Annual Technical Report 2002 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Malawi (SCIT/ATR/PI/2002/MW)
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
Applications in the year 2002 were 357 and in the year 2001 were 306.
Grants in the year 2002 were 90 and in the year 2001 were 90.
Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year
In the year 2002 our office received more applications than in the year 20001.
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.)
Publishing of patent information is done monthly at the government print.
Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of patent information
Patent journals are published monthly and copies are sent to ARIPO, WIPO and patent agents.
Mass storage media used (paper, microforms, optical storage, etc.)
Information is stored in paper form.
Word processing and office automation
Nothing to report.
(New) techniques used for the generation of patent information (printing, recording, photocomposing, etc.)
Nothing to report.
III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents
Abstracting, reviewing, translating
Nothing to report.
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)
The International Patent Classification (IPC) is being used up to subgroup.
Coordinate indexing (domestic deep indexing systems, keyword indexing)
Nothing to report.
Hybrid system indexing
Nothing to report.
Bibliographic data and full-text processing for search purposes
Nothing to report.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
File building
Filing of applications, notice of acceptance, grants, annuities / renewals and lapses are done by examiners manually.
Updating
Updating of files is done manually because patent information is kept in paper form.
Storage, including mass storage media
Patent information is kept in paper form in our library.
Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file
Documentation from other offices are: PCT documents, OAPI bulletins, Patent Abstract journal of Japan, ARIPO Applications and Japanese Group of AIPPI.
V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems
In-house systems (online/offline)
Nothing to report.
External databases
Nothing to report.
Administrative management systems (e.g., register, legal status, statistics, administrative support, etc.)
Nothing to report.
Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used
Nothing to report.
Existing online thesauri; their structure, presentation and usefulness for computerized searches
Nothing to report.
VI. Administration of the industrial property office library 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)
Planning, administration, automation, security, buildings
Nothing to report.
Collecting, acquisitions, preparation
In the year 2002, we collected information from other IP offices.
Collection management, preservation
Nothing to report.
Interlibrary lending, resource sharing, networks of patent libraries in the country
Nothing to report.
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)
Nothing to report.
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
We received bibliographic data and abstract from WIPO and PCT.
Medium used for exchange of priority documents
Information is exchanged in paper form.
Medium allowed for filing applications
We use papers for filing 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)
Nothing to report.
VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries
Training courses for national and foreign participants, use of audiovisual means
Nothing to report.
Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)
Nothing to report.
Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)
Nothing to report.
Studies to identify trends in new technology, e.g., by the use of patent statistics, preparation of monographs, etc.
Nothing to report.
Assistance furnished by offices to facilitate the changing over of receiving offices to electronic data carriers for the exchange of patent documents (see also 4th item of paragraph VI, above)
Nothing to report.
IX. Other relevant matters
Nothing to report.
| 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. |