Annual Technical Report on Trademark Information Activities in 2019 submitted by Poland
I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN TRADEMARK INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of trademark information activities and expected time frames for their realization
In 2019, the PPO actively participated in the development project of the new Electronic Services Platform (PUEUP). The project covers implementation of new electronic services and the improvement of existing ones. In total, 7 electronic services are expected to be implemented:
- e-Registry - viewing the entries entered in the registry and obtaining an excerpt from registry;
- EP Validation - obtaining protection on the territory of Poland;
- Expiration Date Notification - informing about the expiration date of protection;
- Information Subscription - searching for information in defined sources maintained by UPRP (including automatic notifications based on user criteria);
- e-Filing - applying for trademarks, patents, industrial designs registration to obtain an IP protection;
- e-Submission - handling electronic correspondence during the whole IP lifecycle of trademarks, patents and industrial designs;
- Changes in registry - management of records changes in registry (e.g. in case of extension of the protection, updating the owners, resignation from protection, changes in rights, pledges, licenses, etc.).
The following modules of PUEUP platform were prepared: e-Baza Wiedzy (knowledge database), e-Profil (user profile), e-Platności (payments), e-Powiadomienia (user message system), e-Wyszukiwarka (search system) and Infrastruktura (infrastructure). During the year 2019, the contractor and managers together with their project teams from the Polish Patent Office carried out tasks to enable production launch of the system.
In 2019, the PPO actively participated in the field of e-administration services taking part in the development of functionalities related to the use of the governmental Electronic Platform of Public Administration Services (ePUAP). The PPO dealt with maintaining existing forms in terms of their functionality and reliability and prepared to switch to new forms available on the upcoming Electronic Services Platform (PUEUP).
In 2019, the PPO was active in order to maintain the functionalities of the PPO Industrial Properties Search System. The existing mechanisms were supposed to be shifted on new e-Wyszukiwarka module on PUEUP platform. No additional functionalities were implemented.
In 2019, the PPO continued to maintain Intranet system based on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise software.
The PPO continued the maintenance of the Register Plus system for trademarks.
The PPO continued to maintain Patent Attorneys and Applicants List searchable. Only small adjustments in the data structure were introduced and the system was adapted to existing legislation.
The PPO continued to provide data on the DanePubliczne.gov.pl website concerning the protection of industrial property, publications provided by the Office as well as information on patent attorneys, etc.
Small changes in the Publication system were maintained. In all systems there are separate official publications of Bulletin of the Patent Office (BUP) for trademarks, inventions and utility models.
New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies and plans mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks
The most advanced project in 2019 was the implementation of the new Electronic Services Platform (PUEUP) mentioned above.
In 2019, the BackOffice system for trademarks and industrial designs was maintained and changes requested by end users and new regulations were implemented. The process of handling new types of trademarks and the implementation of the solution in the BO system for the e-Notification module (user message system) of the PUEUP platform were continued.
Main areas of trademark information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year
The Register Plus software application for trademarks was further developed and enhanced in 2019. The quality of data was improved and a wider range of presented data was introduced. During the year 2019 ongoing arrangements to change the search system to new e-Wyszukiwarka module on PUEUP platform.
The search system for trademarks – TMView was updated with Polish data.
Maintenance and updating the search and system for new trademarks was being carried out throughout the year – Acsepto contains bibliographic data and images concerning national, international and community trademarks.
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and registrations with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
In 2019, the Polish Patent Office received in total 14,228 trademark applications under national procedure, including 13,294 applications from domestic entities, and 934 from foreign entities. An increase by 4.1% was recorded in comparison with 2018, when 13,667 trademark applications under national procedure were received (out of which 12,811 from domestic and 856 from foreign entities).
The number of trademark registration rights in force on 31 December 2019 was 150,934 (under national procedure). On 31 December 2018, the figure was lower and stood at 149,807.
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
Statistics are accessed at the following URLs:
https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/o-urzedzie/statystyki (Statistics and Annual Reports)
Detailed statistics may be created on request
(Please, use the "Write to us" form at https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/centrum-informacji).
News page: https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/aktualnosci
II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO TRADEMARK 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
The PPO information and support options in 2019 included:
1) Via website: https://uprp.gov.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: https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/centrum-informacji.
Management of the contacts in 2019 (phone + mail) was performed through a software:
1) Personal contacts (CRM system);
2) Within Register IP Info Center customer contacts (OSCC, CRM systems;
- 4,038 emails were received
- 27,563 calls were answered and performed (including the call back)
- 1,585 meetings took place with examiners and at the center of information;
3) Identification and differentiation of customers (OSCC, CRM systems);
4) Carrying out customer satisfaction surveys (CRM system) - level of satisfaction 96 %;
5) Analyses of the contacts (analyses, statistics - CRM, OSCC systems);
6) Keeping records and transferring customer requests (satisfaction, complaints, suggestions for improvement) (TRX system).
The CRM system is shared between 15 departments in contact with the public. A change of version was introduced for :
- independent work with the contact, regardless of the fact who established the contact and possibility to change/edit the contact data;
- interfacing with other applications (Computer Telephony Integration, callback, meetings time and visits) to facilitate the customer relation management. Tool for measuring the customers’ satisfaction. IP Info Center has a non-verbal communication system to improve information service for deaf and hard hearing customers.
Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
Customers who use ePUAP have access to the application files which are sent electronically to the PPO.
The availability of application dossier in electronic form will be provided by the new Electronic Services Platform (PUEUP).
Matters concerning classifying
(i) Classification and reclassification activities; classification systems used, e.g., International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification), International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (Vienna Classification), other classification
(ii) Use of electronic classification systems and pre-defined terms of the classification applied
The Polish Patent Office uses the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification) current edition (Polish version of Nice Classification is collected from WIPO pages once a month) as well as International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (Vienna Classification) 8th edition. During the procedure, the office employees change the classes of goods and services.
III. SOURCES OF TRADEMARK INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE
Main types of publications in the field of trademark information, outline of the content and medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URLs)
In 2019, the following publications (periodicals) were issued:
- “Biuletyn Urzędu Patentowego. Znaki towarowe” (Bulletin of the Patent Office. Trademarks) – weekly (available only in electronic form on the Office’s website), 53 numbers;
- “Wiadomości Urzędu Patentowego” (Communications of the Patent Office) – monthly, 12 numbers, i.e. 601 copies;
- 2018 Annual Report of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland – 844 copies;
Most publications are available on the PPO’s website at https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/publikacje/biuletyn-i-wiadomosci-uprp
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online, URL), etc.
Both official publications of the Polish Patent Office's ("Bulletin of the Patent Office. Trademarks" with national trademark applications and "Communications of the Patent Office" with registered national trademarks and international registrations of trademarks approved in Poland) which contain announcements regarding trademarks are available free of charge in PDF format on the PPO's Online Services Portal (http://portal.uprp.pl/wydawnictwa.html) (from 2020 only at https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/publikacje/biuletyn-i-wiadomosci-uprp)
In 2019, there were 11,862 announcements on trademark applications published in “Bulletin of the Patent Office. Trademarks” and 10,712 announcements on registered trademarks published in “Communications of the Patent Office”.
Announcements regarding non-procedural matters, but connected 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" (Public Information Bulletin) on the official PPO's website. Many non-regular, important announcements are immediately published on the website.
Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external documentation and databases
In 2019, the following information products were available to examiners:
- Search System of Industrial Properties – trademarks:
https://grab.uprp.pl/PrzedmiotyChronione/Strony%20witryny/Wyszukiwanie%20proste.aspx (user interface in Polish and English languages)
- Online Services Portal with access to patent publications, classifications, e-fillings and patent attorneys’ directory: http://portal.uprp.gov.pl ; from 2020 at https://ewyszukiwarka.pue.uprp.gov.pl/search/simple-search?lng=pl
- Register Plus for trademarks (free of charge) available at: http://regservtd.uprp.gov.pl/register/regviewer ; from 2020 at https://ewyszukiwarka.pue.uprp.gov.pl/search/simple-search?lng=pl
- Separate Internet applications allow presentation of Nice and Vienna classifications in the Polish language version and are available at: https://grab.uprp.pl/Klasyfikacje/Strony%20witryny/Klasyfikacje.aspx ; from 2020 at https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/klasyfikacje
The Polish Patent Office uses external databases, such as:
- MedNet - INN database (International Nonproprietary Names) available on the pages http://mednet.who.int/inn, free of charge;
- E-Bacchus is a database which: consists of the Register of designations of origin and geographical indications protected in the EU in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, lists non-EU countries' geographical indications and names of origin protected in the EU in accordance with bilateral agreements on trade in wine concluded between the EU and the non-EU countries' concerned, lists the traditional terms protected in the EU in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007. Database is available on the page: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets/wine/e-bacchus/index.cfm?event=pwelcome&language=PL, free of charge;
- The DOOR - Database of Origin and Registration database includes product names for foodstuffs registered as PDO, PGI or TSG as well as names for which registration has been applied. Database is available on the page: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/list.html;jsessionid=pL0hLqqLXhNmFQyFl1b24mY3t9dJQPflg3xbL2YphGT4k6zdWn34!-370879141, free of charge;
- E-SPIRITS-DRINKS - is a database on geographical indications protected in the European Community for spirits originating in Member States and third countries. Database is available on the page: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/spirits/, free of charge;
- NATIONAL PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION - COBORU (www.coboru.pl), free of charge;
- COMMUNITY PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION - CPVO (www.cpvo.europa.eu), free of charge.
Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) and services available to external users; conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
- Online Services Portal: IP information on trademarks, access to classifications, e-fillings and lists of patent attorneys at http://portal.uprp.pl; from 2020 at www.uprp.gov.pl and https://ewyszukiwarka.pue.uprp.gov.pl/search/simple-search?lng=pl
- Register Plus for trademarks (free of charge) available at:
http://regservtd.uprp.gov.pl/register/regviewer from 2020 at https://ewyszukiwarka.pue.uprp.gov.pl/search/simple-search?lng=pl
The PPO provides access to trademark data in the reading room where external users can also search free of charge in online databases and databases on CD and DVD.
Information provided upon payment include:
- bibliographic data of trademark applications and registered trademarks.
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 trademark register is held. The register includes information necessary to establish the subject and scope of protection (e.g. date of filing, title), entity (or entities) entitled to rights concerning a given subject of protection (e.g. holders, licensees, securities, seizure) and other useful information (e.g. applications for revocation). Everyone who submits a relevant application and pays a fee to the account of the Office can obtain excerpts from the register.
Legal status information is available in Register Plus at:
http://regservtd.uprp.gov.pl/register/regviewer ; from 2020 at https://ewyszukiwarka.pue.uprp.gov.pl/search/simple-search?lng=pl
IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO TRADEMARK INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Specific software tools supporting business procedures within the Office: general description, characteristics, advantages, possible improvements
ACSEPTO is a primary system of searching and examining trademarks, a tool that integrates many types of IT resources in order to enable searching for registered trademarks through the national route, international registrations, Community Trademarks, appellations of origin, pharmaceutical names, materials under Art. 6th of the Paris Convention.
The BackOffice is the main system for managing the procedures for granting and maintaining the rights of trademarks and industrial designs in the Polish Patent Office. BackOffice is the source system for many databases (search engines) and it is linked to other systems in PPO.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
The PPO uses workstations and notebooks with Microsoft Windows 10; multimedia tablets with Apple iOS, Google Android and Microsoft Windows 10 Pro; physical servers with Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Standard and virtual servers using Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Datacenter with Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 installed, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10/11/12, CentOS Linux 5/6/7/8, Oracle Linux 5/6/7, Debian GNU/Linux 6/7/8 and Ubuntu Server LTS, RedHat Enterprise Linux 7.x; hypervisor servers with VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2.
All of workstations, notebooks and servers are secured by Symantec antivirus.
All network connections are based on Cisco, FortiNet and Extreme Networks equipment with 500 Mb/s redundant access to the Internet (two separate Internet connections). The availability of services published on the Internet is supported by the FortiNet WAF cluster and Barracuda Load Balancer cluster. Security is also provided by McAfee IPS and Fidelis Cybersecurity and Forcepoint antispam systems.
The server infrastructure is supported by local UPSs and secured by the main power supply unit for the PPO. The main IT infrastructure units are located in a secure server room equipped with a fire alarm, CCTV system, redundant air-conditioning and a technical floor.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
Trademark data are stored on the specialized, regularly updated internal databases in which image information and bibliographic details are stored, for example:
- BackOffice
- databases supporting the process of publication of trademarks.
Most production databases are hosted by Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise, Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Enterprise and MySQL Server 4/5, PostgreSQL 9.
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
EUTM, IR (designated to EM and PL)and 6ter data are stored and accessed via Acsepto search system, IR (designated to PL) are stored and accessed via BackOffice system.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
BackOffice is a workflow-based system for dealing with trademarks and designs throughout the entire lifecycle of the process, from application to registration and publication. It also streamlines the working process by enabling users to create and monitor correspondence with clients. It is adopted to work together with Electronic Document Management System (EZD) which facilitates the processing of incoming and outgoing correspondence. External users have access to register and legal status information via Register Plus system. Settlement Module (MR) is used as a supplementary system for managing fees and payments.
Other matters
The PPO maintained a professional call centre service based on Unify OpenScape Contact Centre Enterprise software and a new system of customer relationship management based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server 365 software.
EZD system was integrated with The BackOffice in the field of exchanging correspondence and information about entities.
The PPO launched the registers containing lists of requests about public information and public information provided.
The PPO prepared a new version of the list of patent attorneys.
The leading office software used for word processing and spreadsheet was: Microsoft Office 2013 Standard & Professional Plus, Microsoft Office 2016 Standard & Professional Plus and Apache OpenOffice 4.
In 2019, the PPO maintained a Data Protection System for protection and control of patent data to avoid uncontrolled outflow or unwanted access.
V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF TRADEMARK INFORMATION
Publications related to different business procedures and trademark information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
Within the framework of 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, Trademarks in MSEs activity, Use the past to create future, Industrial protection in a nutshell, Inventions in your house, to name a few.
Cooperation with universities, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
The Patent Office collaborates with various institutions in promotion of knowledge on Intellectual Property (organisation of conferences, workshops, trainings, granting patronage of the PPO President over numerous initiatives etc.).
In 2019, 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, University of Łódź, Łódź University of Technology, Kielce University of Technology, Kraków 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 Association of Polish Inventors and Rationalisers, Polish Federation of Engineering Associations (NOT), Polish Chamber of Patent Attorneys; National Information Processing Institute, National Chamber of Commerce, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, Institute of Industrial Design, Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan, Kielce Technology Park, Agency for Industrial Development S.A., etc.;
- collaboration with governmental administration institutions: Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Development.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
In 2019, the PPO organised 38 various events, including symposia, conferences, workshops, trainings, consultation and information meetings and competitions, which were attended by around 2,600 persons representing science, business, business environment institutions, school youth and university students, as well as government administration units. Online transmissions of some events also enjoyed huge popularity.
In 2019, the PPO organised or participated, among others, in the following events:
- Seminar on “Image Protection in the Intellectual Property Law”, May 2019;
- 12th International Conference on Innovation and Creativity for Economy – “Corporate Image Design”;
- International conference on the occasion of the World IP Day, “Whose is the genome? Biotechnology and intellectual property protection”, organised in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organisation;
- Conference entitled “Key to Success. New Support Instruments for Enterprises in the Field of Industrial Property”, organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology and the Polish Chamber of Patent Attorneys;
- 15th International Krakow Symposium – “Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property Protection”;
- 38th Seminar for Patent Attorneys of Schools of Higher Education organized in Cedzyna;
- Trainings on industrial property protection for SMEs and business-related institutions;
- Meeting with young inventors within the framework of Robert Bosch Academy of Inventors;
- Ambassador of School Innovation Competition 2019;
- 9th edition of the annual competition “Student-Inventor”;
- 23rd Science Picnic of the Polish Radio and Copernicus Science Centre;
- 13th edition of the International Exhibition of Inventions (International Warsaw Invention Show - IWIS 2019);
- “Patent by night 2019” – Night of Museums in the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland;
- 17th edition of the annual competition for the best artistic poster as well postdoctoral, doctoral, master’s and student’s theses on the subject of industrial property protection and the 7th edition of a short movie and press release competition organized by the Patent Office.
In 2019 the PPO maintained the Internet Educational Platform (http://ipe.uprp.gov.pl, from 2020 https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/platforma-edukacyjna ) which is a compendium of knowledge about intellectual property issues. The target group includes enterprises (especially MSEs) and businesses related to public 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 as well as those ones looking for basic information on IP protection, procedures and management.
- Training Zone includes an e-learning course divided into 10 modules on the protection of intellectual property. Each module ends up with a test verifying the acquired knowledge.
The PPO also maintained an e-learning platform, IPPanorama, dedicated to broadening and promoting the knowledge about the protection of intellectual property and it is available at http://ippanorama.uprp.pl and from 2020 at https://uprp.gov.pl/pl/platforma-edukacyjna
The Patent Information Centre Forum was prepared, a platform for exchanging experiences, knowledge, comments and opinions between Patent Information Centres and the Office.
Other activities
In 2019, the PPO maintained a special Seventica service for non-verbal communication (using the service human language sounds are immediately translated into sign language on the screen of a computer or tablet). The purpose of the project was to remove communication barriers among people with hearing deficiency.
VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF TRADEMARK INFORMATION
International exchange of trademark information in machine-readable form (e.g., Official Gazettes)
Information on Community Trademarks was downloaded using XML data, which was then transferred to the PPO search systems.
The XML trademark files were downloaded from the WIPO and were also transferred to the PPO search systems.
The PPO maintained its own service to collect the Nice classification data from the WIPO website. All changes in the Polish version of the Nice classification were implemented in the WIPO system and then copied to a special dedicated application, which would be presented to Polish users.
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to trademark information
See point I above.