Annual Technical Report 2013 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Czech Republic (CWS/ATR/PI/2013/CZ)
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
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
1.4.1 Changes experienced in terms of application filings and grants with respect to the previous year
The number of patent applications filed by domestic applicants in 2013 was the highest in the last 20 years; a 13% increase compared to 2012. Domestic applicants in 2013 filed 984 applications for inventions, with the greatest number in the fields of measurement and optics, as well as transport and storage.
In comparison with the year 2012, there were changes in patent and utility model activities as follows:
year 2013 Compared to 2012 (in %)
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National patent applications 1081 + 11 % (973)
Utility model applications 1731 - 7 % (1857)
PCT international applications 42 + 2 % (41)
Grant national patent 613 - 9 % (670)
Registrations utility model 1552 - 4 % (1609)
Supplementary protection certificate, application 57 + 58 % (36)
European Patent Office granted 54144 + 12 % (48421)
IPO CZ received EP translations 4603 - 1 % (4660)
EP patents valid in CZ 22977 + 13 % (20256)
National patents valid in CZ 7781 - 11 % (8608)
National utility models valid in CZ 8231 + 6 % (7765)
1.4.2 Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year
As regards the representation of individual segments, most of patent applications concerned measuring, optics, photography (10,82 %); transporting, storing (9,99 %); building (7,22 %); health and amusement (5,55 %); organic chemistry (5,00 %); electricity (5,00 %); biochemistry, sugar, leather (5,00 %); etc.
Regarding utility model applications, most of them came from the sectors of building (12,71 %); measuring, optics, photography (12,42 %); transporting, storing (10,69 %); health and amusement (5,89 %); personal and domestic articles (5,31 %); lighting and heating (4,97 %); inorganic chemistry (3,93 %); etc.
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
1.5.1 Statistics
Since 2000 the Annual Reports and statistics have been available at the Office’s website:
http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/annual-report/annual-report.html
The Bulletin: http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/ipo-bulletin.html
1.5.2 The Office website
The helpdesk mailto: helpdesk@upv.cz
List of news and events
http://www.upv.cz/en/ipo/current-news/actual.html
Electronic filing of trademark applications:
http://www.upv.cz/en/client-services/on-line-filing.html
Element of proceedings:
http://isdv.upv.cz/portal/pls/portal/portlets.rejst.formular?lan=en
Legislation related to all IP rights
http://www.upv.cz/en/legislation.html
FAQ
http://www.upv.cz/en/information-sources/faq.html
Search service – patent and utility model databases (IPO, EPO, WIPO) (basic search/advanced search):
http://www.upv.cz/en/client-services/online-databases/patent-and-utility-model-databases.html
Use of an electronic classification system to check IPC (International Patent Classification):
http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/classsification-systems/classification-patents.html
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
IPO CZ carries out patent granting procedure resulting from patent application that can be filed by the inventor or by a person, this right was transferred to by the inventor. Patent applications ordinarily follow a set form which must also include a description of the invention and/or related drawings and so called patent claims. The claims precisely define the subject-matter, for which the protection is requested. Application forms are available in the filing room of the IPO CZ and can also be downloaded from the IPO CZ website. Applications can be filed in person, by post or electronically.
The Office web sites http://www.upv.cz/en.html are the rich source of information.
Electronic filing of patent applications:
http://www.upv.cz/en/client-services/on-line-filing.html
Element of proceedings:
http://isdv.upv.cz/portal/pls/portal/portlets.rejst.formular?lan=en
Search service:
http://upv.cz/en/client-services/information-services/search-services.html
Fees and payments:
http://www.upv.cz/en/client-services/fees.html
Information on business procedure related to patents:
http://upv.cz/en/ip-rights/patents.html
Information on Services:
http://www.upv.cz/en/client-services/information-services.html
Publications:
http://www.upv.cz/en/publications.html
Patent and utility model databases:
http://www.upv.cz/en/client-services/online-databases/patent-and-utility-model-databases.html
Patent classification system:
http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/classsification-systems/classification-patents.html
Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
Application documents and forms are available at: http://www.upv.cz/en/client-services/forms.html
Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), reclassification3 activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information
IPC classification, Advanced Level, has been used since January 1, 2006.
All patent documents published since 1970 were reclassified to this edition of IPC classification.
Other classification systems are not used.
Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information contained in patent documents
Published patent applications, granted patents, and registered utility models are searchable by date of filing, publication, grant and registration, by priority date, by number of application, patent and registration, by name of inventor, applicant and proprietor and by IPC classification.
Search system in bibliographic data on the web site allows full-text processing.
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)
Office notices are published weekly in the electronic Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic. Notices are also published at the Office’s website.
Mass storage media used are hard discs, magnetic tapes for backup and paper.
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online – URL), etc.
1.2.1 The Bulletin contains the following types of announcements:
Lists of patent documents are published in the Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic. Starting from 2007 the Bulletin is published weekly in an electronic form only (updated on Wednesdays) and placed at the Office’s website (http://www.upv.cz/en.html). The standard content of the chapters regarding published patent applications, granted patents and registered utility models is:
- published patent applications arranged according to the number of applications and according to IPC symbols including list of applicants;
- granted patents arranged according to the number of patents and according to IPC symbols including list of owners;
- registered utility models arranged according to the number of registration of utility models and according to the IPC symbols including list of proprietors;
- official decisions, legal status and announcements;
- corrections; and
- alterations.
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases
• Internal SyPP database – contains all pending as well as decided applications
• Internal database of patent and utility model applications since 1991
• EPO research tool EPOQUEnet – moreover within this tool: external databases BIOSIS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBCHEM, Non-Patent Literature)
• Science Direct database
• Freely accessible databases on Internet:
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
National and international patent (paper) documentation (EP, WO, US, DE (including DD), GB, FR, RU, CH)
Paid databases: STN International, DIALOG, QUESTEL and Science Direct
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
Internal and public Patent and utility model databases
Other sources
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online publications of patent documents and gazettes, and to other primary and secondary sources of patent information, including patent publication servers and download of bulk patent data:
The Official Bulletin
http://internet.upv.cz/cs/publikace/vestnik-upv.html (Czech version - since 2000)
http://internet.upv.cz/en/publications/ipo-bulletin.html (English version - since 2007)
The public Czech patents and utility models database – basic search:
http://isdv.upv.cz/portal/pls/portal/portlets.pts.frm?p_lan=English
The public Czech patents and utility models database – advanced search:
http://isdv.upv.cz/portal/pls/portal/portlets.pta.formular?lok=en
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
Within the Office, there are obeyed, maintained and improved several business management systems:
• ISO 9001 - QMS (Quality Management System) helps to assure a constant level of quality of service provided by The Office
• ISO14001 - EMS (Environmental Management System) is used to help (a)organizations minimize how their operations (processes, etc.) negatively affect the environment; (b) comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements, and (c) continually improve in the above.
• ISO 27001 - ISMS (Information Security Management System) specifies a management system that is intended to bring information security under explicit management control. Fields of concerns are Security policy, Asset management, human resources security, access control, incident management system etc.
• OHSAS 18001 - (Occupational Health and Safety Advisory System) helps companies to propose and implement precautions that, wherever possible, remove, reduce risks or isolate employees from them in a workplace.
The business process management system (BPMS) internally named ADONIS that describes the office’s processes flow structure is also deployed, maintained and improved.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Workstations - HP, processor Intel Pentium 4, Core2Duo, Core I3 and Core I5, RAM 1- 4 GB, HDD 160 - 250 GB. 300 workstations connected in the Office network are of the Office staff direct service. Thereof 50 computers connected in the Office network are intended for the clients of the Office and staff training service. The Office uses the ETHERNET network and computers run WINDOWS Seven operating system. Computers run WINDOWS XP OS are being replaced for that ones with WINDOWS Seven OS during 2014. MS OFFICE – 2003/2007/2010 software. The Office uses CD, DVD and magnetic tapes as data mediums.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
1.3.1 In-house systems (online/offline)
The Office maintains an in-house search database of national applications of inventions and utility models, granted patents and registered utility models. The database is not accessible to the public but its structure corresponds to the public database. The following CD-ROM search systems are also available: ESPACE collections, Korean Patent Abstracts, Patents of Russia and other national documents collections.
1.3.2 External databases
The Office provides free access to the database comprising the data concerning the patent applications since 1991, granted patents, European patents valid in the territory of the Czech Republic and the registered utility models at the IPO CZ website http://www.upv.cz/en/client-services/online-databases/patent-and-utility-model-databases.html
The Office regularly uses the Espacenet database that offers free access to more than 80 million patent documents all over the world. The database is maintained by EPO.
The following CD-ROM search systems are also available: ESPACE collections, Korean Patent Abstracts, Patents of Russia and other national documents collections.
The Office also performs searches on the EPOQUEnet (including BIOSIS, EMBASE, PUBCHEM) and the commercial databases as STN International, and ScienceDirect databases (MEDLINE and Non-Patent Literature both accessible via EPOQUEnet), national databases freely accessible in the Interned are used as well (the links to these databases are provided at the Office´s web site (http://www.upv.cz/en.html).
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
1.4.1 File building
Patent library stores more than 40 million patent documents from more than 20 countries including EPO and PCT documents. The collections of paper documents are arranged according to the IPC classification, the collections of national documents are arranged according to the IPC classification and by numbers. The national documents are also available in electronic version (Internet). The CDs and DVDs with full text and searchable collections are also available.
1.4.2 Updating and Storage, including mass storage media
The data is updated daily and stored electronically (official databases, hard discs, magnetic tapes for backup) and in a paper version.
1.4.3 Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file
The foreign patent documents are stored both in a paper and a digital form (CDs/DVDs, Internet).
Official bulletins of foreign offices are available in an electronic (CDs/DVDs, Internet) or in a paper version (patent library). Both versions are received regularly.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
The Office uses the internal information system (IS SyPP, starting from January 2004) to proceed the applications of patents, supplementary patent certificates, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks and geographical indications. The system is flexible and applicable enough to maintain official registers of all the industrial property rights. The system archives all incoming and outgoing communications of the Office, provides the information on the state of proceeding, legal status of registrations and statistical data. The system is integrated with Document Management System (DMS) of the Office. The system also processes foreign applications within PCT and the European patents valid in the territory of the Czech Republic. The data are transferred to the electronic Office’s Bulletin and to the public search database. Starting from November 2002, the system has been compatible with electronic filing recognizing authorized electronic certificates. The on-line filing system was launched in August 2006, the current version of on-line filing system was released in September 2009. Starting from January 2008, the system produces automatic electronic extracts from registers upon online request. Since 2011 has launched programming of a new version of IS SyPP which will be more flexible, based on Oracle Forms with easier maintaining and more flexible data structure. Data will be stored in xml format including the history, which means higher security. The system will be more user-friendly. System will be connected with central registers of the Czech Republic (ISZR). The new IS SyPP is co-financed by the European fund for regional development within the EU project Enforcement of Industrial Property Rights.
1.5.1 Information services available to the public
The information centre and help desk operate during the working days. They provide the general information concerning the industrial property.
Patent information services for the public are provided within the information centre and the public reading room, common questions can be addressed to the helpdesk (helpdesk@upv.cz) and search requests to the search section. The Office received a total 2.915 patent search requests in 2013.
The Office provides full range of brochures and guides free of charge. They can be downloaded in PDF format from the Office´s web site, picked up in the office headquarters or sent upon request. The Office publishes its own books and the Industrial Property Journal (6 issues per year) reflecting the current issues of IP rights.
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 library stores more than 40 million patent documents from more than 20 countries including EPO and PCT documents. The collections of paper documents are arranged according to the IPC classification, the collections of national documents are arranged according to the IPC classification and by numbers. The national documents are also available in electronic version (Internet). The CDs and DVDs with full text and searchable collections are also available. The documents can be studied in public reading room equipped with PC workstation which are available for visitors.
The Office cooperates with Regional Patent Information Centres (PATLIBs) on information product dissemination.
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
The Office provides full range all IP kinds dedicated brochures, leaflets and guides free of charge. They can be downloaded in PDF format from the Office´s web site http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/information-brochures/information-brochures.html, picked up in the office headquarters or sent upon request. All the materials are distributed to visitors during fairs. The Office publishes its own books.
The Industrial Property Journal reflecting the current issues of IP rights is published six times a year.
Office’s initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
On the basis of an agreement between the EPO and Google, a development continued on „Patent Translate", a machine translator of patent documents. The possibility to translate from English to Czech and from Czech to English was also made available in the framework of this activity.
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
Cooperation with Metropolitan University on training in a bachelor´s programme in „Industrial Property" and a master´s programme in „International and Regional Relations in Industrial Property". Lectures were held at a number of innovation and technology centres.
The IPO CZ also cooperates with other universities. There are seminars and educational activities (various topics) for students and academic staff organised in Office's premises or in university headquarters. University students are also regularly invited for excursions and guided tours in the Office's premises.
The IPO CZ completed a pilot project to raise awareness on intellectual property and introduce training in this field at universities.The Office participated in the project along with Patent Offices of Spain, Romania and Turkey.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
The IPO CZ regularly organizes wide range of training courses and seminars - such as IP Protection and National (CZ) and International Systems of IP Protection in particular PCT, Intellectual Property Protection in Business (SMEs), Technology Transfer, Enforcement of Intellectual Rights, IP Jurisdiction (administrative and judicial issues), Trademarks and Designs - National and International Legal Protection, Searches in the National and Foreign Patent Databases. All the educational activities are organized for public, mainly for students, academic staff of universities, representatives of SMEs or research institutions and IP professionals. Lectures were also held at a number of innovation and technology centres and companies.
The IPO CZ also participated organizationally and expertly in the preparation of 6 seminars by the Czech Union of Inventors and Rationalizers.
Every year, a two-year course of industrial property rights begins within the Industrial Property Training Institute – Office's own educational facility.
The Office presented its information activities, information and educational products at the following exhibitions and trade fairs:
• 55th International Engineering Fair (Brno, CZ)
• 12th International Trade Fair of Engineering Technologies FOR INDUSTRY 2013 (Prague, CZ)
• 18th International Interior and design Trade Fair TENDENCE 2013 (Prague, CZ)
• 21st International Trade Fair of Electrotechnics, Electronics, Automation, Communication, Lighting and Security Technologies AMPER 2013 (Prague, CZ)
• 1 st International Fair of Invention, new Ideas and Innovative products Fair INVENTO (Prague, CZ)
• Innovation 2013 (Prague, CZ)
• 41st International Exhibition of Inventions (Geneva, CH)
• 65th IENA - Exhibition of Inventions and Innovations (Nürnberg, DE)
Other activities
The IPO CZ has advances in its activities for children and youth (elementary school pupils and secondary school students). The Office offers to them short training sessions on industrial rights, guided field trips to the Office's headquarters and an example search in patent databases, as well as courses for teachers interested in adding the topic of industrial rights to their curricula. A popular instructional leaflet about IP for children and youth has been prepared and a special section for youth has been added to the IPO CZ website. The leaflet and comics books on the topics of patents, trademarks and copyright can be downloaded in this section. All the materials mentioned are also available for children and youth during their excursion to the IPO or during the fairs and exhibitions. A popular instructional pamphlet for adults was at published at the same time. The IPO has also established cooperation with the RVP.CZ Methodological Portal, operated by the National Institute for Education to support of teachers. The result of the cooperation is a series of articles on intellectual property and examples of how to include it into various teaching objects. A meeting with teachers from elementary and secondary schools was organized on this topic, too.
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
International and regional cooperation in the exchange of machine-readable patent information in Epidos is realized on Internet. Exchange of CD-ROM and DVD carriers continues. Czech patent documents in paper form were distributed to patent offices of five countries.
The Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic is published exclusively electronically as of the beginning 2007. The Official Bulletin is published on a weekly basis (updated every Wednesday) instead of the monthly basis as it was before. The paper version has been discontinued. Electronic version of the Official Bulletin is available since 2000 (Czech version, English version is available since 2007) and accessible at the Office's web site:
http://www.upv.cz/cs/publikace/vestnik-upv.html (Czech version)
http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/ipo-bulletin.html (English version)
The IPO CZ joined the UIP project to use the results of search work of National Patent Offices of the EPO Member States by the European Patent Office. The UIP project saves work and resources by making available to the EPO national search reports, information on classification and preliminary opinions on the fulfilment of requirements of patentability.
Various courses and seminars were organized for students and representatives of SMEs or research institutions; Groups of university students were accepted for excursions and guided tours for excursions and guided tours in the Office's premises.
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
The Office was involved in tasks connected to the reclassification project under way within the European Patent Network. This consists of reclassifying patent and non-patent literature, published in English, German and French, and classified according to the rules of the International Patent Classification (IPC), into the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC).
On the basis of an agreement between the EPO and Google, a development continued on „Patent Translate", a machine translator of patent documents. The possibility to translate from English to Czech and from Czech to English was also made available in the framework of this activity.
Assistance to developing countries
The IPO CZ held a regular two-week training course for 5 – 6 participants.
Other activities
The Industrial Property Office continued to fulfil responsibilities resulting from the Czech Republic's membership in the European Union especially related to the area of industrial property protection. It participated in the meetings of the EU Council Working Group on Intellectual Property.
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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