SCIT.ATR.PI.2006.EA

Annual Technical Report 2006 on Patent Information Activities submitted by EAPO (SCIT/ATR/PI/2006/EA)

Where URLs are requested below, it is preferred that either URLs which are likely to remain stable over time (three years or more) are provided, or home (main) page URLs are provided with a short explanation of how to access the corresponding information.

The term "patent" covers utility models and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs). Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in their Annual Technical Reports on Industrial Design Information Activities.

I. Evolution of patent activities

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

In 2006 the number of filed applications and granted Eurasian patents has increased by 18% and 7% correspondingly.

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

The majority of applications were filed in the fields of
16,6% medicines and pharmaceuticals
5,5% precise mechanics, computers and signaling
6,3% medicine and veterinary products

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

http://eapo.org/eng/report2004/eapo_2006.pdf

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

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

EAPO issues its official publications using own publishing facilities for all prepress processes. The unified publication technology involves scanning, optical character recognition, editing, proofreading and blueprint make-up. All data used for publications (including bibliographic data in Russian and English, pages in facsimile mode, full-text descriptions, first pages, blueprints etc.) is stored in one database (IPDL HIVE2 system, developed on outsourcing basis for EAPO). Information is extracted from the database by client software in necessary formats. The client software also provides broad automation of everyday operations at every workplace of the publication department. About 15 000 Eurasian documents were stored in IPDL HIVE2 system's database at the end of 2006.
Printing of EAPO publications was performed by other companies on contractual basis in 2006.

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

EAPO issues the following types of announcements in the field of patent information:
- EAPO Gazette
- Descriptions to the Eurasian Applications
- Legislative, normative-methodical and reference documentation of the EAPO
- Eurasian Applications and Patents, Summary index
- Annual Report

Announcements of the Office of legal and norm-setting kind are published in EAPO Gazette; more general announcements can be also found at Web-site of EAPO at www.eapo.org.

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

Some editions were presented in the databases of the Eurasian Patent-Information System accessible via the Internet: http//www.eapatis.com

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Word processing and office automation

EAPO widely uses administrative and information system "Common Software".
Procedural letters to applicants are formed automatically in "Common Software" and sent mostly on paper by mail.
EAPO uses Microsoft Word for text processing of most of the office documents.
In 2006 EAPO started to use web-service technology applicable to presented by EPO web-services: “Publication Server” and “Open Patent Services”.
In November-December 2006 the first versions of program-modules were created for processing XML-information received by using “Open Patent Services”. The peculiar feature of the EAPO approach is integration of the mentioned modules with administrative and information system "Common Software".
XML-format provides additional possibilities of its use in other automation systems.

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

Abstracting, reviewing, translating

Eurasian patent applications are filed at the EAPO in Russian only. When patent application is filed, an applicant or a representative provides abstract in required format in accordance with filing procedure. This abstract is published with bibliographic data of the application in the Bulletin, at first pages of application and corresponding patent and on CD-ROM "Descriptions of Inventions in Eurasian Applications". Abstracts are published in Russian only; claims are translated into English as well for purposes of further electronic publication.

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

For classifying published Eurasian applications and Eurasian patents EAPO uses the advanced level of the IPC (8th edition). Information about published Eurasian patent documents including classifying indexes is sent to EPO to be included into the database of classified patent documents (MCD).
As changes into the advanced level of IPC are introduced EAPO within the framework of MCD support carries out reclassification of Eurasian patent documents in accordance with the list of documents which EAPO receives from WIPO.
Created and successfully incorporated into the administrative and information system "Common Software" program-modules to work with reformed IPC were put into operation in December 2005. Starting from January 1, 2006 all published documents were classified in accordance with the new IPC version.
The developed software provided for the coordinative work of examiners of Examination Departments, Formal Examination Department, Search and Information Systems Department and Procedure Automation Department. was Program resources provided a single monitoring of of published documents classification.
In 2006 unloading modules of XML files with IPC symbols of published documents for preparation of "front-files" were developed.

Coordinate indexing (domestic deep indexing systems, keyword indexing)

EAPO does not use domestic keep indexing systems or keyword indexing

Hybrid system indexing

EAPO uses indexing schemes within the framework of advanced level of IPC (8th edition).

Bibliographic data and full-text processing

Bibliographic data for applications and patents and full texts of patents are stored in database storage of IPDL HIVE2 system. All documents are automatically indexed on up-load to the database. IPDL HIVE2 system also allows extracting data in required format for further loading to other external search systems. For example, this extracted data is used in EAPO owned EAPATIS (See Chapter IV and V of this Report) and in Esp@cenet.
A program for preparing statistical information about entering of international applications into the regional phase has been developed.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

File building

Since 2003 EAPO started to form a virtual patent-information depository comprising of local and external databases (DB) of patent documentation and non-patent literature integrated between each other. Access to the BDs and search in them is realized on the basis of a "one-window principle" via the EAPATIS system.
Local DBs are formed by information unloading from CD/DVD discs containing patent documentation, data conversion and arranging it in a unique format, data indexing and loading of information into the DB.

Updating

Over 1.5 million of abstract-bibliographic descriptions of patent documents were loaded in 2006. The total number of loaded into local DB descriptions of documents has increased up to 27.3 million. The DB contains complete retrospective and current patent documentation of WIPO, EPO, USA, EAPO, the Russian Federation and USSR, Germany from 1991, Great Britain from 1979, France from 1978, Japan from 1976 and other countries.

Storage, including mass storage media

By the end of 2006 the EAPO patent-information depository contained 43 local DBs, incorporated into 25 clusters. Each cluster contains DB of one country (patent organization) or disc series. The total volume of loaded and kept in the DB information is over 2.05 TB. The peculiar feature of the Eurasian patent-information space is availability of a unified access to all DBs via a sole searching interface of the EAPATIS System.

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

Much attention was paid to formation and loading of local DBs of national patent documentation of EAPO Member-States and their improvement. DBs of national patent documentation of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Armenia (in three languages), Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan were updated and replenished. New local DBs were developed: DB of national patent documentation of Ukraine, DB of national patent documentation of Uzbekistan, DB of CIS in English and Australia (applications). The available information is loaded into these DBs and the access is open via the EAPATIS system. Much was done for broadening access to external DB of patent and non-patent documentation in the Internet based on virtual access and means of metasearch.

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

In-house systems (online/offline)

EAPO uses the following systems: COMMON SOFTWARE, bookkeeping and warehouse programs, system of electronic exchange of the company “DIGT”, IPDL HIVE2 system (The system supports publication process and own patent fund processing in EAPO. It offers reliable storage of all materials used for publication, automation of the most of publication tasks, structured access to the stored patent information via client software or Web interface, multiplex search in bibliographic data and full texts considering languages morphology (Russian and English) and provides statistics on documents stored and on publication process); and Eurasian Patent System (EAPATIS) being the main information and search system used by EAPO examiners, examiners of national patent offices of the EAPO Member-States, as well as Uzbekistan and Ukraine for patent searches. Access to EAPATIS is open via the Internet: http://www.eapatis.com

External databases

EAPO examiners and examiners from patent offices of EAPO Member-States have a full-scale access to a huge number of patent documents including those extracted from external DBs of patent documentation in metasearch mode and virtual access. EAPATIS resources provided a unified access to the following DBs: esp@cenet DB, USPTO DB (applications), USPTO DB (patents), EPOLINE DB, JOPAL DB, Patent documentation DB of the Republic of Moldova (patents) and Patent documentation DB of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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

In 2006 the automated information system (COMMON SOFTWARE) automatically prepared over 30356 various notifications and register documents. The DB has increased by 40197 units.
CRYSTALL SERVER is used in EAPO to prepare statistic forms for operative management of examination procedure, fees payment records, EAPO Gazette preparation and information exchange with patent offices and international organizations.
EAPO keeps a Register of Eurasian patents accessible to the wide public in electronic form.

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

Equipment and software used: 2 Intel-based servers (CPU 2xXeon 3200MHz, RAM 4 GB); Windows 2000 Server (Russian version), IBM DB2, IBM WebSphere Portal, IBM Content Manager.

EAPATIS and applied patent information technologies function on apparatus complex including Xeon 2x2.8, RAM 2Gb, HDD 1.4 Tb, server of DB (Xeon 2x3.0, RAM 4Gb, HDD 6 Tb (RAID5)), internet-server (Xeon 2x2.8, RAM 2Gb, HDD 400 Gb), client work stations. Windows2000 server, IIS 5.0 are used as general –system interface software. The client stations are equipped with Windows XP, Windows2000, Windows98.

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Existing online thesauri; their structure, presentation and usefulness for computerized searches

EAPO concluded an agreement with ROY International (business partner of SUN Microsystems) for creating depositories of data, systems of reserve copying, archiving, disaster protection and restoration of information in EAPO apparatus and program systems.

VI. Administration of the industrial property office library and information products and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, for assisting clients on searching procedures, for obtaining official publications and registry extracts)

Collecting, acquisitions, preparation

In 2006 EAPO collection on CD/DVD discs has increased by 970 discs of the current series and amounted to over 11.5000 of discs. The Office continues to receive discs from WIPO, EPO, USA, Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and other countries, discs of the BENELUX and PRECES series. The Russain language CD/DVD collection was replenished with the discs of patent documentation of Russia, discs with Eurasian applications and patents, the CISPATENT disc series, containing the unified patent documentation of the CIS countries, discs with backlogs and current documentation of national patent offices of the EAPO contracting States, as well as of Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
In 2006 the Office received subscriptions of specialized magazines, books, brochures. EAPO library contains books on the shelves as well as documents available on-line from the corporative EAPO website.

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

Legislative, referential and statistical information, documents concerning activity of the Office (Plans, Orders, Instructions, Regulations, etc.), news and announcements, useful links and other information is presented at the EAPO corporative website. Access to the EAPO corporative website is provided from EAPO staff work places.
The following information services are open to the public on-line: patent searching in the world, regional and national DBs of patent documentation via the EAPATIS system (http://www.eapatis.com); search and access to full descriptions of Eurasian patent documentation (published applications and patents) from EAPO website (http://www.eapo.org) via EAPATIS and Eurasian server of esp@cenet. Electronic versions of the EAPO Gazettes, Register of Eurasian patents and DB of Eurasian patent attorneys are also available on the EAPO website. The users can subscribe to EAPO official publications on paper or machine readable carriers.

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

http://eapo.org/eng/documents/

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), patent databases, etc.), as well as information on how to access and utilize them

http://eapo.org/rus/publications ,
http://ea.espacenet.com ,
http://eapo.org/eng/information/attorneys.php3

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

International or regional cooperation in the exchange of machine-readable information, e.g., bibliographic data, abstract and/or full text information

In 2006 EAPO exchanged patent information on CD-ROM\DVD with WIPO, EPO and 46 national patent offices. EAPO sent its documentation to Azerbaijan, Australia, Austria, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Great Britain, Hungary, Vietnam, Germany, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Canada, China, KPDR, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, USA, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Check Republic, Switzerland, Estonia, Yugoslavia and Japan.
The following EAPO official publications were circulated: the Gazette, CD-ROM with descriptions of inventions to Eurasian applications and patents; CD-ROM with legislative, normative and methodical and reference documentation of EAPO, CD-ROM «Eurasian applications and patents. Summary index"; annual index and annual report. In 2006 the EAPO CD/DVD collection was increased by 970 discs of current series and amounted up to 11,5 thousand of discs. The Office continues to receive discs from WIPO, EPO, USA, Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and other countries, discs of the BENELUX and PRECES series. The Russian language CD/DVD collection was replenished with the discs of patent documentation of Russia, discs with Eurasian applications and patents, the CISPATENT disc series, containing the unified patent documentation of the CIS countries, discs with backlogs and current documentation of national patent offices of the EAPC Contracting States, as well as of Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Medium used for exchange of priority documents

Electronic form is used for received at EAPO priority documents of international applications entering the regional phase at EAPO.
Paper form is used in other cases including preparation and sending certified copies of Eurasian applications.
Electronic exchange of patent information with the International Bureau of WIPO is organized within the framework of IMPACT and PCT-EDI projects.

Medium allowed for filing applications

Paper for all types of applications

Implementation of the Statement of Principles Concerning the Changeover to Electronic Data Carriers for the Exchange of Patent Documents (please provide a status report on the extent to which your Office has changed over to electronic data carriers for the exchange of patent documents)

In 2006 EAPO decided to issue EAPO Gazette in electronic form from January 1, 2007 as well as to distribute its editions on CD/DVD and layout the electronic versions of the Gazette on EAPO website.

VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)

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

In 2006 EAPO conducted training on EAPATIS and other information and search systems for examiners of the Office. Profound and individual training was organized for newly employed examiners. Special training courses were organized for examiners from national patent offices of EAPO Member-States for on-the-job training at EAPO. Consultative and methodical assistance has been rendered to examiners while conducting patent searches.

Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)

EAPO pays much attention to cooperation with patent offices of EAPO Member-States. In 2006 EAPO funded refresher courses at the Russian State Institute of Intellectual Property for nine specialists from EAPO Member-States. Eighteen more received on-the-job training at EAPO.

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

Each year EAPO organizes seminars at EAPC Contracting States. With EAPO support in 2006 an international Conference on Intellectual Property Education and Training organized by the National Center of Intellectual Property of the Republic of Belarus was held in Minsk (Republic of Belarus) and International Seminar on the Implementation and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights organized by the State Agency of Intellectual Property under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic took place in Cholpon-Ata, the Kyrgyz Republic.
In March 2006 EAPO took part in the 9th Moscow International Salon of Industrial Property "Archimedes". EAPO organized the seminar "Patent Activity and Legal Protection of Industrial Property Entities in the CIS". The participants were given exhaustive information about the Eurasian patent system, about EAPO activity and its information products.
The Eurasian Patent Organization celebrated its 10th anniversary by staging the International Conference "Worldwide Patent System: Current State and Trends for Future Development". Seventeen foreign delegations, representatives from patent offices of the Eurasian region and foreign countries took part in the Conference.
A meeting with Eurasian patent attorneys, which is traditionally dedicated to the World Intellectual Property Day, took place on April 26, 2007 at EAPO.
Leading specialists of the Eurasian Patent Office informed the participants of the meeting about aspects of EAPO activity, which can be useful for their professional carrier and development of cooperation with the Office.

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

"Thin client" Technology
In 2006 EAPO introduced the "thin client" technology. 10 client terminal SunRay stations (SUN Microsystems) have been installed.
Introduction of "thin client" technology provides for the following advantages:
Resource saving
Easy to administer
Reliability
Data protection
Productivity
Convenience
In 2006 EAPO was working on developing a unified information system for managing information infrastructure of the Eurasian Patent Office.
Since 2006 EAPO has been working on creation of EAPO web-portal prototype.

Main patent and industrial property information magazines/journals published in the country or region of the Office

The main patent and industrial property magazines published in the country of region of EAPO (the Russian Federation) are: "Inventiveness", "Patents and Licenses", "Patent Attorney", "Intellectual Property", "Industrial Property", "Intellectual Property Exchange", "Inventor and Rationalizer", "Patent Information Today", "Patent Matters".

IX. Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:

provide information on legislation related to patents