SCIT.ATR.PI.2005.PL

Annual Technical Report 2005 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Poland (SCIT/ATR/PI/2005/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 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

Changes experienced in terms of application filings and grants with respect to the previous year

The provisions of Industrial Property Act of 17 December 2004 (as amended on 27 July 2005 and 28 July 2005) applied in the field of industrial property protection in 2005.

Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year

In 2005 the Polish Patent Office received:
• 2227 patent applications under national procedure, among which domestic applications constituted the number of 2.028 and foreign applications-199.
• 89 PCT applications in order to initiate the procedure for patent protection abroad
• 40 applications for European Patent
• 139.237 designations of Poland in international patent applications (i.e. 13,1% more than in 2004). 4.336 entered into examination phase in PPO.
5.099 decisions were made (4.467 in 2004), including 2.507 decisions on granting patents (2.470 in 2004)
Number of patents in effect on 31 December 2005 was 14.578
• 640 utility model applications under national procedures, i.e. 5.8 % fewer than in 2004, including 40 foreign utility model applications. 1.914 decisions were taken (1650 in 2004), including 1535 to grant protection rights (1268 in 2004).
• No integrated circuit topography was filed.
• No geographical indication application was filed. Polish Patent Office considered one geographical indication application of 2004 and took negative decision on its registration.
In 2005 Polish Patent Office introduced the system of online filing for European patents.

II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, distribution and use of primary and secondary sources of patent information

Publishing, printing, copying (main types of publications of the office in the field of patent information, etc.)

In 2005 the following publications were issued:
a) periodicals
• “Biuletyn Urzędu Patentowego” (“Patent Office Bulletin”-bi-weekly) 26 number, i.e. 11.815 copies
• “Wiadomości Urzędu Patentowego” (Patent Office’s Announcements- monthly) 12 numbers, i.e. 5.275 copies
• “Dziennik Urzędowy UPRP” (The PPO Journal-annual) 80 copies
• 2004 Annual Report of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland, 700 copies
• “Wykaz patentów na wynalazki, udzielonych przez UPRP w 2004 roku” (Index of patents granted in the Polish Patent Office in 2004 ), annual, 2 volumes, 160 copies
• “Wykaz wzorów użytkowych na które UPRP udzielił prawa ochronnego w 2004r.” (Index of utility models which were granted protection in the PPO in 2004), annual, 80 copies
• Patent Specifications 2400 (titles) -85.482 copies
b) non periodicals, single brochure publications:
• International Patent Classification, VIII edition, Division A - 400 copies
• Patent Classification Treaty (PCT). Single text of the regulation to the PCT, 500 copies
• English-Polish Dictionary of Patent Documentation and Information Terms, 1000 copies
• International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks. Vienna Classification. V edition, 600 copies
• Inventor’s Guide. Rules of preparing documentation for patent and utility models applications, 1000 copies
• Single Regulations of the Industrial Property Law, 500 copies
• Poland in the European Patent Organisation, 500 copies
For the "Patent Office Bulletin" publication there were 10392 abstracts of patent specifications and 647 abstracts of utility model applications prepared.

Mass storage media used (paper, microforms, optical storage, etc.)

The PPO used the following carriers of patent documentation storage: CD-ROM discs, DVD, paper, microfilm, microfiches, with a gradual decrease of microform and paper carriers.

(New) techniques used for the generation of patent information (printing, recording, photocomposing, etc.)

The constantly modernized publication system enables production of the Office’s publications on its own. The publishing process was based on the DTP system and covered preparation of data contained in the Office’s database, text editing and typesetting in InDesign 3.0 programme. Printing was performed on the offset machine and digital reproducer. Publications were book bound in the last phase. Patent specifications are scanned in OCR technique. Preparation for printing is made in Word programme and printing itself on digital network machines.
“Biuletyn Urzędu Patentowego” (“Patent Office Bulletin”) and “Wiadomości Urzędu Patentowego” (Patent Office’s Announcements) are presented in PDF format on the PPO website. Those online versions of the publications are accessible free of charge.

III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents

Classification and reclassification activities; Classification system used, e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC), other classification (please indicate whether or not patent documents are classified by your Office and, if so, which classification is used)

In 2005 the current VIII edition of IPC was applied in PPO, both at the stage of classifying new applications and on currently published patent documents.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

In 2005 building of Polish and foreign patent documentation file on CD-ROM, DVD, optical discs, paper and microfilms was continued.

File building

The increase of patent documentation was as follows:
a) foreign patent documentation:
- 4.600 titles on paper
- 2149.800 optical discs CD-ROM,DVD (1.574 cassettes) containing descriptions of patent and utility model applications, patent specifications.They are a continuation of patent documentation from 20 countries and 2 international organisations.
b) Polish patent specifications
-9.500 on paper
- 381 on microfiches
At the end of December 2005 the total number of patent documentation in the serach files constituted:
-31.716 patent documents on CD-ROMS and DVD
-13.183 patent documents on paper

Updating

In 2005 the PPO continued collecting, storing, and preparing patent and technical literature purchased, subscribed or exchaged:
- purchasing and introduction of 197 volumes of books were into the ZBILNI database
-registration and providing access to 3.303 booklets of patent, technical and legal literature on paper

V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems

In-house systems (online/offline)

In 2005 the following search systems were used:
-working on-line and based on the BAZPAT database for the needs of application filings and granting procedures
-the system of patent and utility model applications
-the system of patent searching
-fee control system
-utility model searching
EPTOS (online filing, Phoenix)

External databases

-PPO internet home page
-databases on subjects of indusrial property filed and protected in Poland
-in co-operation with the EPO-providing information stored in the esp@cenet via the Polish interface

Administrative management systems (e.g., register, legal status, statistics, administrative support, etc.)

Systems operating off-line:
-law information system
-patent attorneys information system
-finance-accounting system
-system supporting access to the databases on CD-ROMs containing the files of full text specifications, bibliographic data and abstracts of patent specifications in the Office's library

Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used

Basic functions of servers:
- email and group work servers working on MS exchange 2003
- domain controller on Windows 2003 with DHCP, DNS
- rounting and firewall on MS ISA Server and CISCO PIX
- web page on the Microsoft Content Management Server
- Tivoli Storage Manager system of data backup 5.2
- Sophos Antivirus and Antispam email scanner
- application for databases searching - MIMOSA V 5, Patent
Webaccess, Patent WS, IRIS
The working applications were supported on the basis of the following tools:
- REVELATION- administration of external patent and utility model databases
- DB2 and JAVA- managing trademark and industrial design databases
- Pearl, PHP, C#.NET-creating of inter- and intra- websites
- IBM CONTENT MANAGER-manging the application documents of trademarks and industrial designs
- SQL SERVER and C#- managing the external database
- ULTRANET and IRIS-supporting net access to optical discs
- Adobe and Corel software for publishing purposes

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)

Planning, administration, automation, security, buildings

Our internal library and reading room are run by the Patent Literature Department and are accessible for (PPO employees and external users).
The available colllection includes PL abstracts, IPC, ECLA, but also other publications, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, official journals, etc.
Some of them are available on our web page.

Collecting, acquisitions, preparation

In 2005 in the field of organisation and upkeep of the files available to the Office's examiners and the public, the following documentation was included in the files:
- 2.149.800 copies of patent documents on optical discs CD-ROM and DVD containing abstracts of patent and utility model applications, from 20 countries and 2 international organisations
- 9.500 copies of Polish patent specifications on paper
-381 titles of Polish patent specifications on microfiches
- 4.600 titles of foreign patent specifications on paper
- 1.800 copies of Polish utility models' specifications
- 12.000 cards of patent and utility model application abstracts published in the "Patent Office's Bulletin" and not published or given a negative decision
- creating of class collection out of number collection of patent specifications of the United States of America in accordance with the V edition of IPC, in the amount of 169.400 copies.

Interlibrary lending, resource sharing, networks of patent libraries in the country

Within the co-operation with the patent information centres in Poland, the Office continued supplying them with foreign and Polish patent documentation and literature. In 2005 the Office sent:
-1.203 discs with full text databases on CD-ROMs
-52 discs with patent literature
-288copies of patent bulletins
-3.242 copies of Polish utility models and industrial design specifications
-1.352 copies of "Bulletin of the Patent Office"
-744 copies of the "Announcements of the Patent Office"
-47 copies of the "Official Journal"
-70 copies of "Index of patents granted in the Polish Patent Office in 2004"
-34 copies of "Index of utility models granted protection in the PPO in 2004"
-47 copies of regulations to the Industrial Property Law
-45.162 full texts of Polish patent specifications

Information services available to the public (including computerized services and search files contained in libraries remote from your Office and patent information posted by your Office on the World Wide Web)

Within the services rendered for the users the following were made accessible:
- 4.900 files with foreign patent documentation and 12.600 copies of single Polish and foreign patent specifications, 600 volumes of books and 900 booklets. Free access to Polish and world patent documentation
- 23.960 retrievals on the bibliographic databases on CD-ROM for 2.384 users

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information

International or regional cooperation in the exchange of machine-readable information, e.g., bibliographic data, abstract and/or full text information

In 2005 an exchange of patent documentation and information with foreign patent offices was continued. We sent to libraries abroad:
- to 36 countries - 432 copies of "Announcements of the Patent Office"
- to 16 countries - 416 copies of "Bulletin of the Patent Office"
- to 21 countries - 44 copies of "Index of patents granted in 2004" (volume I and II)
- to 18 countries - 18 copies of "Index of utility models granted in 2004"
- to 6 countries - 14.784 copies of full text Polish patent specifications

Medium used for exchange of priority documents

Paper

Medium allowed for filing applications

Paper

Implementation of the Statement of Principles Concerning the Changeover to Electronic Data Carriers for the Exchange of Patent Documents (please provide a status report on the extent to which your Office has changed over to electronic data carriers for the exchange of patent documents)

Polish Patent Literature is contained on the Preces disc and the exchange is conducted together with the Hungarian Patent Office.

VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries

Training courses for national and foreign participants, use of audiovisual means

Training on the patent information included among others:
- participation of PPO employees in trainings organised by the European Patent Office (29 people)
The trainings focused on issues, such as: International Patent Classification, EPOQUE, appeal procedures in EPO, SOPRANO CS and EPTOS, "ST.XML"
The conferences included the following subjects: intellectual value as an economic value, EPOLINE, quality in the European patent system
Every year Polish Patent Office organises trainings to raise proffessional skills of its staff. In 2005 the following activities were conducted:
-17 newly employed underwent civil service training and 24 employees took internal civil service examination
-52 PPO employees participated in trainings organised by national training centres, such as : National School of Public Administration, Provincial Center for Staff Training, Office of the Civil Service etc. The subjects of the trainings included: " Illness and Family Benefits", "Last Amendments in the Labour Law", "Public Procurement Law", "European Integration", "New Aspects of Patent Protection"
-language courses for PPO employees (languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian)
-one person participated in a one semester language course organised by National School of Public Administration
-through examination procedures 2 people acquired examiner qualifications, 16 people assessor qualifications
-4 employees started post-graduate education, 14 graduate education, one person high school education
-3 lectures were organised with 170 participants in total: "Infringement of trademark law without the use of goods", "Diplomatic Protocol", "Nanotechnology"
In 2005 Polish Patent Office organised trainings for legal trainees and students from different institutions if higher educaion, such as Catholic University in Lublin or Technical Military Academy as well as for 7 graduates appointed by the Employment Office.

Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)

In 2005 within industrial property protection the following events were organised:
-Nationwide conference "Poland in the European Patent Organisation. New Goals and Prospects"
-Informational -promotional stand in the Museum of Technic in Warsaw during the 9th Exhibition of Inventions awarded at international exhibitions in 2004
-Nationawide conference on World Intellectual Property Day
-Promotional stand of PPO at the PATLIB 2005 conference
-Informational-promotional stand at the European Exhibition of Patents and Inventions in the Field of Iron Metallurgy, held in Ostrava, Czech Republic
-Joint stand, together with EPO at International Fairs in Poznan
During the fairs a forum of engineers "Innovativeness in Machine and Agricultural Industry " took place
-Promotional stand at the Science Picnic of BIS Polish Radio
-Symposium of Baltic Countries on "Patent System and Innovativeness of Economy" organised jointly by EPO, Jagiellonski University and Krakow Technical University
Seminar for employees of PPO and Patent Information Centres "Cooperation with the European Patent Office"
-Seminar for patent attorneys from universities and academies in Cedzyna
-Informational/promotional stand at IV International Exhibition of Patents "Innovations" in Gdansk
-X Nationwide Conference for Patent Information Centres
-2-day Seminar for EPO member states organised by PPO and European Patent Academy "Supplementary Protection Certificates"
-Promotional stand at the EPIDOS-PATINOVA 05 International Conference organised by EPO in Budapest
-Seminar in Zielona Gora attended by the employees of PPO and other
scientific and industrial institutions
-Awards ceremony of the winners of the 2nd edition of Competitions organised by the Patent Office for the best poster, doctoral and master's thesis and student dissertation on the industrial property protection.

IX. Other relevant matters