Annual Technical Report on Industrial Design Information Activities in 2023 submitted by Bulgaria/Patent Office

Please provide links to your website where the requested information can be found in English, French, or Spanish.  Alternately, you may provide text responses instead of URLs if desired.  If the information is not available on your website in an ATR language, then please provide text.

URLs in responses should meet the following requirements:

The term "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models.

Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in this series of Annual Technical Reports.

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

Information on the following topics is desired:

In the framework of the process of harmonization with the new EU legislation in the field of industrial designs, and the upcoming Design Law Treaty (DLT), the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria (BPO) has done significant work during 2023 to prepare for the upcoming changes in the industrial property legislation, namely the upcoming amendments of the Regulation (EC) No 6/2002, and the Directive.  Experts and representatives of the Office have participated in WIPO’s Committees on the Locarno Classification amendments, the Committee on Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Industrial Designs, and the Preparatory Committee for the draft Design Law Treaty. The Republic of Bulgaria acknowledges the important and hectic work that would be involved in the upcoming events following the conference (in November 2024) where the DLT would be signed, and thus has provided feedback, opinions and support, remaining hopeful that the Treaty’s implementation into national law would be as smooth of a process as possible.

The Bulgarian Patent Office uses the following databases and tools:

BPO Online – online search tool for national industrial designs. It provides a range of search options including name of applicant or holder, classification (Locarno class, and subclass), application filing date, registration date, application and registration number, etc. The data is connected to the administrative system and database;

IPAS – administrative management system storing the bibliographic data and images of national industrial designs. All the documents are scanned and attached to the electronic dossier of the design;

HAGUE EXPRESS – database to search detailed information on all international industrial designs applied under WIPO's Hague System;

DESIGN view – online industrial design search tool. It is a consultation tool allowing any user to conduct industrial design searches, free of charge, for national, international and Community designs of the databases of all national offices involved in the initiative.

DESIGN class – free online tool to search, translate or classify the product to which an industrial design is applied. DESIGN class is an essential and valuable tool which provides assistance to both users and examiners when the proper class of the Locarno Classification is concerned. DESIGN class consists of databases of each of the offices participating in the initiative;

Publications of information for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – the purpose of this section is to raise SMEs' awareness on industrial property and the institutions related to its protection; to promote the experience of SMEs (both domestic and foreign) for the active use of the industrial property system and to stimulate the innovation activity of SMEs in order to increase their competitiveness in national and international terms.

New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies and plans mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks.

In 2023, continued the maintenance of the registers and information systems of the Bulgarian Patent Office.

Main areas of industrial design information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year.

Information materials were published – official announcements, news related to the activity of the Office, statistical information, information on the state of various projects in which the Office participates, information related to the protection of industrial property and other useful information.

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

In 2023, the Bulgarian Patent Office received in total 108 industrial design applications under national procedure. The applications from domestic applicants are 107 and 1 is foreign.

The BPO has sent 0 applications for international registration of Bulgarian industrial designs under the Protocol to The Hague Agreement.

After the examination procedure, the Office issued 100 positive decisions concerning the grant of industrial design protection rights under national procedure.

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

Statistics are accessed at the following URLs:

https://www.bpo.bg/en/about/statistika

https://www.bpo.bg/en/about/otcheti/godishen-otchet

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 BPO information and support options in 2023 included:

via website: https://www.bpo.bg/en/home

via telephone: +359 2 9701 321;

via e-mail: services@bpo.bg;

via BPO Online.

Availability of the application dossier in electronic form

Customers using the BPO Online have access to the application files sent by them electronically to the Office. Also all the documents related to the application can be seen electronically by the applicant.

Matters concerning classifying

(i) Classification and reclassification activities; classification systems used, e.g., International Classification of product indications to which an industrial design is applied for the Purposes of the Registration of Industrial Design (Locarno Classification

(ii) Use of electronic classification systems and pre-defined terms of the classification applied

Product Indications for the registration of industrial designs are classified by our Office using the International Industrial Design Classification of Locarno in its latest edition. It is maintained and used both on paper and electronically. During the procedure, if necessary, the Office's staff amends the product indication and/or the Locarno class.

Matters concerning processing of different types of non-traditional industrial designs (e.g., three-dimensional, animation, etc.)

n/a

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 and medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URLs)

In 2023, the following publications were issued:

The Official Bulletin– The Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria (BPO) publishes applications for national industrial designs and registered national industrial designs. Since October 2017, the

Official Bulletin of the Office is published two times a month. As from April 2009 the paper version of the Bulletin has been discontinued and nowadays it is published exclusively in electronic form on the Office's official website.

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

The publications in the Official Bulletin comprise bibliographic data and images (in color, if claimed) of national industrial design applications and registrations. Moreover, announcements concerning all entries in the State Industrial Design Register – changes in the legal status, renewals, modifications, cancellations, transfers of rights, license agreements etc., have been published regularly in the Bulletin.

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

Internal databases (online/offline):

IPAS – administrative system and database

BPO Online – web-based service for public access to information of the applications and registered industrial designs in BPO.

External databases:

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

BPO Online – https://portal.bpo.bg/

BPO also provides access to industrial design data in the reading room where external users can search in online databases and databases on storage drives.

Paid information services on request available to the public through the Patent Office are as follows: Identity and similarity search; Searches related to the legal status; Searches on names; Complex searches, Number search on industrial design, Search on RCDs and industrial design under The Hague Agreement and Protocol; Issuing of certificates for legal status;

All the searches are carried in house and in the available collections of national industrial designs, international industrial designs and RCDs, etc. The security is based on a different level of access.

The industrial design information is accessible on the World Wide Web of BPO through the online search system for industrial design – "BPO ONLINE".

The Central Patent Library provides to the public access to the Official Bulletins from foreign countries, to the CD collections and Internet databases containing industrial design information.

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

In order to make entries on the legal status of exclusive rights protected on the territory of Bulgaria, every person should submit relevant application and pay a fee to the account of the Office. People (clients, customers, users) can also obtain excerpts from the register.

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

IPAS is an administrative management system storing the bibliographic data and images of national industrial designs. All the documents are scanned and attached to the electronic dossier of the industrial design. It is linked to other databases and systems in BPO.

Hardware used to support business processes of the Office

Hardware: IBM x3500 M4 in Cluster;

Software: Windows Server with Hyper-V

Workstations: about 32 Intel Pentium based PCs with Windows 7/Windows 10;

Server: UNIX 11.xx and Windows Servers for OS, Informix v.7.31.FD5, Oracle 8i and MS SQL

Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources

The industrial designs search file (bibliographic data) is managed in electronic form. Data is extracted and updated simultaneously from our administrative management system IPAS. A structured backup regime is in place to ensure preservation of the information.

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

File Building

The dossiers of the national industrial designs are stored either in paper or electronic form (depending on how they were applied as) as follows: registered industrial designs – in numerical order under the registration number; refused industrial designs – in numerical order under the application number. The dossiers of the international industrial designs designating Bulgaria are stored in numerical order under the number of the international registration. The dossiers of the industrial design applications filed by Bulgarian applicants via The Hague system are given a separate number forming part of a sequential numbering system and are stored in numerical order. In addition, a correspondence list including the corresponding numbers of the international registrations is available as well.

Updating

The files are regularly updated.

Storage, including mass storage media

BPO maintains all data concerning applications and registered industrial designs in paper (dossiers) and in electronic form in the administrative management system IPAS. All the documents from the year 2023 are available in electronic form in the administrative management system IPAS.

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

In the field of industrial designs, BPO uses IPAS as an administrative management system.

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

Information on the following topics is desired:

BPO has a Central Patent Library with a reading room containing an archive of specific literature on paper, including on industrial designs matter.

In order to support the development of initiatives in the field of industrial property, BPO is engaged in a number of joint projects and seminars aimed at a variety of target groups. In addition to this, the Office also facilitates the exchange of information and provides access to relevant data on industrial property objects.

On 31 January 2023, BPO in collaboration with EUIPO organized an online seminar which presented information regarding SME Fund, especially in regards to protecting trademarks and industrial design - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/pokana-za-onlayn-seminar-na-31012023-g-otnosno-fonda-za-msp

On April 6 and 7 2023, in the hall of the Central Patent Library, a training for students and teachers was held on the topic of "Trademark and industrial design - a sign of competitiveness", organized by the Patent Office - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/patentno-vedomstvo-provede-obuchenie-za-uchenitsi-i-uchiteli-na-tema-targovskata-marka-i-promishleniyat-dizayn-znak-za-konkurentosposobnost

On 17 May 2023, BPO together with the Municipality of Targovishte, organized a media event "Information Day" for the presentation of the "European Network of Authenticities" project - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/informatsionen-den-evropeyska-mrezha-za-avtentichnosti-se-provede-v-targovishte

On 14 and 15 June 2023, the fifth International IP Enforcement Summit took place in Sofia, Bulgaria. The summit was organized by EUIPO, European Commission, together with the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria - host of the event - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/doklad-na-sesis-za-provedeniya-v-sofiya-ip-enforcement-summit-2023?highlight=ip%20enforcement%20summit and https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/razvitieto-na-tehnologiite-i-ulesneno-dvizhenie-na-stoki-iziskvat-savmestni-usiliya-za-zashtitata-na-intelektualnata-sobstvenost

On 26 June 2023, EUIPO in collaboration with BPO, held the seminar "The importance of intellectual property for SMEs", in which BPO experts presented information, including IP Scan and the “Easy Filing” service - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/patentno-vedomstvo-savmestno-s-sesis-organizira-onlayn-seminar-znachenieto-na-intelektualnata-sobstvenost-za-msp

On 27 June 2023, BPO together with Burgas Municipality, organized a media event "Information Day" to present the "European Network of Authenticities" project - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/informatsionen-den-evropeyska-mrezha-na-avtentichnostite-se-provede-v-burgas

On 29 June 2023, BPO together with the Municipality of Targovishte organized a training seminar as part of the "European Network of Authenticities" project, with the focus of raising awareness about the harmful economic effects of the counterfeiting of goods and products and the measures needed to combat counterfeiting - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/obuchitelen-seminar-evropeyska-mrezha-na-avtentichnostite-se-provede-v-targovishte

On 30 June 2023, BPO together with the Municipality of Targovishte held a second training as part of the “European Network of Authenticities” project, aimed at local enforcement and law enforcement authorities - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/obuchitelen-seminar-evropeyska-mrezha-na-avtentichnostite-po-vaprosite-na-falshifitsiraneto-na-stoki-i-uslugi-se-provede-v-targovishte

On 27 and 28 September 2023, in Burgas were held training seminars under the project " European Network of Authenticities", organized by BPO in cooperation with the Municipality of Burgas, which hosted the event - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/patentno-vedomstvo-provede-v-burgas-obuchitelni-seminari-po-proekta-evropeyska-mrezha-na-avtentichnostite

On 29 September 2023, BPO organized an online seminar presenting information regarding the SME Fund and the opportunities it presents, with the main topic "SME Fund - protect your industrial property" - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/patentno-vedomstvo-na-republika-balgariya-organizira-uebinar-na-tema-fond-za-msp-zashtitete-industrialnata-si-sobstvenost

On 4 October 2023, BPO collaborated with EUIPO with the organization of “IPforYou” webinar, where experts from both offices gave presentations on intellectual property (IP) topics related to trademarks and industrial designs, as well as information on the EUIPO SME Fund - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/pokana-za-registratsiya-za-uebinar-ip-for-you

On 31 October 2023, a training seminar on "Intellectual property - the key to successful business" was held by the BPO and the Sofia University Hub in collaboration with EUIPO - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/seminar-na-tema-intelektualnata-sobstvenost-klyuchat-kam-uspeshniya-biznes

In the period between 2 and 5 of November 2023, BPO in cooperation with EUIPO, presented audio recordings of ten interviews conducted with Radio Nova News, in which experts from BPO answer questions regarding trademark and industrial design - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/audio-zapisi-na-intervyuta-v-radio-nova-news-s-eksperti-na-patentno-vedomstvo

On 17 November 2023, in the hall of the Central Patent Library was held a training on "Trademark and industrial design as a tool for business communication in social networks", organized by BPO - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/patentno-vedomstvo-provede-obuchenie-na-tema-targovskata-marka-i-promishleniyat-dizayn-kato-sredstvo-za-biznes-komunikatsiya-v-sotsialnite-mrezhi

On 24 November 2023, BPO organized a webinar on the topic of "Upcoming amendments to the Design Regulation and their effect on filing" - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/registratsiya-za-uchastie-v-uebinar-na-tema-predstoyashtite-izmeneniya-v-zakona-za-dizayna-i-tehniya-rezultat-varhu-podavaneto-na-zayavka-organiziran-ot-patentno-vedomstvo-na-republika-balgariya

On 30 November 2023, BPO in collaboration with EUIPO, held a seminar on "IP Management- intellectual property for the benefit of business", in which representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises, IPRs (industrial property representatives) and students were introduced to activities and measures for the protection of trademark and industrial design rights, as well as grant funding offered by the SME Fund - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/patentno-vedomstvo-provede-seminar-na-tema-ip-management-intelektualnata-sobstvenost-v-polza-na-biznesa

On 30 November 2023, BPO in cooperation with EUIPO, held a seminar aimed at SMEs on the topic of "IP Management - Intellectual Property for the Benefit of Business" - https://www.bpo.bg/bg/novini/novini-2023/seminar-ip-management-intelektualnata-sobstvenost-v-polza-na-biznesa

VI.INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION

International exchange of industrial design information in machine-readable form (e.g., Official Bulletin)

The activity of the Bulgarian Patent Office in terms of international cooperation is directly related to Bulgaria's membership in international organizations in the field of intellectual property protection – the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the European Union Office for Intellectual Property (EUIPO). Enhanced bilateral cooperation with institutions in the field of intellectual property of other countries has also been carried out.

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

See point V above

Assistance to developing countries

n/a

 Other activities

VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS