Annual Technical Report 2003 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Georgia (SCIT/ATR/PI/2003/GE)
Where URLs are requested below, it is preferred that either URLs which are likely to remain stable over time (three years or more) are provided, or home (main) page URLs are provided with a short explanation of how to access the corresponding information.
The term "patent" covers utility models and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs). Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in their Annual Technical Reports on Industrial Design Information Activities.
I. Evolution of patent activities
978 applications were filed in 2003 of which:
---- 365 applications were for inventions; and
---- 113 applications were for utility models.
Of the 365 applications for inventions, 194 applications were filed by domestic applicants, 171 applications were filed by foreign applicants of which
---- 166 applications were filed under Patent Cooperation Treaty procedure;
---- 162 applications claimed convention priority
---- 5 applications claimed grant of an Imported Patent.
Most of the applications filed by domestic applicants pertain to the IPC class A – 74 applications, class B – 33 applications, class F – 29 applications, and class C – 24 applications.
Most of the applications filed by foreign applicants pertain to the IPC classes A and C, 55 and 92 applications respectively.
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, distribution and use of primary and secondary sources of patent information
All patent documents are published in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property which is issued monthly. Documents are initially prepared on personal workstations of examiners, whereafter they are forwarded via Local Area Network to the Publication division for final processing and printing. Official Bulletins are printed and copied using Rhysograph and powerful Xerox copiers.
The Bulletins are published also on CD disks and on the Office Website.
Patent documents are prepared with MS Office software products and the Office Patent Database management system. All workstations are equipped with Pentium III or Pentium IV PC computers, personal scanners and printers.
III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents
Documents are classified using IPC classification. Other classifications are not in use.
It is possible to conduct searches in patent bibliographic data with the Office patent database.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
All documents are maintained in the Office library on paper. They are kept as numerical and classified collections which are regularly updated.
Various Official Bulletins from other International Property Offices of the world are also kept in the library.
The library is also equipped with two workstations having access to the Office patent database and the Internet.
V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems
In 2003 the Office continued the development and implementation of the updated automation system on the basis of database management system –Oracle Database Server. The system core as well as other main components of the Local Area Network is located in a special hall for servers. The system uses one control 1Gbit switch and three 100 Mbit switches. The Local Area Network was upgraded with some new Ethernet connections. As a result, every end user has got 100 Mbit access capability to the database server.
The server complex includes updated servers and a central network switch. It is protected against fire and equipped with temperature sensors. These novel servers represent Sun fire 780 servers operating with Sun Solaris 9 operating system.
The database management system installed on the servers is 64 bits Oracle 9 I Database. As a whole, these three components, in particular, 64 bits server, 64 bits operating system and 64 bits data management system, allow enhanced performance so as to satisfy completely the needs of the Office information system.
Almost every workstation has access to the Internet through which external patent databases are accessible. In special instances access to some commercial databases, such as Quested Orbit, Delphion, STN and Micropat is also available.
VI. Administration of the industrial property office library and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, for assisting clients on searching procedures, for obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information
All Official Bulletins stored on CD discs (trilingual versions) are exchanged with various Intellectual Property Offices worldwide. These bulletins are stored in MS Word format. Priority documents are received on paper, however, it is planned to receive them on CDROMs
VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries
The Office is well equipped with audiovisual means for conducting seminars and training courses. Some seminars were held in 2003 for the Office staff, namely on the following topics:
Patent Protection of Computer Technologies and Business Methods;
Patents and their Protection Capabilities.
Power Point presentations were mainly used as visual means for training purposes.
Several members of the examination staff members attended seminars abroad concerning the aspects of examination of applications and protection of intellectual property in the biotechnology and medicine fields.
The Office began to publish journal "Intellectual Property" containing papers on all spheres of intellectual property. It is published on paper and on the Website in PDF format (full texts). The authors of the papers are mainly the Office staff members. The new journal provides great aid to the public, among which are patent professionals, in obtaining useful educational materials.
Apart from publishing, the Office permanently provides consultations to applicants as concerns applications drafting, novelty searches, etc. To those willing to submit PCT applications in electronic format technical means are available free of charge in the Receiving Office.
IX. Other relevant 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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