Annual Technical Report on Trademark Information Activities in 2016 submitted by the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania
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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
There are 3 protections for trademarks in Lithuania: National, International and Regional (EU trademarks protection).In 2016, we focused on the improvement of the SPB services: renovated the trademark and design register administration software which optimised the SPB activity processes. These results allow us providing the services to the users more conveniently, faster, and simpler.
Since the establishment of the SPB until 31 December 2016, 76 399 national trademark registration applications were filed. During this period, 63 353 trademarks were registered in the Register of Trademarks of the Republic of Lithuania, of which 36 166 registrations are valid.
Since 1997, 58 584 notifications were received from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) regarding the extension of protection of international trademark registrations in Lithuania. After examination, 56 135 decisions to grant protection were adopted
New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies and plans mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks
Main areas of trademark information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year
Back office - the full implementation of this project was on the first months of 2016 . The Back Office is a workflow-based system for handling trademarks and designs throughout the whole life cycle of the process from application to registration and publication
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and registrations with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
2 539 national trademarks were registered. 2 241 (88 %) applicants of those trademarks are from Lithuania and 298 (12 %) – foreign applicants.
Foreign applicants represent Belarus, USA, Germany, Latvia, Switzerland and other countries.
Last year, 1 454 international trademark registrations were granted protection in the Republic of Lithuania. This is the smallest number of extensions of international registrations of trademarks in Lithuania over the last five years.
The majority of holders of extensions of international trademark registrations in Lithuania are from Russia (143), Switzerland (134), Ukraine (76), Germany (66), and France (65).
1 140 international trademarks filed on the basis of a Lithuanian application or registration were registered in the International Trademark Register of the WIPO.
Year end 2016, 75 200 national or international registrations of trademarks and 1 325 777 Community trademarks registered in the EU Register of Community Trademarks were valid in Lithuania.
In 2016, 1 063 rights transfer and 40 license agreements were entered in the Register of Trademarks of the Republic of Lithuania.
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
Statistics are accessed at :
http://www.vpb.gov.lt/docs/20150206_1.pdf
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
Current SPB information and support options are:
1. Via website: http://www.vpb.lt/index.php?l=EN
2. via telephone: +370 5 278 0290, fax: +370 5 275 0723
3. via e-mail: info@vpb.gov.lt
Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
Together with the new system the electronic services have been extended; now the applicant can not only submit the application for registration of a new IP right, but also can make requests for other actions, review the status of the documents, find the history reports.Electronic applications, signed by the person or his representative, have the same legal effect as paper-based documents. SPB issued documents will also be submitted electronically and signed with an electronic signature. For the submission of electronic documents, no special electronic equipment is required. The electronic application can be made via the SPB secure access website http://www.vpb.gov.lt/ or e-government gates http://www.epaslaugos.lt/
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 State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania uses the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification ) 10th edition and International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (Vienna Classification) 7th edition.
Matters concerning processing of different types of non-traditional marks (e.g., three-dimensional, motion, hologram, color mark, etc.)
Other activities
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 2017, the following publications were issued:
2016 Annual Report of the Patent Office of the Republic of Lithuania
Statistics of the year 2016 on the legal protection of industrial property in the Republic of Lithuania
24 official bulletins of the SPB .
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online, URL), etc.
http://www.vpb.lt/index.php?l=en&n=245
24 official bulletins of the SPB
Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external documentation and databases
A new trademark and design administration system Linra, including new TMView and DesignView versions, data filing with the international databases, uploading the data of international trademarks, appeal and opposition data, and automatic generation of design and trademark bulletin was introduced in cooperation with EUIPO
Information products (coverage, medium, etc.) and services available to external users; conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
Database of the Trademarks of the Republic of Lithuania has been accessible on SPB website free of charge (http://www.vpb.lt/index.php?l=en&n=300).
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
A new trademark and design administration system Linra
Other sources
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
The operating system of the computer network management was upgraded (Windows Server 2012)
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Windows Server 2012
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
A new trademark and design administration system Linra, including new TMView and DesignView versions, data filing with the international databases, uploading the data of international trademarks, appeal and opposition data, and automatic generation of design and trademark bulletin was introduced in cooperation with EUIPO.
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
A new trademark and design administration system Linra
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
Database of the Trademarks of the Republic of Lithuania has been accessible on SPB website (http://www.vpb.lt/index.php?l=en&n=300).
Other matters
V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF TRADEMARK INFORMATION
Office's library (if deals with trademark information): equipment, collection management, network of libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign libraries
Publications related to different business procedures and trademark information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
As every year, in 2017 the SPB prepared an annual review publication containing statistics for 2016
Cooperation with universities, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
in 2016 SPB with WIPO started a pilot project called “Baltic States Pilot Project for the Development of a Regional Pool of IP Commercialization Experts” where 17 universities from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia take part. This is a capacity building program for regional professionals to develop necessary competences in the area of knowledge transfer and IP commercialization. As a result, a regional pool of experts and a cooperation network between Baltic universities will be established. The project will be carried out from 2016 to 2017.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
According to the Cooperation Agreement between SPB and EUIPO for 2016, the seminar for judges of national courts of Lithuania “IPR infringements, confiscation and Internet” took place on October 19-20, 2016.
Round table discussions with business representatives on Trade Marks and Designs protection in the EU were organized by the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania in cooperation with 6 regional chambers for industry, trade and crafts - Vilnius, Kaunas, Marijampolė, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Alytus. This activity helped to fix the knowledge already acquired as well as to gain new information about the developments in the field of trademarks and designs in the EU.
Specialists from the SPB met with local business representatives, mainly small and medium enterprises, invited to round table discussions by 6 regional chambers for industry, trade and craft in different cities of Lithuania.. The SPB shared information on trade mark and design protection in the EU for actual and potential users of EUTM and RCD systems. Employees of the SPB showed in practice how to use the European Union trademarks and designs databases, E-filling tools, getting the audience acquainted with "TMview" and "Designview" and information that can be found in these databases, replied to questions concerning the main steps obtaining registered rights for trademarks or design, showed how to fill online application form, classify of goods and services, etc.
Regional conference "Intellectual Property and Sports" was organized in the framework of bilateral cooperation Agreement between the EUIPO and the SPB for 2016 and in cooperation with the WIPO, the Department of Physical Education and Sports under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and National Olympic Committee of Lithuania.
National seminar “Trade Mark protection reform in the EU: challenges and opportunities” was organized by the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania at 19 December, 2016 in Vilnius.
Other activities
N/A
VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF TRADEMARK INFORMATION
International exchange of trademark information in machine-readable form (e.g., Official Gazettes)
SPB Official Bulletin has been published in an electronic format and has been accessible on SPB website (http://www.vpb.lt/index.php?l=en&n=245).
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to trademark information
In 2016 the SPB participated in the projects of the OHIM Cooperation Fund (CF) . Part of the projects is related with access to industrial property information and its simplification.
Assistance to developing countries
N/A
Other activities