Annual Technical Report 2010 on Industrial Design Information Activities submitted by Poland (CWS/ATR/ID/2010/PL)
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 expression "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models. Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in this series of Annual Technical Reports.
I. Evolution of registration activities
Changes experienced in terms of application filings and grants (registrations) with respect to the previous year
In terms of IT changes, during 2010 design on-line filings served applicants. The facility is available under the Polish Patent Office's Online Services Portal (http://ipu.uprp.pl)
Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year
In 2010, The Polish Patent Office received 1,732 industrial design applications, which is 6.8% less than in 2009. 1,692 decisions were issued, including 1,583 positive ones. After paying a fee,
1,248 industrial designs have been assigned numbers and entered into the Register. 1,494 certificates of registration of industrial designs were issued.
The Patent Office received from domestic applicants 18 applications for Community Industrial Designs, which were transmitted to the Office of Harmonisation for the Internal Market.
The number of industrial design registration rights in force on 31 December 2010 was 2,308.
In terms of IT changes virtualization of servers and personal workstations based on the blade-type servers was performed.
Brand-new PPO's website to launch in 2011.
Works on the MS Sharepoint Services solution for the Intranet purposes were completed.
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to industrial designs
- Statistics are accessed at the following URLs:
http://www.uprp.pl (Annual Reports)
- Detailed statistics may be bespoke provided (write to http://ipu.uprp.pl/portal/web/guest/kontakt).
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of industrial design documents and of secondary sources of industrial design information, i.e., official gazettes
Publishing, including printing, copying techniques and electronic printing
Registered industrial designs are published monthly in the Office's Official Gazette on paper carrier and in PDF format on the PPO's Online Services Portal.
Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of industrial design information
The Polish Patent Office's second level Official Gazette ("Wiadomości Urzedu Patentowego" - where industrial design registrations are published, among others) is forthwith available free of charge in PDF format on the Online Services Portal (http://ipu.uprp.pl/portal/web/guest/publikacje.
In 2010, there were 1,316 announcements published on registered industrial designs.
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 web site.
Mass storage media and microforms used
Online filled design applications are immediately directed to the electronic treatment and dissemination. Paper cases are turned into electronic files. Although paper has a gradual decrease as a carrier, paper files are also kept for each application.
Databases and office automation
Industrial design data is stored on the WZOPRZEM and TULIPAN internal databases where image information and bibliographic details are held.
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online industrial design gazettes and to other sources of industrial design information, including download of bulk industrial design data
- Online Services Portal with access to patent gazettes, classifications, e-filings and patent attorney's directory: http://ipu.uprp.pl
- IP information on industrial designs: http://www.uprp.pl/English/PPOs+databases
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of industrial design information according to the classification systems applied
Classification and reclassification activities; Classification system used, e.g., International Classification for Industrial Designs (Locarno Classification), other classification (please indicate whether industrial designs are classified by your Office and, if so, which classification is used)
Annex No. 3 to the Ordinance of the President of the Council of Ministers of 30 January 2002 (as ammended, Official Journal No 40, item 358 and No 106 item 893 of 2005) on filing and considering industrial designs applications applies in the Polish Patent Office in the scope of industrial designs.
PPO uses its own classification based on the 6th edition of Locarno Classification. The existing files are not reclassified. Application documents are scanned and indexed.
Locarno Classification with many searching and retrieval possibilities is published on the Online Services Portal of the PPO.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
File building
The paper file is kept for each design application. Information is stored on our internal databases and within the file.
Updating
Registered designs on search systems are updated monthly.
Storage, including mass storage media
Mass storage media: hard disks, disk arrays, CD-ROMs, DVDs, paper (until complete replacement by the electronic storage).
Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file
Community Designs are considered, thus the RDC-Online and the Hague-Express systems are consulted.
V. Activities in the field of computerized search systems for industrial designs
In-house systems (online/offline)
The Office has its own internal search and retrieval systems (WZOPRZEM and TULIPAN) with access restricted exclusively to examiners. The system offers procedural data concerning designs in the course of the whole procedure.
External databases
The Office's web site and the Online Services Portal offer facilities for accessing Polish designs. Functionality is offered to customers to receive periodic information, information on procedure and fees and procedural information from the PPO's databases.
Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), data carriers used
- Workstations run under Windows XP environments, and server's operational systems are Microsoft Windows Server 2003, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 and Debian 5 GNU/Linux. The SAN mass storage network was configured in order to make disk-arrays available to the computing systems. All of workstations are secured by McAfee antivirus and antispam system. All network connections are based on CISCO and Alcatel equipment with 20 Mb 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 Tivoli Storage Management, 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.
- Back office hardware located in secured/zoned Data Centre with fire alarm and CTV system, redundant air-conditioning and technical floor.
- Modernization of the software edge firewall. In 2010, the upgraded version of Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway was installed which has new jobs in protection and inspection of malicious software from infected systems.
VI. Administration of industrial design information products and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, registering designs, assisting clients with search procedures, obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
Planning, administration, automation, security
Applications for design registration can be made electronically, by post, by fax or in person at the Office's premises.
Both paper and electronic collections are located in our main building and are thus secure.
Collection management, preservation
In addition to manual search facilities, the PPO's and the Online Services Portal websites provide information relating to design registrations including forms and fees, legal decisions, guides for applicants. Information is also available from the Office's Information Unit.
Full text specifications of industrial designs registered in the PPO organised in classified collections were displayed for the users in the Office's Library.
Information services available to the public (including computerized services and search files contained in libraries remote from your Office and industrial design information posted by your Office on the World Wide Web)
- The Office continues to offer its services on designs via Online Services Portal at: http://ipu.uprp.pl
- Databases: http://www.uprp.pl/English/PPOs+databases
- The latest Locarno classification edition is offered at: http://ipu.uprp.pl/
URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of industrial design applications
http://ipu.uprp.pl
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and registration procedures related to industrial designs; opposition and appeal procedures related to industrial designs; etc.
Information on filings, post-grant procedure, opposition and appeal procedures, etc. are in detail described within specific sections of our website which is also linked to our search services and databases.
http://www.uprp.pl - continues at: http://ipu.uprp.pl (Online Services Portal).
Variety of guides and other information materials are offered in PDF format through the Office website.
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., industrial design search service(s) and industrial design databases), as well as information on how to access and utilize them
Description of information products and services is announced in relevant parts of our web site, and users are then directed to our services where the description continues, either in editorial part, or in help files. See also information directly above.
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of industrial design documentation and information
International or regional cooperation in the exchange of industrial design information, e.g., in the form of official gazettes
n/a
Exchange of machine-readable information, e.g., data contained on CD-ROM or magnetic tape
There is no such exchange of information.
VIII. Matters concerning education and training, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)
Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)
In 2010, within industrial property protection the PPO organised or participated in the following events:
- Conference "Women's Innovation and Creativity for Economic Growth" organized in Warsaw by the Patent Office in cooperation, with WIPO, among others.
- Conference on World Intellectual Property Day "Protection of Geographical Indications" organised in Warsaw in cooperation with WIPO and Ministry of Agriculure and Rural Development.
- 6th International Symposium "Industrial Property in Innovative Economy" in Krakow.
- Annual "Scientific Picnic" of the Bis Radio and Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw (the PPO's informational - promotional stand).
- International Fairs in Poznan (the PPO's informational - promotional stand).
- International Conference "Inter-regional experts meeting on traditional knowledge in countries in transition" organised in cooperation with WIPO.
- International Conference and Fairs "Oil and Gas 2010" held in Warsaw (informational - promotional stand).
- Fairs of Industrial Technology, Science and Innovation "Technicon Innovations 2010" in Gdansk (informational - promotional stand).
- International workshops "Intellectual Property and Effective Management of its Assets" organised in cooperation with WIPO on the premises of the Patent Office.
- Ceremony of prize award in the 8th 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 industrial property organized by the Patent Office.
Within the scope of promotional activities the Polish Patent Office continued participation in the IPeuropAware project which is part of the EU Framework Programme "Competitiveness and Innovation - 2007-2013". The following promotional activities, to name a few, were completed:
- Information about Poland's IP was available online on the project's site: www.innovacess.eu.
- Two seminars entitled "How to Protect Intellectual and Industrial Property" promoting the project, were held in Bydgoszcz and Bialystok.
- Signposting directory was developed in English, including contact data of entities in the scope of intellectual property.
- A brochure was prepared promoting the project in the number of 500 copies for distribution among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.
Under agreement with the National Economic Chamber, the PPO also published and distributed the following publications aimed at the promotion of knowledge on the importance of Intellectual Property Protection:
- "Industrial Property Protection at a Glance" - 28,000 copies.
- "Copyright" - 27,000 copies.
Training courses for national and foreign participants
Every year, the Polish Patent Office organises trainings to raise professional skills of its staff.
In 2010, after completing two-year training, 13 Office's employees obtained examiner's qualifications and 9 employees, who completed their training and passed the qualifying examinations, obtained assistant examiner's qualifications.
Additionally, language courses for PPO employees (languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian) were organised.
Within the framework of the training program for the PPO employees and patent attorneys 5 lectures for 70 participants were given by external experts in innovation and industrial property.
Moreover, 240 staff members benefited from many specialist training courses organised by professional educational centres such as: National School of Public Administration, Institute of Accountancy and Taxes, Mazovian Voivodeship Centre for Personnel Training to name a few. The subject matter of the trainings included the issues of public procurement, administrative proceedings management, finances, information technologies and labour law.
Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)
n/a
IX.Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:
provide information on legislation related to industrial designs
Legislation: http://www.uprp.pl/
contain the Annual Report of the Office
Annual Reports (the content has both EN and PL versions): http://www.uprp.pl/
if necessary, provide further information related to the topics referred to in the current ATR
n/a
provide open source codes related to industrial design information systems
n/a
contain industrial design-related news regarding the Office
http://www.uprp.pl (News)
X. Other relevant matters
In 2010, the incident and assistance managing system to users of our IT system was effectively carried out by the ServiceDesk solution - consistent with the ITIL practice.