Annual Technical Report 2012 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Romania (CWS/ATR/PI/2012/RO)
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
In 2012 a number of 1077 patent applications were filed under the Patent Law no. 64 of 1991 and a number of 75 utility model applications under Utility Models Law no.350 of 2007. Of the sum of 1077 filed patent applications, 1022 patent applications were filed by Romanian applicants, the difference of 55 patent applications being filed by foreign applicants.
With 01.03.2009 the online filing procedure is accessible for national patent applications, opening the national phase in Romania for international applications, international application whit OSIM as Receiving Office , European patent translations and for European patent applications field with OSIM in the name of European Ppatent Office
See the table in the attached file.
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, distribution and use of primary and secondary sources of patent information
The Official Publications of OSIM:
OFFICIAL INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY BULLETIN (BOPI) – Section “Inventions” whit the following annexes:
- Applications and Supplementary Protection Certificates
- “Utility Models”
- Applications for an extention of the duration of the certificates.
On CD-ROM:
• RO-BULLETIN – annually
• RO-BULLETIN – whit the following annexes:
- Applications and Supplementary Protection Certificates
- Utility Models
- Applications for an extention of the duration of the certificates.
Starting with 1996, the publication, i.e. the whole process of publication, is carried out in-house (for both publication on paper and on CD-ROMs) as well as text setting, editing and desktop publishing, printing and delivery. As all the documents are processed in electronic format exclusively, they can be turned into html and pdf format for publication in the INTRANET and INTERNET.
The data printed in the Official Industrial Property Bulletin (BOPI) are taken from the Common Software database exclusively.
Corel Word Perfect is employed in desktop publishing and Corel Draw in image processing. Several years ago, OSIM started to store the complete patent collection (patents granted in Romania) in electronic format. In prezent, more than 110,000 patents for invention (about 1.000,000 pages) were scanned and processed.
The modifying documents are also scanned and integrated into the document database. The data in the database are searched during the substantive examination procedure but they are also the primary source employed in manufacturing some CD-ROMs.
Facsimile documents are searched in two ways:
- using the national database – RoPatentSearch
- using espacenet.
III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents
Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), and reclassification3 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)
The Office classifies all the patent documents exclusively by using the International Patent Classification. OSIM uses the 8th IPC edition currently. The Office continues to reclassify the old national documents according to the latest 8th IPC edition and during 2008 reclassified twice the national documents according to the revisions for the advanced level of IPC reform.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems
In-house systems (online/offline)
V1.1The management of the patent applications filed with OSIM is based on the
Common Software System. In 2012 the following patent related databases were managed by this application, i.e. National patents, EP patents, and SPCs (Supplementary Protection Cerificates) introduced in 2008 and Utility Models introduced in 2008 in the Romanian Industrial Property Law system. Our system relies on the SGBD-lnformix Online DSA v.9.4 system; the interface is created by means of Hyperscript Tools. Said database is employed in managing the examination process, the publication and the dissemination of information. The information stored in that database enables the upgrading of other databases (see below), making preparations for other CDs such as ESPACE-PRECES and also the international exchange of data, a.s.o.
V. 1.2. RO Patent Search is a internal database designed for electronic search; it has two
components:
- one comprising the bibliographic data required in the formulation of the
search equations;
- the other one comprising the facsimile documents. Said database contains
more than 125,000 records covering the period 1906-to day, completely. The
database comprising bibliographic data works on an Informix 9.4 platform for Linux.
The facsimile document database comprises more than 120,000 documents stored by
scanning (as already described above). The facsimile document database also comprises the facsimile image of the official bulletins published by OSIM.
V.1.3. A part of the RO Patent Search (the one comprising the bibliographic data of the patents starting with no. 105544 to date and the related facsimile documents are available in the INTERNET) and can be accessed at www.osim.ro. The Ro- ESPACEnet is accessible too. At OSIM headquarters we also have patent collections on CD-ROMs.
V.1.4. Using MIMOSA Authoring software and benefiting of training from EPO Vienna sub office, OSIM developed the Espace- RO CD-ROM. As an important feature of this product it is worth mentioning that, using MIMOSA retrieval software, users may perform full text searches
V. 1.5. The index databases on CD-ROM that can be accessed by internal users in the network are the following ones:
- Access A - IPC Class - Access Europa
- Access B - Bulletin
- Access Preces - Casis - Bib - Global Patent
The full-text databases, stored in juke-boxes can be accessed from local PCs:
-Espace-EPA complete Espace CH 1994- to date
-Preces complete Espace DK 1990- to date
-Espace UK 1974- to date Espace ES 1990- to date
-USAPAT complete Espace EPS complete
-COSMOS 1992- to date
-DEDEPAROM 1993- to date
-World 1991- to date
-Espace AT 1992- to date
-Espace IT 1993-1995
- Espace RU 1996-1997
-Espace SI 1993-1998
- Espace OAPI 1994- to date
- GLOBALPAT
All the collections are available for search by internal users and the public
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
OSIM exchanges documents with more than 45 foreign patent offices and international
industrial property organizations. As a result of this international exchange OSIM received in 2004:
- All the patent collections in CD-DVD;
-1,300 official journals;
- 80 specialized reviews (paper/CD-ROMs).
The received patent documents (paper) are entered in a key-card in sequential order and then classified according to the International Patent Classification. The patent collection of Romania comprises 173,000 patent applications and 119,000 patents and is arranged both sequentially and according to the IPC classes.
Collection management, preservation
The National Patent Collection comprises more than 20 million documents (on paper) grouped in national collections (countries) ordered by years, according to the IPC or sequentially.
In 1998 OSIM set up a document preservation-restoration team and the National Industrial Property Archives Bureau in charge of protecting and exploiting information in the OSIM archives.
The team was trained in document restoration at the National Archives School; its entire activity is under the control of the National Archives. In 2012 OSIM decided to transfer foreign patents Collection to National Library and sure the stand in organization, provides support administration for the public.
Interlibrary lending, resource sharing, networks of patent libraries in the country
OSIM exchanges documents with the National Library which has a complete collection of the official bulletins printed by the Office; OSIM also exchanges documents with other national offices, regional organizations and the WIPO Library.
The Office also cooperates with other Romanian 21 regional public libraries from Romania and especially with the libraries of other offices aiming at having a regular exchange of information and documents on industrial property.
According to its development programme OSIM set up 16 regional information centers all over the country thereby extending the dissemination of the patent literature information in the territory.
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)
OSIM - offer different information services based on searches in the patent literature. The most usualy services demanded are state of the art for a technical solution, patent portfolio, legal status for the romanian patents, special searches with writen oppinion about brevetability, technological and competition survey, especialiy for pharmaceutical industry. OSIM provide also IP prediagnosis analysis for SMEs. In 2012 the total number of services in the field of patents was about 560. The examiners have also participated in many promotion activities organized by Marketing Division and OSIM Legal and Technical Library in the field of patent and utility models.
At its reading-room OSIM makes all its documentation available to the public and makes xerox copies of the patent documents, search reports and patent literature surveys, upon request.
The reading-room makes available to the public computer-aided services, providing access to the in-house databases: Access A/B, Espace Bulletin, EP-A full-text, BIB, Patents Assist, ASSIGN, CD-ROM (local search), assistance and use of external databases in the INTERNET.
In its INTERNET page - www.osim.ro the Office allows for the access of the public to a wide range of useful information: Official Gazette, patents, national legislation, etc.
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information
OSIM exchanges, on bilateral basis, Official Gazettes and patent descriptions (on paper and/or CDROM) with 44 other industrial property offices.
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)
In 2012, OSIM had a rich promotion activity all over the national territory: organizing, carrying out and taking part in more than 30 promotion actions by seminars, round tables, conferences, fairs and exhibitions, training courses for beginners and advanced learners in the field of industrial property, etc.
In addition, there is a collaboration program between the OSIM and 14 county libraries.
IX. Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:
X. Other relevant 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. |