Annual Technical Report 2010 on Industrial Design Information Activities submitted by Estonia (CWS/ATR/ID/2010/EE)
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 2010 the Patent Office received 74 industrial design registration applications (including 71 applications from Estonian applicants), which is 21 less than in 2009. 21 international industrial design registrations were filed under the Hague Agreement (25 in 2009).
Although the number of applications decreased in 2010, there is still interest in the protection of industrial designs. 33 people were given altogether 17 hours of consultations in the Patent Office (45 people in 2009). In addition many more received advice by phone or e-mail. Presentations on industrial designs were made at the training for small-sized entrepreneurs in the Patent Office and on a seminar in Tartu Art College.
At the end of 2010 there were 29 national and 9 international applications pending. The average processing time of an industrial design is 1-2 months.
On 31 December 2010 there were 857 industrial designs in the Estonian register of industrial designs. 717 international registrations of industrial designs had been granted legal protection in Estonia. In addition there were 446 711 industrial designs registered and disclosed to public by the European Community, including 200 from Estonia, and unregistered Community industrial designs.
Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year
In 2010 the most popular designed products at registration of industrial designs were construction materials and framing elements (10,3%), packages (4,8%), clothing and haberdashery (4,8%) and lightning apparatus (7,4%).
By country the majority of applications and international registrations were filed from Estonia (71,6%), followed by France and Germany (each 5,3%) and Switzerland (3,2%).
TOP 5 Registered industrial designs in 2010
Estonia – 68
Finland – 1
Belgium – 1
Russia – 1
TOP 5 International registrations of industrial designs entered into force in Estonia in 2010
Germany – 5
France – 5
Switzerland – 3
Italy – 2
Netherlands – 2
TOP 5 Registrations of industrial designs valid in Estonia on 31 December 2010
Estonia – 405
Finland – 319
Sweden – 17
Germany – 14
Netherlands – 14
TOP 5 International registrations of industrial designs valid in Estonia on 31 December 2010
Switzerland – 625
Germany – 25
France – 12
Hungary – 8
Spain – 7
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to industrial designs
http://www.epa.ee/client/default.asp?wa_id=565&wa_object_id=1&wa_id_key=
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
The official publication of the Estonian Patent Office is the Estonian Industrial Design Gazette.
The Estonian Industrial Design Gazette is published 4 times a year.
Since 1 January 2003 The Estonian Industrial Design Gazette of the Estonian Patent Office are available also electronically (in pdf-format, http://www.epa.ee/default.asp?id=515 )
Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of industrial design information
The Estonian Patent Office homepage at www.epa.ee was currently updated. The homepage enables access industrial design registration information both in Estonian and English. It also contains all legal acts, regulations and international agreements by the Government of the Republic and Minister of Economic Affairs, and other legislation as well as material on legal protection of industrial designs, relevant links, current news and the public databases.
Databases and office automation
Database of Industrial Designs at http://www2.epa.ee/Patent/design.nsf/SearchEngl?OpenForm contains data on registered industrial designs and industrial design registration applications filed in the Republic of Estonia and international registrations of industrial designs filed for registration according to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs since 11 January 1998 to the extent specified in the Industrial Design Protection Act.
The data on industrial design registration applications filed in the Republic of Estonia for registration according to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs is available in the database as on the date the International Bureau sent the copy of the publication of the international registration to the Estonian Patent Office. The database does not include changes made later in the international registration. Information on the international registrations of industrial designs is available in a bulletin accessible at the web page of WIPO.
Information on industrial design registration applications is presented as filed by the applicants.
The numbers of applications contain 10 digits (e.g. D200300045) and the numbers of registrations contain 5 digits (e.g. 00581).
Search in the database is free. The user needs a browser supporting JavaScript (Netscape 4.08, Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or more recent versions).
The database is informative and does not have legal effect. Search results do not ensure the protectability of industrial designs and are not binding on the Estonian Patent Office in processing the industrial designs. For specifying the data and for the release of information or the issue of official extracts from the files of registration applications and of their processing or from the Register of Industrial Designs, please contact the Receiving Department of the Estonian Patent Office.
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
http://www.epa.ee/default.asp?wa_id=651
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)
The Estonian Patent Office uses the International Classification for Industrial Designs (Locarno Agreement). The Republic of Estonia became party to the said Agreement on Oct. 31, 1996.
WIPO Standard St. 80 is used for bibliographic data coding.
Bibliographic data and processing
WIPO Standard St. 60 is used for bibliographic data coding.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
The Estonian Patent Office does not use the manual search files.
V. Activities in the field of computerized search systems for industrial designs
In-house systems (online/offline)
The databases of the office are the core subject of the information system. These databases are administered by the Common Software (CS). CS is a system with client server architecture, based on the database software Informix and operation system UNIX. Automated data entry software SPIRIT-MECA is also integrated to CS. To facilitate trademark examination procedure the software ACSEPTO of figurative and verbal searches is in use. The search base is quite large containing data of trademarks valid in Estonia and Community trademarks, also data of the emblems, official control and warranty signs and names of international intergovernmental organizations under protection in compliance with Article 6ter of Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
Several e-services are available at our homepage. The portal of electronic filing of trademarks has been accessible since April 2007, in 2008 software for the electronic filing of patent, utility model and industrial design applications was added, as well as software for filing the Estonian-language patent specifications of the European patents validated in Estonia. So digitally signed applications can be filed without coming to the Office. The portal is available at the address online.epa.ee. In addition, the services of the databases of electronic searches have been available on the web page of the Estonian Patent Office (www.epa.ee) for a long time.
Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), data carriers used
The work area of the Estonian Patent Office requires the use of many information technology facilities. In 2010 the Patent Office had 80 computer workplaces, supplied with the required software, external devices and means for data communication. There were 11 server computers for the common serving of work computers connected to the Internet. These means form a closely integrated system and it is essential in the everyday work of the office that it functions without failures.
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)
Collection management, preservation
The computerised Estonian industrial designs database can be exploited at the reading room of the Estonian Patent Library. The searches are carried out at the request of the users and the customers pay a moderate price for the computerised services.
URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of industrial design applications
https://online.epa.ee/
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.
http://www.epa.ee/client/default.asp?wa_id=395&wa_object_id=1&wa_id_key=
(only in Estonian)
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
http://www.epa.ee/client/default.asp?wa_id=917&wa_object_id=1&wa_id_key=
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
The Estonian Patent Library exchanges gazettes containing the information on industrial design from 27 IP offices, by international exchange of publications.
Exchange of machine-readable information, e.g., data contained on CD-ROM or magnetic tape
At present information concerning the Estonian industrial design on machine-readable carriers is not being forwarded to our exchange partners.
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 the specialists of the Estonian Patent Office continued to provide free consultations for small-sized entrepreneurs on compilation of trademark, industrial design and utility model applications and patent applications.
Although the number of applications decreased in 2010, there is still interest in the protection of industrial designs. 33 people were given altogether 17 hours of consultations in the Patent Office (45 people in 2009). In addition many more received advice by phone or e-mail. Presentations on industrial designs were made at the training for small-sized entrepreneurs in the Patent Office and on a seminar in Tartu Art College.
Training courses for national and foreign participants
The year brought along a number of changes, and was full of work and successful for the Division. Many activities undertaken in the previous years continued.
In 2010 the seminars held in the classroom of the Patent Office played an essential role. Namely, the Small-Sized Enterprise Support Division arranged 8 seminars in the classroom (4 on the legal protection of inventions and 4 on registering trademarks). In total 143 people took part in them. Demand for such seminars is also high.
In addition, cooperation with other institutions is still important for the Small-Sized Enterprise Support Division. For example in March a seminar was arranged for the students of Tartu Art College in order to rise their knowledge about intellectual property. 50 people took part in the seminar.
Cooperaton with Tallinn City Enterprise continued successfully in 2010. On 6-7 October there was a subsequent Tallinn Entrepreneurship Day where the Patent Office participated in cooperation with the Estonian Patent Information Centre. On both days the Patent Office was there with an info desk, providing materials and publications on intellectual property. The examiners could also be consulted. In the framework of Tallinn Entrepreneurship Day a seminar Invention and Cooperation took place.
Besides the above-mentioned the Patent Office in cooperation with Tartu City Government arranged an info day for entrepreneurs Intellectual Property in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Tartu. The info day took place on 27 April and was dedicated to celebrating the World Intellectual Property Day.
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
http://www.epa.ee/client/default.asp?wa_id=456&wa_object_id=1&wa_id_key= (mainly in Estonian)
contain the Annual Report of the Office
http://www.epa.ee/client/default.asp?wa_id=922&wa_object_id=1&wa_id_key=
contain industrial design-related news regarding the Office
http://www.epa.ee/rss.asp?wa_site_id=2