Annual Technical Report on Trademark Information Activities in 2023 submitted by Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO)
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I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN TRADEMARK INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
The Norwegian Industrial Property Office, NIPO, has a strategy which is annually revised. The strategy embraces all activities in IPR, cross the three main domains Patent (PT), Trademark (TM) and industrial designs (DS), as well as related IPR-services, IPR-awareness and IPR-training. The office are also involved in broad cooperation against anti-counterfeit in Norway.
- Our society mission:
Be a copilot for good management of the immaterial values of the businesses, to increase profits and value creation for companies and in general for the Norwegian society.
More valuable rights, and better use of immaterial rights. - Our values: Credibility, customer focus, engaged and solution oriented.
- Our goals are to create value for our customers, for the society and for our staff.
4 major trends impacts our society mission: Increase in expectations, digitization, export and green transition.
NIPO maintains a ICT strategy for periods of 5 years, with annual revision, reflecting the office strategies, and the current period is 2020-2024. A new ICT Strategy is under development.
Across the domains our proceedings are ISO 9001:2015 certified, with annual revision. Our goal is to have no defects in 96% of all proceedings. This goal was achieved in the yearly assessments.
There where 3 revisions to improved quality and increase efficiency in internal processes and services. The 3 findings and 27 observations in total was maintained by proper measures.
NIPO introduces a new vulnerability and risk assessment method in February 2023, with two subsequent evaluations. The 2 red alerts where handled properly.
The goals of 2023 for trademark Information activities where the following:
- Increase IPR knowledge and competence, with focus on SME's, start-ups and founders.
- An indicator is how many applications that are registered without need for written communication.
This number is now 62%, up from 61 last year. - Another indicator is the number of resident filings, witch increased with 6% from past year
- An indicator is how many applications that are registered without need for written communication.
- Decrease of time from filing to decision (registration, refusal, partial refusal)
- Goal of 5 months to decision. Mean time 2023 was 2,6 months, compared to 2,1 in 2022.
Of these 31% was decided within 3 weeks, and 70% of total volume within 6 weeks.
Goal achieved.
But the time increased from last year mainly as result of fewer employees within department.
- Goal of 5 months to decision. Mean time 2023 was 2,6 months, compared to 2,1 in 2022.
- Harmonization with Nordic offices on national and international application handling
- Nationals: They: Average between 4 - 8 weeks. Us: average of 20 weeks
- Internationals: They, average between 1 - 11 months, Us; average of 8,3 months.
The total amount of international registrations in these offices are 700-1500 (EU) whilst we have around 10 000. This may also impact the the national processing time.
The total number of applications decreased by 9,8%, and is the lowest total since 2016. Mainly as a result of applications from abroad.
The number of applications from residents increase by 6%, after some past years with small decrease.
The annual customer satisfaction survey for IPR rights procedures gave the following results: TM, 3,9/5, PT = 3,7/5 and DS=4/5, where 5 is very satisfied. The customers is overall satisfied with small variations between customer types, and stable from year to year.
For the specialized commercial services the office provided, the customer ratings are: TM = 3,8/4, PT = 3,9/4 and DS = 4/4, where 4 is very satisfied.
The trademark statistics:
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trademark applications in total | 18 142 | 17 696 | 15 959 |
| National applications from Norwegian applicants | 3 910 | 3 111 | 3 309 |
| National applications from other applicants | 3 219 | 2 995 | 2 656 |
| International designations NO from Norwegian applicants | 11 | 14 | 12 |
| International designation from other applicants | 11 002 | 11 576 | 9 982 |
| Number of decisions annually (Registrations, grants, refused, shelved) | 18 116 | 17 107 | 17 650 |
| Renewed trademarks rights | 12 532 | 12 872 | 13 462 |
| Total number of trademark rights in force | 236 525 | 140 469 | 245 970 |
Annual report only in Norwegian: https://www.patentstyret.no/en/media/documents/Annual%20reports/aarsrapport-2023.pdf
Digitization activities concerning designs:
- New CMS system and organisation profile implemented
(internet pages, forms, customer dialogue), EnonixXP, by Seeds, with usability assistance by Netlife Bergen. - New CRM system (Hubspot) at end of year
- All paper archives handled for long term preservation, short term off site access and/or termination
- First open data extract (all domains PT, DS, TM) in ST.97 format (JSON)
- New gazette in pilot phase for PT, DS, TM, with aim to launch full production in March 2024
- Pending legal status event extract database, with aim for open API by 2024. All domains PT, DS, TM
- First new filings and correspondence form in national platform, correspondence to existing cases all domains. All dialog forms inbound and outbound to be ported/improved by 2025. Project continues. All domains PT, DS, TM
- Started project for new workflow on all post grant procedures (OP-procedures), all domains PT, TM, DS
- WIPO DAS (all domains PT, DS, TM)
- The harmonized DB of preaccepted goods and services (EUIPO) was updated
II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO TRADEMARK INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Digital services by office: https://services.patentstyret.no/#/ Dual language English / Norwegian
- Dossier and self service access for registered customers
Web page for static information: https://www.patentstyret.no/en Some information is available in dual languages English and Norwegian
III. SOURCES OF TRADEMARK INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE
Search and display full dossier after trademark application : https://search.patentstyret.no/advanced/#/
Other related services: https://services.patentstyret.no/#/
Trademark gazette: https://tidende.patentstyret.no/ (all three gazette portal, dual language English and Norwegian). Digital version from week 10/2024
Currently testing, launch 2024: Open data API for trademark register in ST.97 JSON format, with incremental update based on legal status events.
Started process for EUIPO CTI integration and for open data usage to GDD and GBD
IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO TRADEMARK INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
All infrastructure off prem (data center) 100%, without network capabilities and work stations.
200+ local servers (virtual included). Redundancy, off site backup.
Some main technologies: VMWare, MS.Net, Oracle, Documentum, MS.Azure, Citrix Workspace
Standard workstation is laptop, docking, 49" widescreen monitor or dual monitors. Providing up to dual monitor home office.
IPR field system "SANT" covers all three domains with national, international and regional filings, all pre- and post procedures, including invoicing and payments:
- Ptolemy by Coexya, MS.net, Azure extension 2024, Documentum, Acsepto DS, Acsepto TM,
- Integrations among other with
- EP-patents, EPO, Authority file, classification
- WIPO Madrid and Hague
- Altinn national digital message portal
- ERP-system Unit4 (Cloud)
- CRM-system (Hubspot)
- Office365
- EUIPO HDB (goods and services)
- Digital gazette online
- NIPO digital services (Self service, payments, dossier, ++
- Ansera Search for patent
- Acsetpo Trademark and Design with image search
Digital service portfolio (By NIPO developers):
- Register search on updated copy database, with user selected alerts
- Legal status event export,
- Digital gazette publication
- Open data management (under test)
- Customer portfolio /dossiers with self service (require secure authentication)
- Altinn service owner (Management of forms, correspondence, outgoing messages to correspondence party)
- Real time statistics
- Customer message inbox (all incoming and outgoing forms)
- Product finder (TM)
- Guided application filing (for non-professionals)
- Online payment (annual fees, renewal, partial renewals) calculation, due dates, CC or bank transfer.
Digital department with 23 man years, including 5-6 developers.
V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF TRADEMARK INFORMATION
- In Norway: Best public sector customer service desk 2023 (by SeeYou)
- New web pages with improved availability and usability.
- Extensive annual program cooperation with national universities, catapults and incubators (siva.no), IPR-attorney and agents.
- Building IPR knowledge by offering free of charge physical and online courses for different customer types. https://www.patentstyret.no/kurs/
- Increase in activity both in traditional and social media.
- Extensive cooperation with information and activities on anti-counterfeit with customs.
VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF TRADEMARK INFORMATION
- Broad representation in WIPO committees, from GA to CWS, active in WIPO Conversations
- Active supporter of ICT Road Map Meeting
- Initiatives for a Nordic ICT forum for cooperation
- Various projects with EUIPO on TMView and Designview
- Observator in several projects for distributed register, digital wallets, digital national currencies.
- Startet work with WIPO to publish register to GBD