Annual Technical Report 2013 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Brazil (CWS/ATR/PI/2013/BR)
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. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of patent information activities and expected time frames for their realization
Our office intends to change the format of the documentation exchanged with other offices/organizations. Instead of tiff images, we will send PDF files with OCRed text available for selection until the mid-2014 year.
New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies and plans mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks
The new project is the implementation of WIPOScan solution instead of the EPOScan that is in use today. With our partner WIPO, we aim to be able to handle different input formats of images, and consolidate the output in the indexed PDF format, with OCRed-selectable text.
Main areas of patent information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year
Documentation exchange standards.
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
Applications for BR patents and Utility Models increased from 33.780 in 2012 to 33.916 in 2013 (+ 1 %). This was the lowest growth recorded in the last 5 years.
The PCT national phase applications represent 67% of total above.
The electronic filling began on March 2013 and on July 2014 70% of all patent documents was presented electronically.
Patents granted increased from 3.137 in 2012 to 3.319 in 2013 (7%).
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
Statistics related to Brazilian patents applications are available in http://www.inpi.gov.br/portal/artigo/estatisticas and the statistics of electronic filling are available in https://edeposito.inpi.gov.br/painel/
Recent general publications are available in the link http://www.inpi.gov.br/portal/artigo/publicacoes
II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT 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
Guidance manuals for patent filling on paper are available at http://www.inpi.gov.br/portal/artigo/guia_basico_patentes
Information regarding on-line patent applications can be obtained at:
http://epatentes.inpi.gov.br/modulo2/edeposito/
Additionally, the Directorate of Patents offers a customer care sector to support the user with general information and orientation by phone, e-mail or face to face.
Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
The dossiers of the application in electronic forms are now available in the internet through the patent search system, when available in electronic format and indexed properly.
Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), reclassification3 activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information
The official classification system used in INPI is the IPC, available in Portuguese at http://ipc.inpi.gov.br/ipcpub/#refresh=page, translated by the IPC Translate system.
Besides, for the first time, the translation of the IPC 2014 was done using the IPCA6TRANS. This tool is planned to be used from now on.
Regarding IPC projects, INPI was Rapporteur of several definitions projects and, for the first time, a C-project (C468). We continue our engagement in the IPC-forum and IPC meetings.
In 2013, INPI started using the CPC classification. The adoption of the CPC is taken in parts, where examiners need to be trained before classifying in CPC
INPI preclassifies an application by allotting an administrative unit, i.e. a technical area, using automated means (neural network algorithm). All administrative units are automatically ranked for every application and the application is then routed to the first technical area ranked. If this first choice is incorrect, the application can be rerouted to another unit, usually the second one ranked.
Classifying a document for the first time is done by examiners using the IPC in Portuguese/English during the secrecy period of patents applications.
Although until 2013 the reclassification of patent documents yielded due to a new IPC version was done by an in house tool, from 2014 on the INPI plans to use IPC Reclass from WIPO.
III. SOURCES OF PATENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE
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)
Since April 2005, official notices and selected bibliographic data relating to BR patent applications and granted patents are published in the official weekly electronic Brazilian Official Gazette (Revista da Propriedade Industrial - RPI). Official gazettes are available on the Brazilian Patent Office website in PDF and TXT format, at http://revistas.inpi.gov.br/rpi/, and all published officials gazettes are stored in the library available to the public. Bibliographic data of Brazilian patents are available for consultation at an internal database (SINPI) and at internet (www.inpi.gov.br). Keyword searches in titles or abstracts are available only in Portuguese. Brazilian patent documents' first pages contain bibliographic data, according to WIPO standards.
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online – URL), etc.
Since April 2005, official notices and selected bibliographic data relating to BR patent applications and granted patents are published in the official weekly electronic Brazilian Official Gazette (Revista da Propriedade Industrial - RPI). Official gazettes are available on the Brazilian Patent Office website in PDF and TXT format, at http://revistas.inpi.gov.br/rpi/, and all published officials gazettes are stored in the library available to the public.
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases
INPI has a collection of DVD and CD-ROM containing published or granted US, Benelux, WO, EP, DE, ES, FR, JP, KR,OA CH, GB and TR patent documents, and paper copies of entire documents can be provided for internal or external demands.
INPI has also a paper collection of BR, US, WO, EP, AU, CA, NL, DE, CH, GB and FR patent documents classified according to the IPC and a microform patent document collection from BR, ES, US, FR, GB, DE and CH. This collection has been frozen since the implementation of search systems. Internal users access CD-ROM, DVD, Epoque, Dialog, Thomson Reuters’ GENESEQ, CAS-STN, Internet and SINPI (internal database).
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
By the payment of charges, external users can order patent searches (validity, freedom-to-operate, closest prior art, novelty and inventive step, etc.), as well as Patent Landscaping Reports. Free of charge, INPI elaborates Technological Alerts and studies in the areas of government interest that are made public via our website. INPI also gives public access to its patent, trademarks, industrial designs and computer software databases free search tool through our website.
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
Nowadays the legal status of a patent can be obtained only by consulting the historic of legal events of the application. There is an ongoing action of the Directorate of Patents to provide the legal status of the applications.
IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Specific software tools supporting business procedures within the Office: general description, characteristics, advantages, possible improvements
The Directorate of Patents is currently using several systems for patent administration and examination.
The main systems in use are:
- The SINPI (Integrated System of Industrial Property) is the in house system available for searching national patents documents since 1986. This system is covering about 650.000 patents documents. SINPI was built in 1998 and is a client-server model developed in Delphi that allows the patents examination and provide all support to the weekly official gazette and other official documents as the Patent Letter. According to its research and development focus, INPI is evaluating modern web solutions.
- Other important systems are the e-Patentes and PAG. Both are web technology. The PAG system is the on line payments system and is used for the reception of paper documents. The e-Patentes system is used for filing and visualizing electronic documents, but not for examination. The e-OLF is an electronic filing software for patents supplied by EPO. In 2013 both electronic file systems received about 209.000 services forms unlike the others 84.000 paper form received in this year. These electronic services and paper forms have received in this year about 33.000 patent applications of that, around 22.000 are PCT and 11.000 national phase entry domestic applications.
- ePEC is an web application for collaborative patent examination used for the offices of the Southern Cone;
- SisBiolist is the electronic filing system of sequence listings as patent applications involving biological sequence.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Data Processing by HP Blade Servers:16 Blades Two processors Intel Xeon Quad-core 2.83 Ghz; 32GB RAM;
120 virtual servers
Data Storage IBM and HITACHI: 33.6TB
80TB to be implemented
Internet: High Load Balance through two internet connection 1-68Mps and 2-100Mbps;
14 branch offices connected to the Regional Data Center in Rio de Janeiro; Wireless Internet :
100 access points, ensuring that all floors have Internet access via wireless network;
1700 network users
Workstations with Windows XP migrating to Windows 7; BR Office / Microsoft Office 2010; Interconnection between 3 buildings in Rio de Janeiro Local Network Area (LAN):1Gbps.
The PCs used for all patent examiners and staff information are Pentium 4, 2.8 GHz. Computers with two 22" monitors and DVD drivers.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
pPI is a web based search engine for patents applications since 1986. This database is available through Internet.and allows searching bibliographic text and viewing Patent images. The next improvement is to allow the search of full text Brazilian Patents.
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
Phoenix is being used for electronic document storage and retrieval. The EPO (European Patent Office) supplied solution for electronic document management to Patents Directorate in Brazil.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
The internal system SISCAP (Registration System of Production) developed in 2010, is an in- house developed system, which provides support for functions that are not present in the SINPI. For example, the system helps the generation of official reports used by patent examiners.
Other matters
All of these systems interact with each other in different levels of integration. Although SINPI and SISCAP are complementary and together manage the administrative functions, the interfaces between them are partly manual.
V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF PATENT INFORMATION
Patent library: equipment, collection management, network of patent libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign patent libraries
INPI’s library has computers, microfilm and microfiche readers, and is a member of the national COMUT program, for collaboration with other libraries in Brazil.
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
INPI’s library has many different books, thesis, periodicals and other publications available to the public, all about Industrial Property.
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
INPI’s Patent Information Dissemination Center has cooperation with some universities, to provide free-of-charge patent searches.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
INPI provides training courses about Industrial Property in basic, intermediate and advanced levels, Patent Drafting practical courses, and has a DL-101 in partnership with WIPO adapted for Brazil, in Portuguese, besides housing a Master’s degree in Industrial Property in its Academia.
VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF PATENT INFORMATION
International exchange and sharing of patent information in machine-readable form, e.g., priority documents, bibliographic data, abstracts, search reports, full text information
INPI sends to 18 countries/organizations the bibliographic data and electronic copies of the whole patent applications and granted patents, as soon as the domestic publication occurs. Since 2011, INPI is publishing the intermediate patent documents such as examination and search reports and granted patents at the internet by the e-patents platform.
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
INPI participates in the LATIPAT, PROSUR and IBEPI initiatives, besides sending to WIPO’s PatentScope and ESPACENET the bibliographic data and electronic copies of the whole patent applications and granted patents.
VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS
| 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. |