Annual Technical Report 2013 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Egypt (CWS/ATR/PI/2013/EG)
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. 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
- Granting Patents to Egyptians & Foreigners
- Protecting Innovations & Inventions
- Promoting Scientific Innovation
- Encouraging Scientists to patent their works
- Supporting Industries
- IP public awareness and Education
- Providing greater certainty in the marketplace through high-quality and timely IP rights.
- Fostering & Supporting invention and creativity through knowledge sharing.
- Transfer the technological information from the patents all Over the world and provide it to the specialists in order to develop their works and develop the local industries.
New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the policies and plans mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tasks
- EGPO cooperate with WIPO to digitization, such as WIPO Scan system we will replace EPOSCAN SYTEM BY WIPOSCAN.
- Two Experts from WIPO came to EGPO office in final quarter of 2013 and install a new version from WIPO scan.
- We finished installation and configuration.
- EGPO developed a new program to search about the missing of PDF for Egyptian application or patent and create xml and PDF patent in one folder to can exchange it with WIPO & EPO in the fram work of arabpat project under the aghadeer agreement.
Main areas of patent information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year
(New) techniques used for the generation of patent information (printing, recording, photocomposing, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), etc.)
The Office's publication system provides the following functions :
-Production of the Egyptian Official Journal of Patents as a PDF file. The journal is published on IP Egyptian's website;
• Production of notices for patent applicants or their agents.
• The other part of the Office's publication system is mainframe based and produces:
• Camera ready copy of the Egyptian Official Journal of Patents;
• Patent certificates .
• Using the Lexis Nexis & PatBase Data bases, STN ,epoqnet,uspto and many databases.
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
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 .
1. Evolution of patent activities
Changes experienced in terms of application fillings and grants with respect to the previous year.
Applications FILING:
resident Non Resident Total
in 2012 682 55 737
in 2013 638 66 704
Patents granted:
Resident Non resident Total
in 2012 92 542 634
in 2013 86 379 465
PCT Applications:
Year National Phase International Phase Total
2012 1473 37 1510
2013 1351 42 1393
Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year.
In 2013 the granted patents form IPC section
*A human necessities have been 0.17 %
* B performing operations; transporting 0.17%
* C chemistry 0.29 %
* D textiles 0.1 %
* E fixed constructions 0.11 %
* F mechanical engineering, lighting heating weapons blasting 0.10%
* G physics 0.11 %
* H Electricity 0.06 %
* 27% less granted patent than 2012 .
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
available on our website:-
http://www.egypo.gov.eg/PDFs/egpo_annual_report_2013.pdf
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
http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=42
Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), reclassification3 activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information
Patent applications are classified into the latest edition of the International Patent Classification. As of 1 January 2006, IP Egyptian implemented the use of IPC 8 (reformed) throught WIPO website.
Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information contained in patent documents
The Examiners request applicants to redraft the applications when are not fulfilled the requirements for searching.
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)
http://www.egypo.gov.eg/Search.aspx
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online – URL), etc.
The Egyptian patent office publishes two journals as follows:
1- The Egyptian Patent Gazette
2- The Egyptian Patent Abstracts
3- Statistic which has published in an INPADOC it contains only publish EG granted patent. http://http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=20
These publications are published every month, we send them to the Universities, Ministries, Industrial companies, and Research institutes in Egypt and available on our website http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=18
http://http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=20
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases
All PCT applications entering the national phase are downloaded directly from WIPO website via AIPMS. Technical examiners benefiting from the International Searching Reports in their work by EDI-System.
Conduct international search for filled patent applications
(International phase) according to PCT .
Using the Lexis Nexis & PatBase Data bases, STN and many databases.
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
general information related to the office is available in the internet URLs of web pages of the office's website:
It Includes a presentation about the beginning and development of the Egyptian Patent Office, its duties, affiliated departments. It also views a list of the office publications such as,
* The official Patent Gazette which present the patent applications status (acceptance, refusal, granting ...etc),
* Egyptian Patent Abstracts published URL:http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=18 .
* Annual report by year of origen.
* Annual WIPO Statistics and Statistics to INPADOC.
URL : http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=17
* Also provide Database for the issued Egyptian granted patent in two language arabic and english which include bibliographic data .
URL:http://www.egypo.gov.eg/Search.aspx
The applicants can follow their applications through mail of The Egyptian Patent Office mail : patinfo@egypo.gov.eg.
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
Current standard desktop software includes Microsoft Windows XP , Vista and win7 with Microsoft Office 2007.
All office action is done on the application or Patent Produced Automatically from our data base as word processing.
-EGPO applies effectively the Automated IP Management Software (AIPMS) supported by WIPO. AIPMS is a fully automated system
-high internet speed to enable exminer to do their work with high quality.
EGPO planning with WIPO to update the (AIPMS) system to the new system Industrial Property Automation System (IPAS) as a beta version and the office will be pilot with WIPO.
-EGPO planning with WIPO to digitization, such as WIPOScan system. We replace EPOSCAN system by WIPOSCAN.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
-Internal databases
EGPO applies effectively the Automated IP Management Software (AIPMS) supported by WIPO. AIPMS is a fully automated system that includes the following steps :
-Registering patent applications, sustentative examination, technical and legal examinations, granting patents, issuing formal gazettes. Inquiries, statistics, and annual fees. All applications documents in paper form are scanned on the automatic archive system. Then the documents forms are adjusted according to WIPO standers and connected to the bibliographic database.
-Patent applications that are received on paper form are scanned by use EPOscan system. After scanning step, the application contents are indexed and transformed to WIPO standard form, then the application is connected to the bibliographic database through AIPMS by its number as PDF . All bibliographic data and attached documents are available to EGPO officers to carry on the necessary procedures via AIPMS, and search is conducted by patent number,Title of invention, name of applicant, and abstract, external users can access to granted patents only via EGPO website.
-AIPMS has been enhanced to keep up with the latest development. EGPO started to apply (XML) to facilitate document transfer to other international patent offices.
-Starting actual using the new form of the technical report.
-All PCT applications entering the national phase are downloaded directly from WIPO website via AIPMS. Technical examiners benefiting from the International Searching Reports in their work by EDI-System.
-Conduct international search for filled patent applications
-(International phase) according to PCT .
-Using the lexis nexis & pat base Data bases.
-EGPO planning with WIPO to digitization, such as WIPOScan system. We will replace EPOSCAN system by WIPOSCAN.
External databases:
We have a list of some external databases that we use regularly, including Espace net, JAPIO, USPTO, SIPO, EPODOC and Patent scope.
Journals:
SCIENCE DIRECT, SCOPUS, SPRINGER LINK, IEEE XPLORE, EBSCO, OVID, PROQUEST.
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
The Egyptian patent office stores all the information concerning the legal status and technical documents on the Egyptian database to facilate the search procedures to the exminers.
we included the siteddocuments from other offices to be put in search file and We put all the updating documents uponrecieving them from applicants.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
The Egyptian patent office stores all the information concerning the legal status and technical documents on the Egyptian database to facilate the search procedures and assists examiners to obtain all the required information.
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
We exchange granted patents with foreigner libraries on CDs forms.
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
Official notices and changes related to office procedures are done through The Egyptian Patent Gazette.
These official notices, and many other patent related notices, are also put directly on the IP Egyptian Internet website under Patent notices section.
EGPO Web site is (www.egypo. gov. eg) .
Office’s initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
There is Arabic& enghlish translation for foreign abstract on our site.
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
EGYPO established focal point in most of universities and research centers in Egypt. it reaches 29 foical pionts by year 2013
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
The training courses and conferences abroad :
1- WIPO Training Course for Patent Examiners in the Field of Lighting was held in japan.
2- Visiting the Chinese Patent Office , Signing A memorandum of Understanding ,Studying and Transferring the Chinese Experience Concerning IP Strategies Into Egypt was held in China training workshop on intellectual property was held in China
3- Training the Trainer on Époque Net was held in Netherlands.
4- Workshop on the WIPO development agenda was held in Tunisia
Advanced Training Course on the Legal Administrative and Economic Aspects of IP was held in France .
5- Workshop on Building Respect for IP which hold in jordan
6-Training on the Customization of Distance Learning Courses was held in Tunisia
7-Visit IP Australia on WIPO Patent Study Mission was held in Australia
Course on IP , Public Health and Local Pharmaceutical Production was held in Jordon.
8-advanced training course on patent search and examination in the field of biotechnology was held in Germany.
9-workshop on advanced project management and the WIPO development agenda was held in Tunisia
Conferences
1-Standing Committee on the Low of Patent was held in Geneva.
international patent classification workshop was held in Geneva.
First Meeting on Information and Documentation Exchange Management for Experts of IP Offices was held in Geneva.
2-WIPO Effective Utilization of Search Results and Communications Derived from The Patent Cooperation Treaty PCT System in National / Regional Phase was held in Japan.
3-African Conference on the Strategic Importance of IP Policies to Foster Innovation, Value Creation and Competitiveness was held in Tanzania
international exhibition of invention was held in Geneva
4-CWS Committee on WIPO Standards CWS Third Session was held in Geneva
Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore : Twenty-Fourth Session was held in Geneva
5-Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) : Eleventh Session was held in Geneva.
IPC Union - IPC Revision Working Group : Twenty-Ninth Session was held in Geneva.
6-Patent Cooperation Treaty (Pct) Working Group : Sixth Session was held in Geneva.
7-the Second Inter-Regional Forum for Heads of IP Offices of South America and Arab Countries was held in Brazil
8-WIPO Coordination Committee: Sixty-Seventh (44th Ordinary) Session was held in Geneva.
9-Paris Union - Executive Committee: Fifty-Second (49th Ordinary) Session was held in Geneva.
10-WIPO Regional Seminar on Effective Utilization of Search Results and Communications Derived from PCT and International Work Sharing Initiative was held in Japan.
Exhibitions
EGPO particpated in ZEROA WARD EXHIBITION during 2013 and get the first prize on invention in the field of solar energy.
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
We exchange patent information through INPADOC and XML with EPO & WIPO
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
- WIPO Academy Training Course under the supervision Of intellectual property expertise attended by 20 participants.
-Holding the second governmental meeting for south to south countries.
-Receiving two expertise from WIPO concerning Educational Program of Intellectual Property in public Health and Local Producing for Pharmaceutical Produc and its Relation with Patent.
-Participating in work shop in League of Arab States, on innovation and supporting creation activity under the title of "Innovation is away to achieve food safety .
-Receiving trainees from Arab countries such as (Jordon - Yamane - Saudi Arabia ) to starting activating the Regional Patent Office .
- Egpo published PCT national phase information is available in PATENTSCOPE® Search Service and exchange 2000 grant patent to publish.
-Egpo Signed agreement with EPO for use the database EPOQUE Net with new version and we installed it on PC'S.
- Egpo shared under Agadir Agreement in ARBAT to make Arabic site for grant patent and shared in translation the interface for this site and change 2000 grant patent to be publish in this site.
-Egpo shared in EPCT system for offices and we create 4 users and 2 administrators the expert came to office and trained users to use E-PCT system and sent the new application to IB by E-PCT system online.
-General assembly conference on intellectual property in order to start organizing a co operation agreement between Egypt , Japan , China and Australia .
-Exchange of search and examination report in preparation for the Signing of bi lateral cooperation agreement with the Japanese.
Assistance to developing countries
- The regional training center in the Egyptian Patent Office has continued receiving trainees from Arab countries such as (Jordon - Yamane - Saudi Arabia.
- Training program for (9) trainer from GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL under title the Basics Concepts in Intellectual Property and Patent.
- Three training program for GCC officail occure during 2013.
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. |