Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities in 2014 submitted by

Patent Office of the Republic of Poland

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

The Patent Office of the Republic of Poland aims at development of patent information activities within cooperation with PATLIB centres, European Patent Office, World Intellectual Property Organisation and the European Commission. Within the above mentioned cooperation the Office implements new services as well as adapts and improves the existing services and tools provided by national intellectual property offices.

Main polices and plans of the Office include among others activities aimed at supporting innovativeness of SMEs, commercialisation of intellectual property and development of entrepreneurship. Those activities are implemented by improving business skills in patent information usage, especially in creating strategies of enterprises, creating cooperation platform between business and scientific environment as well as platform for exchanging experience and knowledge.

In 2014 the Office completed implementation of EU Accessible Intellectual Property (IPorta) project within the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme. The main aim of IPorta was to establish a permanent network of national intellectual property offices, exchange best practices in supporting SMEs sector as well as implement various tools enhancing patent information knowledge and management of intellectual property.

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

Operation commencement of the two-way communication with the Office clients via general correspondence form on Electronic Platform of Public Administration Services (ePUAP). Publishing 8 electronic forms, allowing customers of the Office to further proceed matters relating to subjects of protection in electronic form. Operation commencement of the search platform based on the SharePoint 2013, aiming ultimately to take over the functionality provided by the old "Databases UPRP" platform. Search engine is linked against other search systems, which are in the portfolio of the Office (Publication Server, Register Plus).

Operation commencement of the new website concerning International Patent Classification, and migration of the data from the existing site functioning under the Online Services Portal, which allow to provide full support for this system by WIPO (the creator of solutions), as well as easy implementation of new features and improvements offered by the WIPO.

Operation commencement of the new website publishing Official Gazette of the Office containing "Wiadomości Urzędu Patentowego" (WUP) and „Biuletyn Urzędu Patentowego” (BUP). Migration of the documents from Online Services Portal.

Operation commencement of the new publication (searching) server “Lista Rzeczników Patentowych” [Patent Attorneys List], containing list of patent attorneys, together with the migration of data from the Online Services Portal. Adjustment of the data structure and adaptation of the system to the current legislation.

Translation, modernization and Operation commencement of the IPResponse - Danish Patent Office online survey on the use of intellectual property in the enterprise and its publication on the website of the Patent Office.

Operation commencement of the new office Web page with the Nice classification, Vienna, Locarno and Eurolocarno in Polish, English and French language and preparing internal website used to translate foreign language versions into Polish.

Designing and implementing a new intranet on SharePoint 2013 in the Polish Patent Office. Work on the new functionalities such as personal pages, updating and ordering official documents, launching the search of documents and adding other new functionalities.

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

The RegisterPlus software application for patents was further developed and enhanced in 2014. The quality of data was improved and a wider range of presented data was introduced.

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

Filings to the Office are increasingly more often preceded by searches in the electronic collections than in the paper holdings.

In 2014, the PPO received 4,037 patent applications under the national procedure, out of which 3,941 were filed by domestic applicants and 96 by foreign applicants.

51 applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty entered the phase of examination carried out by the Office (so-called national phase).

Under the international procedure, as the receiving Office, the PPO received from domestic applicants 244 patent applications under the PCT procedure and 246 European patent applications with the aim of seeking protection abroad.

The total number of patent applications filed in 2014 amounted to 4,088.

In 2014, the Office received from foreign applicants 57 applications for the grant of supplementary right of protection for medicinal products and plant protection products in order to protect rights under Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC).

On 31 December 2014, 53,183 patents remained in force, out of which 34,179 were European patents.

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

Statistics are accessed at the following URLs:

http://www.uprp.pl (Annual Reports' box)

Detailed statistics may be bespoke provided (write to http://ipu.uprp.pl/portal/web/guest/kontakt).

News page: http://www.uprp.pl/aktualnosci/Menu01,16,7,index,pl/

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

IP Info Centre - new division within the PPO Receiving Department – has been operating since December 2013.

Current PPO information and support options include:

1) Via website: http://www.uprp.pl/przedmioty-wlasnosci-przemyslowej/Menu02,12,4,index,pl/ (all information about patents, trademarks, designs, etc. and instructions e.g. "How to patent an invention or utility model to protect? ");

2) via telephone: (+48 22 579 05 55);

3) via e-mail: http://www.uprp.pl/Text01,205,161,1,index,pl,text/;

4) in PPO (personally)   During the IP Info Project works were performed on the establishment of new “meeting point with examiners” which will start operating in 2015.

During 2014 works were performed on the IP Info Centre in order to provide two additional clients' communication options:

- live chat;

- callback.

The project is planned to be completed in 2015 and will provide new possibilities of customer relations in the Office’s new IP Info Center, including implementation of the contact center and CRM systems.

Availability of the application dossier in electronic form

Customers using the Online Services Portal have access to the application files sent by them electronically to the PPO. If they agree to further conduct correspondence electronically they have access to the application dossier in electronic form.

Classification¹, preclassification² (if applicable), reclassification³ activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information

In 2014, the electronic 2014.01 version of the International Patent Classification was used at the PPO, while the electronic 2015.01 version was being prepared to be launched in 2015.

Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information contained in patent documents

In 2014, Patent literature collection was enlarged by the 6,461 pdf files of European patent specifications, translated into Polish (available online).

Polish abstracts and their English equivalents are stored in the database, and thus are searched and accessible for further treatment.

The Office's abstracting services are handled by electronic means which aid to place the abstract deliveries in the in-house and external retrieval systems, like: Polish databases, Official Journal records, Espacenet (both collections - PL database and the Worldwide data base), etc.

Other activities

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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)

In 2014, the following publications (periodicals) were issued:

- "Biuletyn Urzedu Patentowego" (first level Official Gazette - bi-weekly) 26 numbers, i.e. 3,210 copies;

- "Wiadomosci Urzędu Patentowego" (second level Official Gazette - monthly) 12 numbers, i.e. 1,441 copies;

- 2013 Annual Report of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland - 950 copies;

- Patent Specifications (type B1 documents) 2,970 titles - 48,743 copies;

- Protection Specifications of Utility Models 632 titles - 2,528 copies.

Most publications are available on the PPO's website http://www.uprp.pl - and continues at: http://ipu.uprp.pl(Online Service Portal).

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

Announcements on patents and utility models are primarily published in the official gazettes on paper carrier: "Biuletyn Urzędu Patentowego" - first level Official Gazette (information on inventions and utility models applications) and in "Wiadomości Urzędu Patentowego" - second level Official Gazette (information on granted patents and granted protection rights on utility models). Announcements containing ordinances of the President of the Patent Office, official announcements and communications are published in the Official Journal of the Patent Office. In 2014, 4,247 announcements on filed patent applications and 858 announcements on utility model applications were published in "Biuletyn Urzędu Patentowego" (first level Official Gazette) and 2,970 announcements on granted patents and 632 granted protection rights on utility models were published in "Wiadomości Urzędu Patentowego" (second level Official Gazette).

All these publications are forthwith available free of charge in PDF format on the PPO's Online Services Portal (http://ipu.uprp.pl/wydawnictwa.html).

Announcements regarding non-procedural matters, but coupled with the Office's activity like: general information on the PPO's tasks, references, organizational structure, HR matters are published on the Internet version of "Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej" which falls under the official PPO's web site. Many non-regular, important announcements are immediately published within the content of the website.

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

- IP information on patents and utility models: http://grab.uprp.pl

- Publication Server - Polish patents (B), utility models (Y) and EP translations into Polish (T): http://pubserv.uprp.pl (user interface in 3 languages - PL, EN and FR).

- Polish patents and utility models under Polish version of Espacenet (http://pl.espacenet.com) with possibility of the redirection to the Worldwide data base containing PL collections (bibliographic data in English);

- Online Services Portal with access to patent gazettes, classifications, e-filings and patent attorney's directory: http://portal.uprp.pl

- Register Plus with access to published Polish applications (Description, Claims, Figures and Search Report): http://regserv.uprp.pl/register/regviewer

- EPOQUENET Suite;

- Reaxys (the chemistry Database) and  ScienceDirect (full-text scientific database) hosted by Elsevier; 

- STN (the Scientific and Technical Information Network);

- ACS (the American Chemical Society) Journals;

- Springer Journals (accessed also via Epoquenet);

- IEEE (accessed also via Epoquenet) scientific and technical content published by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and its publishing partners.

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

Patent literature collections are available in the PPO's reading room.

Copies of documents are available upon payment (price list available on the PPO website or on the spot) on the premises of the reading room or can be sent to external users by fax, electronic mail or traditional post.

Patent Office possesses collections of:

- 6,26 million patent documents on paper;

- over 36 million documents on CD-ROM.

Supplementary literature comprises:

- official bulletins of 42 patent offices;

- legal and methodology publications;

- general technical and specialised magazines.

PPO provides access to patent literature in the reading room where external users can also search free of charge in online databases and databases on CD and DVD. The latter include: bibliographic databases, databases of full text patent documents, thematic databases of patent and technical literature.

Information rendered available free of charge included:

- provision of 10,037 single Polish and foreign patent specifications;

- 519 volumes of books;

- 239 copies of magazines.

Information provided upon payment includes:

- bibliographic data of patent and utility model applications and granted exclusive rights.

Online sources of patent information and collections include:

- Online Services Portal with: IP information on industrial design, access to patent gazettes, classifications, e-filings and patent attorney's directory: http://ipu.uprp.pl;
- Publication Server – a portal giving free, open, and wide access to patent information, with integrated facilities to search full texts of Polish patent specifications, Polish utility models, Polish industrial designs and translations into Polish language published by the European Patent Office patents which are valid in the territory of the Republic of Poland. Documents are disseminated in PDF format;

- Register Plus available at:

http://regserv.uprp.pl/register/regviewer

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 Poland, the following registers are held:

patent register, utility model register. Registers include information necessary to establish the subject and scope of protection (f. ex. date of filing, title), entity (or entities) entitled to rights concerning a given subject of protection (f. ex. holders, licensees, securities, seizure) and other useful information (f. ex. applications for revocation). Every person who submits relevant application and pays a fee to the account of the Office can obtain excerpts from the register.

Legal status information is also available in Register Plus at:

http://regserv.uprp.pl/register/regviewer

Other sources

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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

Epoquenet is a professional patent information retrieval tool which supports the processes of search and patent granting. It consists of a bundle of search applications and tools and is accessible by Patent Offices via the Patent secure network. Epoquenet is continuously improved by European Patent Office and distributed to National Offices. PPO uses 3.70 version, and it is planned to implement version 4.0 in 2015.

Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office

PPO continued implementation of Electronic Document Management System (EZD) based on Alfresco Community Edition software, new Intranet site based on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise software, professional call center service based on Unify OpenScape Contact Center Enterprise software and new system of customer relationship management based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server 2015 software.

PPO uses thin clients, workstations and notebooks with Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional and Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro; multimedia tablets with Apple iOS, Google Android and Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro; physical and virtual servers with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard & Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard & Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard & Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard & Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10/11/12, CentOS Linux 5/6/7, Oracle Linux 5/6/7, Debian GNU/Linux 6/7/8 and Ubuntu Server LTS; hypervisor servers with VMware vSphere 3/4/5/6 and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2.

The leading office software used for word processing and spreadsheet is Microsoft Office 2003 Standard, Microsoft Office 2007 Standard, Microsoft Office 2010 Standard & Professional Plus, Microsoft Office 2013 Standard & Professional Plus and Apache OpenOffice 4.

Most production databases are hosted by Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise, MySQL Server 4/5 and PostgreSQL Server 7/8/9.

PPO was in the middle of the migration process of expiring operating systems such as Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

All of thin clients, workstations, notebooks and servers are secured by McAfee antivirus and antispam system.

All network connections are based on Cisco, McAfee and Extreme Networks equipment with 200 Mb/s access to the Internet.

Server infrastructure for the Online Portal includes 9 application servers; 5 database servers; 10 TB build-up array; back-ups for HP Data Protector, Fujitsu FI-5900C scanner, 125 packages for the purposes of qualified signatures. On-Line Portal servers are supported by local UPSs and they are also hooked to Main power supply unit for the PPO.

Main IT infrastructure units are located in a secure server room equipped with fire alarm, CCTV system, redundant air-conditioning and technical floor.

Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources

Patent data are stored on the specialized, regularly updated internal databases, where image information and bibliographic details are held, for example:

- Soprano – system supporting the process of granting rights of protection for patents and utility models (national procedure, the SPC and the European patent validation procedure);

- databases supporting the process of publication of patents.

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

EP data are stored and accessed via Soprano system.

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

Installed and adopted to work together are ePhoenix (electronic storage and access to our patent and case files) and Soprano (work-flow) systems. Register and legal status information are disseminated via Register Plus system. Off-line systems provide information to examiners, lawyers and the accounting staff (payroll and finance-accounting system).

Other matters

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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

Patent documentation on paper carrier is stored in the Office storage rooms on movable bookshelves, in numerical and class arrangements, and are grouped separately according to respective countries. Class collection is stored in special files, adjusted to this type of collection. Numerical collection is stored in bound volumes. The storage rooms meet all the requirements for collection's safety. Polish patent documents arranged according to the patent classification symbols are available in the Office's general reading room.

Collection of patent documents on CD-ROM and DVD is stored on special bookshelves adjusted to this type of collection. It is available in the reading room also to external users.

The Office's reading room is also equipped with computer stations where PPO employees and external users can retrieve patent information from internet databases.

Polish Patent Office cooperates with 26 PATLIB information centres, most of them located within libraries of schools of higher education. The centres provide patent information and consultancy and employ patent attorneys. They also conduct free of charge seminars and trainings for those interested in patent information.

Patent Office supplies the centres with patent literature and informational materials on paper and electronic carriers for further dissemination.

In 2014, the Office sent:

- 53 discs with full text of patent documentation;

- 39 discs with patent literature.

Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.

Within promotion of knowledge on industrial property the Patent Office issues various publications such as guides, informational-promotional brochures addressed to wide audience, among others to entrepreneurs, students, school youth. Those publications are available free of charge both in electronic version and PDF format as well as on paper on the premises of the Office.

Publication titles are as follows: Your world of intellectual property, What is intellectual property, Inventor's guide, Inventions in SMEs activity, Inventions and patents. Use the past to create future, Industrial protection in a nutshell, Inventions in your house, Patents (comic book).

In 2014 the PPO continued implementation of the project aimed at preparing and distributing 22 booklets on different aspects of intellectual property. The booklets were distributed as training and conference materials at different events and were also posted on the Internet Educational Platform.

Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)

The Patent Office of the Republic of Poland implements the machine translation project for patents in order to facilitate access to patent information for the users of the patent system. Within the framework of the project the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland submitted to the European Patent Office patent documents (European patents validated in Poland) with the aim to train the translation engine.

Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.

The Patent Office collaborates with various institutions in the scope of promotion of knowledge on Intellectual Property (organisation of conferences, workshops, trainings, granting patronage of the PPO President over numerous initiatives etc.).

In 2014 the Office collaborated with the following entities, to name a few:

- collaboration with universities (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, University of Warsaw, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Łódź University of Technology, Kielce University of Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, Wrocław University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, etc.);

- collaboration with science and business related institutions, including: Polish Federation of Engineering Associations, Association of Polish Inventors and Rationalisers, Polish Patent Attorney Chamber; National Information Processing Institute;

- Collaboration with governmental administration institutions: Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of National Education, National Centre for Research and Development, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.

Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.

In 2014, the PPO participated in trainings and conferences organised by the European Patent Office (32 people). The events focused on issues, such as: EpoqueNet search, Patent searching for beginners - EPO Patent Information, Clarity and unity analysis of patent application during search, Patent valuation and commercialisation, Novelty and Inventive step, How to understand EPO Search Reports, Efficient dialog between patent examiners and patent attorneys, The European Patent System from filing to grant, Drafting search reports and written opinions, EPOQUE Net searches (advanced level) including search  in non-patent-literature

In 2014, within industrial property protection the PPO organised or participated in the following events:

- International Conference on World Intellectual Property Day "Patent for medication. Recipe for patent – intellectual property protection in pharmacy" organised in Warsaw in cooperation with WIPO;

- 19th Conference "Patent Information for Science and Industry. New tools – new possibilities" in Warsaw;

- 10th International Symposium "Industrial Property in Innovative Economy. From idea to profit: how to built innovative business" held in Kraków;

- 33rd Seminar for Patent Attorneys of Schools of Higher Education in Cedzyna;

- Trainings on industrial property protection for MSEs and business-related institutions;

- Open Day in the Patent Office;

- PPO competition for a poster, short film and media information in the scope of intellectual property protection;

- Seminar “Protection of medical innovations” in Warsaw;

- 8^th International Warsaw Exhibition of Inventions IWIS;

- 1^st edition of the competition “Ambassador of school innovativeness” organised in collaboration with the Polish Academy of Children;

- Ceremony of prize award in the 12th edition of the competition for the best artistic poster as well as post-doctoral, doctoral, master's and student's theses on the subject of intellectual property organized by the Patent Office;

- EPO Patent Information Conference in Warsaw;

- 23^rd Seminar for Patent Attorneys of Schools of Higher Education in Cedzyna;

- Lectures within 18th Science Festival in Warsaw;

- International Science Festival E(x)plory;

In 2014 the PPO continued implementation of the project Internet Educational Platform which constitutes compendium of knowledge on intellectual property issues. The target group comprises enterprises (especially SMEs) business related institutions (including schools of higher education) and other entities.

- The Knowledge Zone includes information, publications and other materials addressed both to entities with advanced knowledge on IP issues and those looking for basic information on IP protection, procedures and management.

- Training Zone comprises e-learning course divided into 10 modules on intellectual property protection. Each module ends with a test to verify the acquired knowledge.

Within the EU systemic project, in 2014 the PPO organised a series of advisory-informational meetings with renowned experts in the field of intellectual property, which gathered in total 900 guests.

Other activities

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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

The Office provides several patent offices and organizations with its bibliographic data and abstracts in the flat text machine-readable format, and also xml format. Full-text information is provided in PDF fully searchable format. Electronic filings submitted to the PPO under EP and WO procedures are transferred to the EPO and WIPO respectively.

Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information

Patent Office conducts many forms of activities aimed at promoting industrial property knowledge which also includes implementation of systemic project "Support for effective use of industrial property in innovative economy". The project entails five packages of tasks:

- education-training and advisory-consultancy activities;

- activities in the scope of promoting knowledge on intellectual protection;

- promotional activities concerning good practices and Polish achievements in industrial property protection;

- increasing access to patent literature databases and their use;

- project management.

In 2014 the PPO completed implementation of the EU project Accessible Intellectual Property (IPorta) within which the following tasks were performed:

- creating new services related to Intellectual Property Rights and improving services offered by National Patent Offices;

- publishing on the website innovaccess.eu information on the system of intellectual property protection and possibilities to support its users;

- maintaining and rendering access to IP toolbox aiming at improving quality and accessibility of tools related to intellectual property;

- coordinating and developing the network of European helpdesks of intellectual property offices and enhancing their integration as well as exchanging the best practices in such services.

In 2014 the PPO in cooperation with the European Patent Office continued implementation of "Bilateral Co-operation Plan (BCP) which is a co-operation agreement covering a number of projects planned for the years 2013-2015. The co-operation activities concern areas such as training, patent-related IT services and tools, patent information services and awareness and strengthening of the European Patent Network (EPN).

Various activities implemented within the framework of the BCP are targeted at raising patent awareness among the users of the IP system, including the "Awareness of the European Patent System" project supporting organisation of promotional and informational stands at national and international fairs, exhibitions and conferences, organisation of patent-related awareness and training events as well as development, translation and adaptation of information materials to promote the European Patent System. The main objective of these activities is to enhance the patent knowledge of SMEs, industry and academic institutions and to increase their use of the European patent system.

Assistance to developing countries

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Other activities

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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.