Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities in 2014 submitted by State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova
I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of patent information activities and expected time frames for their realization
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 patent information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
After entry into force, on 4 October 2008, of the Law of the Republic of Moldova No. 50-XVI of 07.03.2008 on the Protection of Inventions, their protection became possible by both patent for invention (PI) and short-term patent for invention (STPI). At the same time, it was stopped the receiving of applications for the issue of patents under the responsibility of the applicant and of applications for the registration of utility models. Protection of inventions by short-term patent for invention proved very attractive to national applicants, namely due to:
- the simpler, faster and cheaper procedure, compared with the protection by patent for invention granted with the substantive examination of the application, on the one hand, and
- the extension of categories of objects that can be protected by this way, compared with the protection by utility model, on the other hand.
During 2014, 297 patent applications for invention were filed with the AGEPI, with 12 applications less than in 2013.
In exchange, the gap between the number of PI applications and that of STPI applications filed substantially decreased. Thus, 47% of the applicants opted for STPI and 53% – for PI (in 2013 this ratio was 31:69%). However, in the case of national applicants was kept the same ratio between the number of applications for PI and applications for STPI, which was 30:70%.
In the following the statistical data relating to both types of applications and titles of protection are presented both cumulatively and separately, to highlight the trends, differences or similarities between them.
In the year under review, AGEPI received 139 PI applications and 158 – STPI applications, with 43 more and, respectively, 55 fewer than in 2013. More than half of applications for PI (77) and all applications for STPI were filed under the national procedure.
Foreign applicants filed in total 74 patent applications, with 43 more than in 2013, of which directly with the AGEPI were filed 10 applications for PI and 2 applications for STPI. Under the PCT procedure came 62 PI applications, with 42 more than in the previous year. Increase in the number of applications filed by foreign applicants and especially in the number of applications filed under the PCT procedure is explained by the fact that after denunciation (entered into force on 26.04.2012) by the Republic of Moldova of the Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPC), foreign applicants seeking to patent their inventions in the Republic of Moldova can do this only by international way under the PCT procedure or direct submission of applications to AGEPI.
Similar to the previous period, most of applications (223 or 75%) came from the national applicants, including 67 (48%) of PI applications and 156 (99%) of STPI applications filed.
The weight of applications proceeded from natural persons decreased compared to the previous year by 2 percentage points, constituting 41% of the number of applications filed by applicants from the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, their number (91 applications: 27 – for PI and 64 – for STPI) decreased by circa 24% compared with 2013.
In total, during the period 1993-2014, 7,050 patent applications for inventions (5,878 applications for PI and 1172 applications for STPI) were filed with AGEPI, of which 6,206 (88%) came from national applicants, and 844 (12%) - from foreign applicants.
In the reference year, national applicants filed via AGEPI, as the receiving office, 3 applications for patenting abroad by the PCT route (with 2 more than in the previous year). In total, in the range between 1995 and 2014, were filed 108 applications for patenting abroad – 46 by the PCT route and 62 by regional route under the Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPC).
Filed patent applications relate to the following sections of the International Patent Classification (IPC):
••C (Chemistry. Metallurgy) − 79 (57%);
••A (Human Necessities) − 33 (24%);
••F (Mechanical Engineering. Lighting. Heating; etc.) − 7 (5%);
••G (Physics) − 5 (3%);
••H (Electricity) − 5 (3%);
••E (Fixed Constructions) − 5 (3%);
••B (Performing Operations. Transporting) − 4 (2.5%);
••D (Textiles; Paper) – 1 (0.5%).
According to statistical data, the distribution of STPI applications by sections is as follows:
••A (Human Necessities) − 86 (54%);
••B (Performing Operations. Transporting) − 11 (7%);
••C (Chemistry. Metallurgy) − 15 (9.5%);
••F (Mechanical Engineering. Lighting. Heating; etc.) − 15 (9.5%);
••G (Physics) − 19 (12%);
••H (Electricity) − 8 (5%);
••E (Fixed Constructions) − 3 (2%);
••D (Textiles. Paper) – 1 (1%).
In the period under review, as a result of examination of patent applications, were adopted 294 decisions, of which 205 (70%) – for the grant of patents, 39 (13%) – for rejection and 50 (17%) – for withdrawal of applications.
In the reference year AGEPI issued 188 titles of protection for inventions (54 - PI and 134 - STPI). Throughout the activity period, AGEPI issued 4,837 titles of protection for inventions (4,083 PI and 754 STPI), of which 4,337 (90%) –to national owners and 501 (10%) - to foreign owners. Of the total number of patents issued by AGEPI, 947 patents (384 PI and 563 STPI) were valid on 31 December 2014.
In total, 4,526 patents were valid in the Republic of Moldova on 31 December 2014, of which 3,592 – Eurasian patents (79%).
In accordance with Article 97(3) of Law no. 50/2008, utility models (UM), registered in the Republic of Moldova before the entry into force of said Law, remain valid and may be renewed, even if the receipt of UM registration applications was ceased. On 31 December 2014, of the total number of 185 issued UM registration certificates were valid 13, all being renewed.
Utility models
In accordance with Article 97(3) of Law no. 50/2008, utility models (UM), registered in the Republic of Moldova before the entry into force of said Law, shall remain valid and may be renewed, even if the receipt of UM registration applications was ceased. On 31 December 2014, of the total number of 185 issued UM registration certificates were valid 13, all being renewed.
Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
During 2014, 297 patent applications for invention were filed with the AGEPI, with 12 applications less than in 2013.
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
The most important office notices and news regarding patents and other IP rights are provided directly on the AGEPI website with access for the public www.agepi.gov.md.
As regard the general information about patents and other IP objects, their protection and related events organized in the view to promote them on the national and international level, the statistics data and their impact to the national economy, can be found in the Annual Report, published by AGEPI every year and distributed on the official web page: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/50
Statistics related to patents: http://agepi.gov.md/en/node/8459
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
All the necessary information regarding the filing on paper and/or e-filing, the applicants could find on our website http://agepi.gov.md/en/inventions/information-inventions-and-patents
Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
Applicants have a variety of methods to fill their applications: on paper, fax machine, e-filling, floppy discs, CD (DVD)-ROMs.
As regard the electronic filling of applications, they may use the following web pages:
https://e-servicii.agepi.gov.md/en
https://e-servicii.agepi.gov.md/files/help/Help_Solicitant_en.pdf
http://e-servicii.agepi.gov.md/en/user
Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), reclassification3 activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information
Starting with January 1st, 2006, AGEPI uses the advanced level of the IPC (the 8th Edition).
Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information contained in patent documents
The office translates the titles and abstracts into English and review the titles and abstracts provided by the applicant (in Romanian and Russian) and, if necessary, amends them accordingly to WIPO standard ST.12/A in order to ensure that the abstract contains the necessary information to be a useful search tool. The abstracts and titles are published in the Official Bulletin for patents and utility models applications and the granted protection titles is provided in 3 languages.
Other activities
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)
1) Paper
Patent applications:
The front page containing bibliographic data, the abstract and the drawings are printed. The original specifications are laid open to public inspection in the AGEPI library.
Patents:
The front page and the specification are printed, the incorporated drawings being scanned.
2) CD-ROM
National CD-ROM "Inventions of the Republic of Moldova, 1993-2013", containing bibliographic data and abstracts in 3 languages (Romanian, English and Russian) for patent applications; bibliographic data, abstracts and specifications for patents. This CD-ROM is renewed annually by adding the data for the last year.
3) CISPATENT - in conjunction with the IP Offices of several CIS countries (AM, BY,GE, RU, TJ, UZ, UA) and of the EAPO is issued this CD-ROM containing bibliographic data and abstracts in Romanian, English and Russian for patent applications and bibliographic data, abstracts in 3 languages and specifications in the original language for patents. The CD-ROM is issued on a monthly basis; there is also a yearly issue. Starting from January 2014 the CISPATENT CD-ROM data are only available on RUPTO ftp server
4) On-line database. Full text search through national applications and patents, short-term applications and short-term patents or Utility Models are available on the on-line database located on the offices website: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/Search.aspx
At different stages of evolution of the application there can be found bibliographic data, description, claims, figures, cited references, search report, application and patents abstracts in 3 languages, Granted and Issued title of protection.
The database is updated monthly.
In 2014, it was developed the annual CD “Inventions protected in the Republic of Moldova. 1993-2013”.
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.
Official Bulletin on Industrial Property (BOPI). Bibliographic data and abstracts in Romanian, English, Russian and official notices are published in this official monthly newspaper.
The Bulletin appears on paper form and on the AGEPI website in PDF format: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/48
BOPI is also published and distributed on CD-ROM, on a monthly basis.
Announcements, notices and changes in the legal status or the patenting procedure also are published in the Official Bulletin on Industrial Property (BOPI).
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases
AGEPI has a complete classified paper collection of MD patent documents. This collection has been scanned and stored on file servers being available to our examiners. The full data relating to MD patent documents, excepting some of the old author certificates of the former URSS based patents, are stored in the internal database.
Full text search through national applications and patents, short-term applications and short-term patents or Utility Models are available on the on-line database located on the offices website: http://www.db.agepi.md/inventions/Search.aspx
The AGEPI has a CD/DVD-ROM collection containing published/granted US, FR, DE, CH, RU, WO, EP, EA, CISPATENT and other patent documents.
The online "patents" search database, can be used by examiners and other interested persons to search through the MD published patent applications/short term applications and granted patents/short term patents, as well as through utility models. There is also another online "Inventions" search database that contains bibliographic data of Certificates of authorship of the USSR that were published in the 1963-1992 period. The offline search database, is used by examiners in conducting the examining procedure by searching through all of the MD applications and patents.
- EAPATIS, administered by EAPO;
- Espacenet
- PATENTSCOPE
- RUPAT
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
Databases of patent documents provide users with vast possibilities and are important sources of information both for experts and inventors, and for any researcher or simple student, pupil who want to know more in the area of interest.
In these databases the search and consultation of documents is free of charge.
Each of them has a system helping and explaining the method for conducting searches, for information on data that can be obtained following the search in the respective databases:
1) State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI)
Inventions DB
Inventions DB (1963-1992)
2) WIPO Reference http://www.wipo.int/reference/
3) WIPO (PATENTSCOPE) http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/search/en/search.jsf
4) European Patent Office (EPO) esp@cenet Decisions of the EPO board of appeals
5) Cambia (BD Lens) http://www.lens.org/lens/
6) Rospatent DB FIPS
7) United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases
8) Free Patents Online, LLC http://www.freepatentsonline.com/search.html
9) Landon IP (BD Intellogist) http://www.intellogist.com/wiki/Main_Page
10) Intellogist Free Patent search http://www.intellogist.com/wiki/Category:Free_Patent_Search
11) Google Patents https://patents.google.com/
12) SumoBrain (Patents Online LLC) http://www.sumobrain.com/
13) PIUG http://wiki.piug.org/display/PIUG/Patent+Databases
14) Rolf Claessen's Chemistry Index Rolf Claessen's Chemistry Index
15) pat2pdf (Download U.S. patents) http://pat2pdf.org/
16) Japan Platform for Patent Information (J-PlatPat) J-PlatPat
17) Romanian State Office for Inventions and TradeMarks (OSIM) RoPatentSearch
18) German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) http://www.dpma.de/english/patent/application/index.html
19) Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) Canadian Patents Database
20) Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property Patents Database
21) UK Intellectual Property Office United Kingdom published patent applications
22) UKRPATENT http://base.ukrpatent.org/searchINV/
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., patent search service(s) and patent databases), as well as information on how to access and utilize them:
http://agepi.gov.md/en/services/information-services-provided-agepi of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
The legislation related to patents and protection of patent’s rights is available on official website www.agepi.gov.md
Other sources
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
The Patent Office uses Microsoft Office suite 2007 or 2010. All of the patent related information and documents are entered in MS Word trough internal in house built patent IT system. This system has several applications, like the main patent management application, fees management, patent validity, statistics applications, and also some data exporting tools. Upon opening, patent documents are automatically formatted and corrected (characters encoding, degree character's, appearance of Cyrillic letters in non Cyrillic words and vice-versa, etc). All of the other documents like correspondence letters, publication files, miscellaneous reports, etc. are generated using the same system. Although all of our patents are scanned once entered into archive we are planning to scan them upon arrival and to have a fully functional electronic dossier and electronic archive. We are also developing a system for the European applications that requested validation in Moldova.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Each expert has a personal computer with LCD monitor and DVD drive. Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 7 is used as operating system. All computers are connected via the 100 Mb/s or Gyga network into the Microsoft Active Directory 2008 Domain. Agency has a fiber channel link into the internet with 1 Gbps speed foreign traffic and each expert can use internet and has his own official e-mail address.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
Inventions department has several databases:
DB Inventions and short-term Inventions
DB Plant Varieties
DB Utility Models
Public Inventions, short-term Inventions and Utility Models DB
Public Plant Varieties DB
The public databases are updated monthly from internal databases.
Data from Inventions&short-term Inventions database and Utility Models database are sent monthly to RUPTO (for CISPATENT) and EPO (Inpadoc) and quarterly to WIPO (PCT national phase) and EAPO (Eapatis)
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
File building
File building of paper search files classified under the IPC and of the CD/DVD-ROM collections classified under years and countries are centralized at the office library. The patent documents and author certificates of the former URSS from 1924 up to 1992 are stored in National Technical Scientific Library (NTSL).
All MD patent documents are electronically stored and searchable for internal use; all published MD patent applications (abstracts) and patents (full text) are electronically searchable for external use.
Updating
Paper and some CD/DVD-ROM search files are updated monthly, several CD-DVD/ROM search files are updated yearly. Electronically searchable files for internal use are updated permanently depending of filings; electronically searchable files for external use are updated monthly.
Storage, including mass storage media
Patent documentation on paper is stored on shelves in the AGEPI archive, CD-DVD/ROM are stored in the library, electronic data are stored on Fileservers, and on magnetic tapes, for backup.
Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file
Eurasian published patent applications and granted patents are mandatory search files.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
The whole administration is built in "Patents" program and is performed by an Administrator from Patents Division, but also by a Database Administrator for a complete administration.
Other matters
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
The Library is a subdivision in AGEPI structure that provides information-library services in the field of intellectual property to beneficiaries. The AGEPI Library is the depository of the National Patent Collection of the Republic of Moldova. The Library has a reading room with the equipment necessary to use the information on various media and from various sources, including the Internet. Beneficiaries of services provided by the library are experts and other collaborators of AGEPI, and all interested persons outside the institution: counselors in intellectual property, researchers, inventors and rationalizers, teachers, students, etc.
At the Library visitors have the possibility to:
- consult, subscribe to or purchase the official publications of AGEPI in the field of intellectual property - BOPI, “Intellectus”, “AGEPI INFO”, etc., collections of laws and methodical literature in the field of intellectual property, CDs edited by AGEPI;
- obtain copies of the descriptions of inventions from patents for invention;
- get methodological assistance in searching for information in electronic DB;
- library-bibliographic servicing in “request-offer”, “information-express” regime, by complying with the bibliographic, thematic and factual references;
- participate in IP information promotion activities at local and national level.
Open hours for beneficiaries: From 9.00 to 16.00 Monday - Friday. Day without a program - Saturday and Sunday.
Based on bilateral agreements on exchange of information in the field of intellectual property, in the year 2014, AGEPI library has distributed free of charge the INTELLECTUS magazine and AGEPI-info to 37 local libraries placed within the main university educational institutions and 10 foreign libraries from Romania, Russian Federation, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Ukraine.
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
The AGEPI Library has collections of specialized literature structured according to objects of intellectual property, methodical and scientific literature, of legal, informative and cognitive character, including:
- Patents for Inventions protected in the Republic of Moldova - about 7500 units (see DB “Inventions”);
- Official Bulletins of Intellectual Property of IP Offices from 37 countries and 4 international organizations purchased under bilateral exchange - about 6000 units;
- Electronic databases on intellectual property (available on 01.01.2008) - 34 with a total of 23,744,839 of documents;
- Books in intellectual property, legal documents, normative acts, international treaties and agreements, dictionaries and encyclopedias in different branches of economy, official and methodical publications of AGEPI - about 5000 copies.
The new acquisitions of the AGEPI Library IP fund can be accessed on AGEPI web page: http://www.agepi.gov.md
Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
For the moment, AGEPI doesn’t provide foreign patent information in Romanian (local) language.
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
AGEPI has a constant relation with national institutions in the field, in particular with universities, research centers and innovation support centers. We have signed about 60 national agreements with national institutions, 20 of which are signed with the national universities and 40 with research centers, technology and innovation support centers. To promote the knowledge about the intellectual property and its protection, AGEPI is involved in organization of Round tables, seminars and trainings for the representatives of universities, research and technology centers.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
In the period under review, AGEPI participated as organizer and co-organizer of a large number of national events aimed to promote the intellectual property and the benefits for its protection. Here we have to mention 18 national exhibitions in the framework of which the AGEPI experts have participated with reports, about 55 seminars, training courses, organized for public and educational institutions, libraries and entrepreneurs.
Other activities
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
The AGEPI is sending, monthly, information to several destinations:
- European Patent Office (EPO)-(INPADOC), monthly:
- the bibliographic data and abstracts for published applications and issued patents and full patent information for granted patents, in XML, St.36;
- changes in legal status;
- images of bibliographic data for published applications and full patent information in national language for patents in bookmarked PDF (examples: published, granted)
Eurasian Patent Office, quarterly, bibliographic data in ACCESS database, abstracts, claims, images, in PDF files.
- Rospatent (CISPATENT), the bibliographic data and abstracts for published applications and issued patents and full patent information for granted patents, in both XML St.36 and MS WORD formats
- AGEPI furnished the MD patent documents and the official gazette (BOPI) on CD-ROM to 41 IP Offices and receives patent documentation and information from 35 countries and 2 regional patent organizations (EPO and EAPO).
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
During the year under report, the AGEPI patent experts have participated in the following activities related to the patent information, events organized by the international specialized institutions:
1) The 20th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents - 27 to 31 January 2014, Geneva, Switzerland
2) Seminar “Patent evaluation and commercialization: Making the most of patents for business”, organized by European Patent Academy jointly with the Greek IP Office - March 20 - 21, 2014, Athens, Greece
3) Study visit regarding the European patents validation organized by the Romanian State Office for Inventions and Trademarks - 24 to 28 March 2014, Bucuresti, Romania
4) Seminar on patenting in particular technical areas - focus on chemistry, organized by European Patent Academy and European Patent Office - 7 to 9 May 2014, Munich, Germany
5) PATLIB Conference, organized by European Patent Office in cooperation with Turkish IP Institute - 15 to 16 May 2014, Istanbul, Turkey
6) WIPO – Austrian Patent Office advanced training course on patent documentation and information - 23 to 27 June 2014, Wien, Austria
7) Regional conference entitled “Redefining Landscape for Patent Protection in Europe” organized by the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania (SPB) in co-operation with the European Patent Office (EPO) - 9 October 2014, Vilnius, Lithuania
8) The 21st session of the WIPO Standing Committee for patents right - 3 to 7 November 2014, Geneva, Switzerland
9) EPO Conference – Patent Information, organized by EPO in cooperation with Poland Patent Office - 4 to 6 November 2014, Warsaw, Poland
10) Training of China Patent System - 7 to 13 December 2014, Beijing, China.
Assistance to developing countries
In 2014, we have received assistance from the World Intellectual Property Organization, European Patent Office, and the other international and national institutions. Here we have to mention the assistance received in the view to organize the national seminars and workshops related to the patent information designed to familiarize the public with recently knowledge in the field and the benefits of patent protection.
Other activities
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.
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.
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.