) and short-term patent for invention (STPI). At the same time, the receiving of applications for the issue of patents under the responsibility of the applicant and of applications for the registration of utility models was stopped. Protection of inventions by short-term patent for invention proved very attractive to national applicants, namely due to:

- the simpler, faster and cheaper procedure, compared with the protection by patent for invention granted with the substantive examination of the application, on the one hand, and

- the extension of categories of objects that can be protected in this way, compared with the protection by utility model, on the other hand. 

During 2022, 165 patent applications for invention were filed with the AGEPI. Of the number of filed applications, 40% were PI applications and 60% – STPI applications (in 2021 the PI: STPI percent ratio was 36:64%). At the same time, in the case of national applicants, it was continuous downward trend in the weight of PI applications in the favor of STPI applications, representing, respectively, 32:68%.

Next, statistical data on both types of applications and titles of protection are presented both cumulatively and separately, to highlight the trends, differences or similarities between them.

In the year under review, AGEPI received 60 PI applications and 105 – STPI applications, with 16 and, respectively, 11 fewer than in 2021. Most PI applications (50) and all STPI applications (104) were filed under the national procedure.

Foreign applicants filed in total 11 patent applications, 15% fewer than in 2021. Applications being filed: 6 PI applications under the PCT procedure and directly with the AGEPI - 4 PI applications and 1 STPI application.

As in previous years, most of the applications (154 or 93% of the total number) were submitted by national applicants, respectively, 83% of PI applications and 99% of STPI applications filed. Like in previous years, the most active were applicants from Chisinau, who filed 46 (92%) applications for PI and 97 (93%) applications for STPI.

In total, during the period 1993-2022, 9003 patent applications for inventions (6724 applications for PI and 2279 applications for STPI) were filed with the AGEPI. Of all those applications most – 7910 (88%) – came from national applicants, and 1093 (12%) - from foreign applicants.

In 2022, national applicants filed via AGEPI, as the receiving office, 5 patent applications abroad by the PCT route (with 2 more than the previous year). In total, in the period 1995-2022, were filed 154 applications for patenting abroad – 92 by the PCT route and 62 by the regional route under the Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPC).

In 2022 on top of the most active entities were university institutions, followed by those in the sphere of science and innovation: of the total number of applications filed by national applicants, 64% come from these institutions (105 applications, including 33 - for PI and 72 - for STPI), which is a decrease by 34 percentage points compared with 2021, the evolution of this indicator in terms of absolute values recording a negative trend (with 55 applications).

The weight of applications proceeded from natural persons in the period under review was 29% of the number of applications filed by applicants from the Republic of Moldova, an increase by 3 percentage points compared with the previous year. At the same time, their number (44 applications: 16 – for PI and 28 – for STPI) registered a decline by 6% compared to the previous year.

The International Patent Classification (IPC) fields to which patent applications filed in 2022 relate are the following:

• C (Chemistry; Metallurgy) - 28 (46,7%);
• A (Human Necessities) - 16 (26,7%);
• B (Performing Operations; Transporting) - 7 (11,7%);
• F (Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating; etc.) - 4 (6,6%);
• G (Physics) - 3 (5%);
• E (Fixed Constructions) - 2 (3,3%).

According to statistical data, the distribution of STPI applications by IPC sections is as follows:

• A (Human Necessities) - 64 (61%);
• C (Chemistry; Metallurgy) - 17 (16,2%);
• G (Physics) - 8 (7,6%);
• F (Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating; etc.) - 6 (5,7%);
• B (Performing Operations; Transporting) - 4 (3,8%).
• H (Electricity) - 4 (3,8%);
• E (Fixed Constructions) - 2 (1,9%).

In the period under review, as a result of examination of patent applications, there were adopted 211 decisions, of which 124 (59%) – for the grant of patents, 54 (25%) – for rejection, and 33 (16%) – for withdrawal of applications. Simultaneously, there were adopted 4 decisions on the extension of validity of short-term patents.

In the reference year, AGEPI issued 136 titles of protection for inventions (43 - PI and 93 - STPI). The absolute majority thereof was issued to national owners - 124 (91%), of which 20 (16%) were issued to natural persons and 104 (84%) – to legal entities.

From the beginning of its activity until 31 December 2022, AGEPI issued 6159 titles of protection for inventions (4569 PI and 1590 STPI), of which 5565 (90%) – to national owners and 594 (10%) – to foreign owners.

According to the Law 50-XVI/2008 on the Protection of Inventions, the procedure for validation of European patents is possible from November 1, 2015, i.e. since the entry into force of the Agreement on Validation of European Patents in Moldova.

The validation agreement between the European Patent Organization and the Republic of Moldova entered into force on 1 November 2015 and has been renewed for five more years in 2020. According to this agreement, European patent applications and validated European patents shall have the same effects and be subject to the same conditions as national Moldovan patent applications or patents in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Inventions.

In total, during the period 2016-2022, 7309 applications for validation of European patents in the Republic of Moldova, were filed with the AGEPI. In 2022 – 1389 (19%) applications for validation of European patents were filed with the AGEPI, with 35 (6%) more than the previous year.

The International Patent Classification (IPC) fields to which applications for validation of European patents in the Republic of Moldova, filed in 2021 relate are the following:

• A (Human Necessities) - 599 (43,1%);
• C (Chemistry; Metallurgy) - 559 (40,2%);
• G (Physics) - 84 (6,1%);
• B (Performing Operations; Transporting) - 49 (3,5%);
• H (Electricity) - 36 (2,6%);
• F (Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating; etc.) - 32 (2,3%);
• E (Fixed Constructions) - 23 (1,7%);
• D (Textiles; Paper) – 7 (0,5%).

In the reference year, were validated 113 European patents, with 1 more than in 2021, and 106 applications of publication of the translation of European patent, with 24 fewer than in 2021. In total, during the period 2016-2022 were validated 348 European patents, and 376 applications of publication of the translation of European patent.

On 31 December 2022, 2523 patents were valid in the Republic of Moldova, including:

• 696 patents (27%) issued by AGEPI (286 PI and 410 STPI);
• 1531 Eurasian patents (61% of all patents valid) and
• 296 validated European patents (12% of all patents valid).

In accordance with Article 97(3) of Law no. 50/2008, utility models (UM), registered in the Republic of Moldova before the entry into force of said Law, remain valid and may be renewed, even if receipt of UM registration applications was ceased. On 31 December 2018, of the total number of 185 issued UM registration certificates, all of them expired.

The most important office notices and news regarding patents and other IP rights are provided directly on the AGEPI website with access for the public: www.agepi.gov.md.

As regard the general information about patents and other IP objects, their protection and related events organized in the view to promote them on the national and international level, the statistics data and their impact on the national economy, can be found in the Annual Report, published by AGEPI every year and distributed on the official web page: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/50.

Statistics related to patents: http://agepi.gov.md/en/node/8459.

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

Information on the following topics is desired:

1. Information and support provided by the Office to applicants regarding filing on paper and/or e-filing (instructions, seminars, etc.) - URLs
2. Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
3. Classification¹, preclassification² (if applicable), reclassification³ activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information
4. Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information contained in patent documents
5. Other activities

All the necessary information regarding the filing on paper and/or e-filing, the applicants could find on our website: http://agepi.gov.md/en/inventions/information-inventions-and-patents

Applicants have a variety of methods to fill their applications: on paper, fax machine, e-filling, floppy discs, CD (DVD)-ROMs. 

As regard the electronic filling of applications, they may use the following web pages:

https://e-servicii.agepi.gov.md/en  

https://e-servicii.agepi.gov.md/files/help/Help_Solicitant_en.pdf

http://e-servicii.agepi.gov.md/en/user

Starting with January 1^st, 2006, AGEPI uses the advanced level of the IPC (the 8th Edition).

The office translates the titles and abstracts into English and reviews the titles and abstracts provided by the applicant (in Romanian and Russian) and, if necessary, amends them accordingly to WIPO standard ST.12 or in order to ensure that the abstract contains the necessary information to be a useful search tool. The abstracts and titles are published in the Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property (BOPI) and the granted protection titles are provided in 3 languages.

III. SOURCES OF PATENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE

Information on the following topics is desired:

1. Main types of publications of the Office (patent applications, full text, first pages, abstracts, bibliographic data, granted patents, etc.), medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URLs)
2. Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.
3. Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases
4. Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
5. Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
6. Other sources

1) Online

Patent applications:

The front page containing bibliographic data, the abstract and the drawings are scanned. The original specifications are available for public inspection online in the ”Documents as submitted by the applicant” section of application details, which may be accessed at: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/Search.aspx.

Patents: 
The front page and the specification are printed and available online on the page: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/Search.aspx.

Full text search through national applications and patents, short-term applications and short-term patents or Utility Models are available on the online database located on the office’s website: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/Search.aspx.

At different stages of the evolution of the application, there can be found bibliographic data, description, claims, figures, cited references, search report, application and patents abstracts in 3 languages, Granted and Issued title of protection.

The database is updated monthly.

2) CD-ROM

National CD-ROM „Inventions of the Republic of Moldova, 1993-2014", containing bibliographic data and abstracts in 3 languages (Romanian, English and Russian) for patent applications; bibliographic data, abstracts and specifications for patents. Since 2015 the production of this CD-rom was discarded. All the available information is available online in our public database: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/.

3) CISPATENT - in conjunction with the IP Offices of several CIS countries (AM, BY,GE, RU, TJ, UZ, UA) and of the EAPO issued this CD-ROM containing bibliographic data and abstracts in Romanian, English and Russian for patent applications and bibliographic data, abstracts in 3 languages and specifications in the original language for patents. The CD-ROM is issued on a monthly basis; there is also a yearly issue. Starting from January 2014 the CISPATENT CD-ROM data are only available on RUPTO ftp server.

The Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property (BOPI) is a monthly publication, which includes official information on applications for patenting/registration of intellectual property objects (IPO) in the Republic of Moldova, applications for validation of European patents in the Republic of Moldova, validated European patents and titles of protection granted, to the changes occurred in the legal status of applications and titles of protection of IPO and the results of appeals examination in the Contestation Commission of AGEPI, court decisions on disputes over IPOs, general information. The BOPI is issued in Romanian, English and Russian languages online on the AGEPI website: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/48.

 The Annual Report reflects the activity of the AGEPI during the whole year. It includes data on the registration/patenting of intellectual property objects, the most important events organized with the participation of the AGEPI as a partner, implemented projects and goals for the following year. The Publication is issued and distributed to regional IP Offices, national public authorities in .pdf format and is available online at the following address: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/50.

 “Intellectus”- is a journal of intellectual property that has been regularly published since 1995 with a quarterly periodicity (ISSN 1810-7079 - on paper and ISSN 1857-0496 - on CD). According to the Joint Decision of the Supreme Council for Science and Technological Development of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and the National Council for Accreditation and Attestation No.93 of 18 July 2017 „On the approval of the results of evaluation and classification of scientific journals”, „Intellectus” journal is accredited in the classification category C to the following profiles: legal sciences, engineering sciences, and technologies, biological sciences, chemical sciences, economical sciences. The journal is included in the International Database VINITI – Russia.

The journal is available online at the following address: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/49.

AGEPI has a complete classified paper collection of MD patent documents. This collection has been scanned and stored on file servers being available to our examiners. The full data relating to MD patent documents, except some of the old author certificates of the former URSS-based patents, are stored in the internal database.

Full-text search through national applications and patents, short-term applications and short-term patents or Utility Models, EPO validation procedure are available on the on-line database located on the offices website: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/Search.aspx.

The AGEPI has a CD/DVD-ROM collection containing published/granted US, FR, DE, CH, RU, WO, EP, EA, CISPATENT and other patent documents.

The online "patents" search database, can be used by examiners and other interested persons to search through the MD published patent applications/short term applications and granted patents/short term patents, utility models, as well as through EPO validation procedure. There is also another online "Inventions" search database that contains bibliographic data of Certificates of authorship of the USSR that were published in the 1963-1992 period, available on the online database located on the office’s website: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/SearchExUSSR.aspx.

External databases:

- EAPATIS, administered by EAPO;

- Espacenet and Espacenet Beta, administrated by EPO;

- PATENTSCOPE, administrated by WIPO.

Databases of patent documents provide users with vast possibilities and are important sources of information both for experts and inventors and for any researcher or simple student, or pupil who wants to know more in the area of interest.

In these databases the search and consultation of documents are free of charge.

Each of them has a system helping and explaining the method for conducting searches, for information on data that can be obtained following the search in the respective databases.

Users will be able to use these materials to access each database from the presented list.

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://agepi.gov.md/en/services/information-services-provided-agepi of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.).

Legal status information is provided for European patents designating the Republic of Moldova and with effects in the Republic of Moldova and can be found in MD Patent Register.

Kind of information:

- Request for EP validation pending

  A request for validation of the EP patent has not been submitted but could still be filed as the time limit has not expired.

- Request for EP validation received

  Validation of the EP patent has been requested at the AGEPI.

- Patent validated

  The translation of the validated European patent specification has been published, but the annual maintenance fees have not been paid. When the fees are paid, the status will change to the Patent in force.

- Patent in force

  A patent was validated and is still valid.

- Patent lapsed - still in grace period

  The patent has lapsed but could still be reinstated as the grace period for late payment has not yet expired.

- Patent revoked

  Patent that has been published by AGEPI as patent revoked by EPO or patent annulled by the National Law Courts.

- Patent lapsed

The patent has lapsed because the annual renewal fees have not been paid.

- Patent expired

The patent has expired because the protection period came to an end (20th year).

- Patent not validated

    The applicant has withdrawn the validation fee

   The owner has not submitted a request for validation on time.

 General information about the MD Patent Register:

Coverage:

- time: MD/EP validations from the 01.11.2015 onwards;

- country: MD;

- kind of patents: European patents designating the Republic of Moldova and with effects in the Republic of Moldova

Updating frequency : monthly

Availability of file inspection: No

URL to National patent register: http://db.agepi.md/inventions/

Availability of Deep linking to National Patent register from FRS : Yes. 

IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Information on the following topics is desired:

1. Specific software tools supporting business procedures within the Office: general description, characteristics, advantages, possible improvements
2. Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
3. Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
4. Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
5. Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
6. Other matters

The Patent Office uses an in-house built IT system to handle national cases. It manages online filing, workflow electronic dossier and electronic archive, data exchange, internal and public search engines, and their monthly updates. Microsoft Word is used for various purposes like processing patent-related information and documents, generating correspondence letters, publication files and miscellaneous reports. The Patent Office is considering switching to WIPO IP OFFICE SUITE.

The Patent Office uses workstations and notebooks with Microsoft Windows 10. All devices are connected via the 100 Mb/s or 1Gb/s network into the Microsoft Active Directory 2008 Domain. AGEPI has a fiber channel link into the internet with 1 Gb/s.

AGEPI’s patent-related IT system uses Firebird DBMS to store bibliographic and additional data regarding Inventions and short-term Inventions; Utility models (deprecated); Plant Varieties; and “Validated Inventions?” - a database containing information regarding applications filled via the validation agreement with the EPO. The abstracts, claims and descriptions are stored on the fileserver. Databases contain a whole range of information from the moment of founding the AGEPI (1992). The data are updated on an ongoing basis in line with the process of filing new applications, carrying out record-keeping on the procedures of application examination and keeping patents in force. Besides that, the “Validated Inventions” database is updated weekly from the EPO’s EBD files.

The public databases are updated monthly from internal databases.

 AGEPI is exchanging data with the Russian Patent Office, the EPO, WIPO, EAPO and UPOV.

File building

File building of paper search files classified under the IPC and of the CD/DVD-ROM collections classified under years and countries are available online on the page: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/Search.aspx. The patent documents and author certificates of the former URSS from 1924 up to 1992 are stored online database located on the office’s website: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/SearchExUSSR.aspx.

All MD patent documents are electronically stored and searchable for internal use; all published MD patent applications (abstracts) and patents (full text) are electronically searchable for external use.

Updating

Electronically searchable files for internal use are updated permanently depending on filings; electronically searchable files for external use are updated monthly.

Storage, including mass storage media

Patent documentation on paper is stored on shelves in the AGEPI archive, CD-DVD/ROM are stored in the library and electronic data are stored on Fileservers, and on magnetic tapes, for backup.

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

Eurasian patents, validated European patents and granted patents are mandatory search files.

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

The whole administration is built in "Patents" program and is performed by an Administrator from the Patents Department, but also by a Database Administrator for a complete administration.

V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF PATENT INFORMATION

Information on the following topics is desired:

1. Patent library: equipment, collection management, network of patent libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign patent libraries
2. Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
3. Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
4. Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
5. Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
6. Other activities

The Library holds the National Collection of Documents on Intellectual Property, which includes: DB of inventions on the electronic carrier from different countries and international organizations; patents for invention, short-term patents, new plant varieties, trademarks, industrial designs of the Republic of Moldova; books and serials on IP; Official Bulletins of the foreign offices etc.

The Library Collection is annually supplemented with new documents in various fields, which are reflected in the Electronic Catalogue and the specialized DB.

Aims of the activity:

• - to accumulate, store and use information/documents of intellectual property in the process of serving the beneficiaries;
• - to highly satisfy the information needs relating to the service interests of AGEPI employees;
• - to familiarize the general public with the specificity of Intellectual Property with a view to facilitating access for potential inventors to the information in the field;
• - to extend cooperation relationships with specialized offices and institutions in the country and abroad.

Services provided

Beneficiaries of services provided by the library shall be the experts and other collaborators of AGEPI, and any other interested persons outside the institution: counselors in intellectual property, researchers, inventors and rationalizers, teachers, students, etc.

They shall benefit from:

• - access to the National Collection of patents, applications for patents, trademarks, utility models, and new plant varieties;
• - information assistance in support of their creativity;
• - possibility of using the Electronic Catalogue of the collection of books (BOOKS DB) and of the articles from the periodicals in the field of Intellectual Property (ART-IP DB), and access to electronic databases of AGEPI and offices from abroad;
• - methodological assistance in searching for information in electronic DB;
• - library-bibliographic servicing in “request-offer” and “information-express” regimes, by complying with the bibliographic, thematic and factual references;
• - opportunity to participate in IP information promotion activities conducted at local and republican level.

The AGEPI Library has collections of specialized literature structured according to objects of intellectual property, methodical and scientific literature, of legal, informative and cognitive character, including:

-    Patents for Inventions protected in the Republic of Moldova - about 13966 units (see DB “Inventions”);

-    Electronic databases on intellectual property;

-    Books in intellectual property, legal documents, normative acts, international treaties and agreements, dictionaries and encyclopedias in different branches of economy, official and methodical publications of AGEPI - about 6000 copies.

AGEPI has a constant relation with national institutions in the field, in particular with universities, research centers and innovation support centers. AGEPI has signed about 60 national agreements with national institutions, 20 of which are signed with the national universities and 40 with research centers, technology and innovation support centers. To promote knowledge about intellectual property and its protection, AGEPI is involved in the organization of Round tables, seminars and trainings for the representatives of universities, research and technology centers.

Starting with 01.03.2019, AGEPI launched the e-learning platform that will allow for the uploading of online specialized training courses in the field of intellectual property (IP) for different categories of users: pupils, students, professors, researchers, as well as for public authorities with responsibilities in the enforcement of IP rights, business environment.

With the launch of this platform, the first distance learning course “How to Protect Intellectual Property Rights in the Republic of Moldova” is being launched. It provides an overview of the fundamental principles of intellectual property law and is indispensable for conducting more advanced courses in this specific field.

The course contains several modules:

- Introduction to Intellectual Property;

- Patents;

- Trademarks;

- Industrial designs;

- Copyright and related rights.

Each module is accompanied by a self-evaluation tool to help participants evaluate their level of knowledge and the progress achieved, as well as the ability to apply them. The course also contains a final test that allows the assessment of the knowledge gained throughout the course. In case of successful completion of all course modules, the participant will obtain a confirmatory certificate.

Both the e-learning platform and the launched distance learning course aim to improve and modernize the training process in the field of IP, promoting and disseminating information on the protection of intellectual property in the Republic of Moldova.Access to the platform is on http://elearning.agepi.gov.md/.

VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF PATENT INFORMATION

Information on the following topics is desired:

1. International exchange and sharing of patent information in machine-readable form, e.g., priority documents, bibliographic data, abstracts, search reports, full text information
2. Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
3. Assistance to developing countries
4. Other activities

The AGEPI is sending, monthly, information to several destinations:

• European Patent Office (EPO)-(INPADOC), monthly:
• the bibliographic data and abstracts for published applications and issued patents and full patent information for granted patents, in XML, St.36;
• changes in legal status;
• images of bibliographic data for published applications and full patent information in the national language for patents in bookmarked PDF (examples: published, granted);
• Eurasian Patent Office, quarterly, bibliographic data in ACCESS database, abstracts, claims, images, in pdf files.
• Rospatent (CISPATENT), the bibliographic data and abstracts for published applications and issued patents and full patent information for granted patents, in both XML St.36 and MSWORD formats.
• Minesoft, the bibliographic data and abstracts for published applications and issued patents and full patent information for granted patents, in XML, St.36;

Following the interest of some organizations in national patent information accessible in a machine-readable format, the Agency plans to make the national patent collection publicly available in St. 36 XML format along with the Authority file in WIPO St. 37 in 2023 on http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/ITResources.aspx page.

During the year under report, the AGEPI patent experts have participated only online format in the following activities related to the patent information, events organized by the international specialized institutions:

1. EPO Seminar; OS01a-2022: „Patenting in the medical field”, February 2022;
2. EPO Seminar; OS01b-2022: „Patenting in the medical field: assessing novelty in the field of pharmacy”, March 2022;
3. EPO Seminar; OS01c-2022: „Patenting in the medical field”, April 2022;
4. EPO- WIPO Regional Seminar on Public Health and Intellectual Property, April 2022;
5. WIPO Virtual Workshop on The Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Development Success, May 2022;
6. EPO Webinar; Patent Knowledge Week, October 2022;
7. EPO Academy; 0S03-2022 Assessing clarity and non-unity, March-Aprilie 2022;
8. Workshop (online), realized by EPO experts, Coaching in the field of electric vehicles, October 2022;
9. Workshop (online), realized by EPO experts, Coaching in the field of wind energy, November 2022;
10. WIPO Webinar "Launch of the WIPO Patent Landscape Report on COVID-19 related Vaccines and Therapeutics", March 2022;
11. WIPO Green webinar, March, October, November 2022;
12. WIPO webinar Translation tools in PATENTSCOPE, March 2022;
13. WIPO Regional Seminar on Public Health and Intellectual Property, April 2022;
14. WIPO webinar Chemical searches in PATENTSCOPE, May 2022;
15. EPO Academy; OS04-2022 Assessing novelty and inventive step, May-June 2022;
16. Webinar OMPI Overview of PATENTSCOPE, November 2022;
17. Distance learning course DL-320E Advanced Course on Basics of Patent Drafting, WIPO Academy, September-December 2022;
18. International Conference of WIPO Intellectual Property Training Institutions (IPTIs), May 2022;
19. EPO online Conference PATLIB 2022, May 2022;
20. Conference: The unitary patent system – a game changer for innovation in Europe. Conference co-organised by the FPS Economy and the EPO, with the support of the European Commission, November 2022;
21. EPO Seminar; Patenting seminar series – Searching Asian patent and non- patent literature OS05-2022, September 2022;
22. Distance learning course DL-177, e-Tutorial on using patent information, WIPO Academy, August 2022;
23. EPO Seminar; Advanced Aspects of Computer Implemented Inventions: Computer Implemented Inventions and claim formulations, OS11a-2022, October 2022;
24. EPO Seminar; Advanced Aspects of Computer Implemented Inventions: Mathematics and AI, OS11b-2022, November 2022;
25. EPO Seminar; Advanced Aspects of Computer Implemented Inventions: Game rules, OS11c-2022, December 2022;
26. Examiners’ conference, EPO, December 2022;
27. WIPO; IPC Union – Committee of Experts (IPC/CE/53) Meeting time changements, February 2022;
28. International Scientific Conference European integration through the strengthening of education, research, innovations in eastern partnership countries, May 2022;
29. EPO Academy, seminar OS10-2022, Update on recent decisions of the Boards of Appeal, March 2022;
30. EPO Seminar; EU - From Lab to Market - Successful Technology Transfer Journeys - Case: Fos4X, November 2022;
31. EPO Seminar; EU - From Lab to Market - Successful Technology Transfer Journeys - Case: Blubrake, September 2022;
32. EPO Seminar; Patenting seminar series – Searching Asian patent and non-patent literature | OS05-2022, September 2022;
33. EPO online Conference Space technologies, September 2022.

VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS

Please include any other relevant information here.

1.Classification is allotting one or more classification symbols (e.g., IPC symbols) to a patent application, either before or during search and examination, which symbols are then published with the patent application.

2. Preclassification is allotting an initial broad classification symbol (e.g., IPC class or subclass, or administrative unit) to a patent application, using human or automated means for internal administrative purposes (e.g., routing an application to the appropriate examiner).  Usually preclassification is applied by the administration of an office.

3. Reclassification is the reconsideration and usually the replacement of one or more previously allotted classification symbols to a patent document, following a revision and the entry into force of a new version of the Classification system (e.g., the IPC).  The new symbols are available on patent databases.