Annual Technical Report 2009 on Patent Information Activities submitted by Uzbekistan (CWS/ATR/PI/2009/UZ)

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 procedures of filing application, examination and patent granting have not changed in 2009.

1

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

Inventions

412 applications for granting of patents for inventions have filed to the SPO in 2009 that is less on 8 %. 238 applications were filed by national applicants, that makes 57,8 % from the total number of filed application. 176 applications have filed by foreign applicants that makes 86, 8 % filed applications on the international procedure РСТ. As pervious years, the tendency on activity of patenting is two sections of International Patent Classification: A - “Satisfaction of vital needs of the person” – 29,4% applications and C “Chemistry, metallurgy”– 32,3% applications. And if national applicants prefer the section A - “Satisfaction of vital needs of the person” - 35,3 % from the total number of the applications submitted by national applicants and foreign applicants prefer the section C- « Chemistry and metallurgy » - 52,3 % from the total number of the applications, submitted by from foreign applicants. The total of the registered inventions has made 235, from its 129 inventions belong to national applicants and 106 inventions belong to foreign applicants. It is necessary to note, that for last three years the many of registered inventions have belonged to national applicants, in 2007 their share made 41 %, in 2008 - 39,6 % and in 2009 - 54,9 % .

Utility models

In 2009 the total of filed applications on utility model is 125, that is less on 7,4 % compare with the last year. 118 (94,4 %) applications were filled by national applicants, and 5,6 % were filled by foreign applicants. Information on applications for utility models includes changing application for invention to application for utility models (11). Thematically directions of filled application are following: the most of number of applications were filled according section A - “Satisfaction of vital needs of the person” – 36 applications and C “Chemistry, metallurgy”– 29,4% application, section D “Textiles and a paper”- 23 applications and section B “Different technological process”- 18 applications; the share of the submitted applications on these sections makes 61,6 % from total number of filed applications.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to patents

The statistical data on inventions and utility models are available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/statistics.htm. Access to the given pages are carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section «About office» Statistics.

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.)

The SPO has published the following official publications in 2009:
• The official bulletin «Rasmiy Akhborotnoma» - 12 issues;
• Descriptions of inventions to patents - 243 descriptions (on a paper);
• Descriptions of utility models to patents - 86 descriptions (on a paper);
• The collection of annual indexes to the official bulletin «Rasmiy Akhborotnoma» (sections of indexes under inventions and utility models) on the electronic carrier.

Data on the registered inventions have published in sections "Inventions" and “Utility models” of the official bulletin «Rasmiy Akhborotnoma», which has published on CD-ROM. Data on inventions, includes bibliographic data and formula and data on utility models includes bibliographic data and abstract; all data are translated in Russian and Uzbek languages. In 2009 year about 241 inventions and 76 utility models are published in bulletins.

SPO participates also in issuing of CISPATENT, which is joint regional patent-information product on CD-ROM disks, being the collection of official publications of patent offices of the states-participants CIS and Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO). In 2009 it is prepared 10 issues with the patent information of the Republic of Uzbekistan foe inventions and utility models, including 331 abstracts in three languages (English, Russian, and Uzbek) and to its full descriptions of inventions and utility models in Russian. All processed document files sends to Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks (ROSPATENT).

Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of patent information

The most important announcements, concerning patent-information activity of the office are published in section "Official news" of the bulletin «Rasmiy Akhborotnoma» and also available on the website of the office (www.patent.uz).

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

SPO has a full collection of patent documents of Uzbekistan (originals) on a paper. Furthermore all patent documents are stored in bibliographic databases and in electronic storehouses.

Word processing and office automation

During processing applications, the all the documents, concerning industrial designs are scanned and saved as facsimile form in format TIFF. Collecting of the official bulletin chapters on industrial designs is carried out automatically on a workplace of the employee of the office of Publication Division. By specialized inquiry bibliographic data from a database (SUBD MS SQL Server 2000) are selected and sorted. The subsequent operations (page makeup, replication) are made by means of programs Word and Adobe Acrobat.
Descriptions and list of essential attributes are recognized by system OCR and saved in format MS-Word. Images of industrial designs are entered in format JPG, by means of program Adobe PhotoShop.

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

During processing applications, the all the documents, concerning industrial designs are scanned and saved as facsimile form in format TIFF. Collecting of the official bulletin chapters on industrial designs is carried out automatically on a workplace of the employee of the office of Publication Division. By specialized inquiry bibliographic data from a database (SUBD MS SQL Server 2000) are selected and sorted. The subsequent operations (page makeup, replication) are made by means of programs Word and Adobe Acrobat.
Descriptions and list of essential attributes are recognized by system OCR and saved in format MS-Word. Images of industrial designs are entered in format JPG, by means of program Adobe PhotoShop.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online publication of patent documents and gazettes, and to other primary and secondary sources of patent information, including patent publication servers and download of bulk patent data

The Official bulletin is available: http://www.patent.uz/bul.htm. Access to the given page is carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section « Electronic publication ».

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

Abstracting, reviewing, translating

Published patent documents on inventions and utility models have included the abstracts in russian and uzbek languages; abstracts are published in the official bulletin on utility models also in two languages

Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), and reclassification3 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)

Applications for inventions and utility models are classified according to the International Patent Classification of corresponding edition, since January 1, 2006 8-th edition of IPC - a base level is used.

Coordinate indexing (domestic deep indexing systems, keyword indexing)

Coordinated indexing of national patent documents is not carried out.

Hybrid system indexing

The hybrid system indexing of national patent documents is not carried out.

Bibliographic data and full-text processing

Bibliographic data are saved in the form of dynamic ХМL-documents in internal database which are supported and updated during a life of the application by all departments involved in process. Changes in base will be authorized. Interfaces of access to base are constructed on the basis of Intranet-technologies. Search on contents of text files of documents is essentially possible, but now is not accessible.

IV. Search file establishment and upkeep

File building

The search file on a paper and optical disks is formed on the basis of collection of the State Fund of the Patent Documentation, which structure includes current and retrospective files of the national patent documentation, the foreign patent documentation, which entering into the list of the countries - PCT minimum. Besides there is patent associated literature including the scientific, technical literature in the form of books and periodicals, reference books.
The Fund of national patent documents on a paper is presented: descriptions of inventions to patent both preliminary patents and descriptions of utility models to certificates and patents (from 1993) systematized on classification indexes of IPC and on numbers of protection documents. Storehouses of bibliographic databases and electronic file (text) for internal use are conducted.
The collection of patent documents on CD/DVD-ROM is systematized by the countries and years.

Updating

Search files on a paper and a part on CD/DVD-ROM are updated monthly, some CD/DVD-ROM are updated annually.
Bibliographic data and files of documents in electronic storehouse can replenish and-or be corrected in process of the reference.

Storage, including mass storage media

Conditions of storage of fund depend mostly on kinds of data carriers: patent documents on a paper are stored in folders on metal racks, on CD-ROM and DVD-ROM - in stores in wall cases.
Bases of bibliographic, office work data and file storehouse are stored on specialized file-servers (the magnetic disks organized in the form of a RAID-file) on which with a view of preservation of data reserve copying on an additional server is carried out.

Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file

In 2009 the State Fund of the Patent Documentation has replenished with patent-information publications of 28 countries of the world, WIPO, EPO, UPOV and EAPO. In 2009 year among new receipts of the patent documentation on CD-ROM disks began to receive official the patent bulletins from Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan and collection “Espace-Preces”.

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

In-house systems (online/offline)

We have difficulties in exploiting in house system of SPO, especially the process of documents circulation of office falls back. That’s why, the SPO decides to create new internal information system, which will satisfy the requirement.

External databases

Access to patent and not patent databases in on-line is provided for examiners. Databases of the European Patent Office, Rospatent, USA, and WIPO concern to popular patent databases most widely used by examiners on the Internet. For searching non-patent literature experts use the searching system of Internet, such as Science Direct, Scirus, PubMed, Google, Rambler, Yahoo, and Yandex. For development information safeguarding of examination in the field of non-patent literature, it has studied free accessible Data base provided in Internet. According with the 34rth rule of Administrative Instruction to PCT, the list from 4 date bases and list of publication with electron addresses ware suggested to experts.

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

The SATOZ has a full-function system of administration, providing authorization, access to the information, safety, and management of the rights of users, groups and options of system.

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

The equipment: Server group, network infrastructure (cable communications, routers), workstations (from P-II, up to P-IV), periphery (printers, scanners, photocopy).
Operational system: Windows Server 2003 Mode (servers SQL Server 2005, Excange 2003, ISA, IIS, server of reserve copying/restoration of the information), Windows 7 and Windows 2000/XP (workstations).
The applied software: SATOZ/Landocs, external site www.patent.uz, internal site (PIPS), System of testing of knowledge.
Applied systems: "Norm" program system, “1C Account” account system, Promt Family 7.0 machine translation system, Lingvo 12 system of dictionaries, ORT-system Fine Reader, Photoshop CS2, office system MS Office (professional), Adobe Reader 7.0.

Existing online thesauri; their structure, presentation and usefulness for computerized searches

The equipment: Server group, network infrastructure (cable communications, routers), workstations (from P-II, up to P-IV), periphery (printers, scanners, photocopy).
Operational system: Windows Server 2003 Mode (servers SQL Server 2005, Excange 2003, ISA, IIS, server of reserve copying/restoration of the information), Windows 7 and Windows 2000/XP (workstations).
The applied software: SATOZ/Landocs, external site www.patent.uz, internal site (PIPS), System of testing of knowledge.
Applied systems: "Norm" program system, “1C Account” account system, Promt Family 7.0 machine translation system, Lingvo 12 system of dictionaries, ORT-system Fine Reader, Photoshop CS2, office system MS Office (professional), Adobe Reader 7.0.

VI. Administration of the industrial property office library, and information products 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

The State Fund of the Patent Documentation (SFPD) is structural division of SPO and practically unique full collection of the patent documentation in territory of Uzbekistan. On the basis of SFPD patent-information service are carried out both examination stuff of SPO, and the broad audience of the public, i.e. functions of public library are carried out.
The total area of fund, including office accommodations, reading rooms and storehouses of patent and other information, makes 671, 14 sq. m.

Collecting, acquisitions, preparation

Collection of SFPD includes the national and foreign patent documentation, official and abstract editions of patent offices, patent-legal, patent associated literature, normative-methodical and reference books, periodicals. The volume of fund has made more than 67,9 million copies of patent documents on various kinds of carriers.
The basic sources of acquisition of fund are: official publications of SPO; the patent documentation received on the basis of international exchange which is carried out on the basis of agreements with patent offices of 28 countries and four international organizations; subscription to periodic and specialized editions and purchase of the special literature through news agencies-subscription. All received documentation is registered, classified and grouped for the purposes of storage.
About 1, 5 million copies of patent documents on optical disks have received in 2009. Receipts on a paper, except for periodicals, normative-methodical literature and patent bulletins of some countries at the same time have practically stopped. The collection of fund on СD-ROM and DVD-ROM makes more than 17, 6 thousand disks containing full descriptions of inventions to applications, patents, utility models, official and abstract editions of patent offices.

Collection management, preservation

The collection of fund is placed on geographical-systematic-numerical principle. Conditions of storage of collection are defined by kinds of data carriers: patent documents on a paper are stored in folders on metal racks, on microfilms - in boxes in metal cupboard, and on CD/DVD-ROM disks - in stores in wall cupboard.

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

In 2009 SFPD has cooperated on the basis of interlibrary exchange with National library named after A. Navoiy, Main library of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, State Scientific Medical Library; it has been e given out on an interlibrary exchange more than 300 documents, books and brochures.

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

In 2009 SFPD has cooperated on the basis of interlibrary exchange with National library named after A. Navoiy, Main library of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, State Scientific Medical Library; it has been e given out on an interlibrary exchange more than 300 documents, books and brochures.

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

In 2009 SFPD has cooperated on the basis of interlibrary exchange with National library named after A. Navoiy, Main library of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, State Scientific Medical Library; it has been e given out on an interlibrary exchange more than 300 documents, books and brochures.

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)

SFPD carries out library-information and reference-bibliographic service of experts of various areas of science, manufacture, business. Granting of patent documents is carried out directly in reading rooms of fund, including electronic fund, and also under the interlibrary subscription. Visiting SFPD and library-bibliographic service of all categories of users is carried out free of charge.
The quantity of visiting SFPD has made more than 5 thousand in 2009; it has been given out more than 1,3 million patent documents, from which above 1,1 million on CD/DVD - ROM disks. It is rendered nearby 1,2 thousand consultations on various questions. It is executed over 4,2 thousand copies of descriptions of inventions.
In a view of expansion of patent-information service SFPD carries out a lot of services under orders of the consumers including automated patent search on CD/DVD - ROM, and also patent search with use of the removed databases. Besides render services, it is served on a traditional mode - thematic a selection, selective distribution of the patent information by inquiries, copying, selection and delivery of documents by inquiries of readers, classification on IPC, NCI, to consultation of users. 128 orders for patent-information services have been executed in 2009.

URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of patent applications

The electronic filing of patent application does not exist.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and grant procedures related to patents; opposition and appeal procedures related to patents; etc.

The information on filing and consideration of applications for inventions is available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/izobretenia .htm
The information on filing and consideration of applications for utility models is available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/polezmodel.htm. Access to the given page is carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section « IP objects » Inventions, utility models.

The information on the order of granting of patents is available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/vedomakts.htm. Access to the given page is carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section « Legislation » Office acts.
The information on official publications of SPO is available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/pravsovet.htm. Access to the given page is carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section « Adjudication validity » .

The information on appeal procedure is available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/pravsovet.htm

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

The information on products and services offered by office in on-line is available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/vremenie/htm . Access to the given page is carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section « Patent fee and tariffs » Tariffs for SPO services.
The form of application for carrying out of the patent-information services carried out by the office in on-line is available on the following link:http://www.patent.uz/uslugs.htm. Access to the given page is carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section « Patent fee and tariffs » Tariffs for SPO services.

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

SFPD carries out the international exchange of the patent documentation with patent offices of 28 countries, also international organizations WIPO, EPO and regional organization EAPO.

Medium used for exchange of priority documents

The process of exchanging patent documentation in various carriers is continued in 2009 and SPO has received official bulletins on a paper from 10 countries, on optical disks - from 12 countries and EAPO. Patent documents on СD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks have been received from 17 countries, WIPO, EPO and EAPO. Official bulletin of SPO «Rasmiy Akhborotnoma» with data on the registered inventions and utility models on СD-ROM disks was sent to patent offices of 28 countries, EPO, WIPO and EAPO.

Medium allowed for filing applications

In 2009 works on submission applications on machine-readable carriers (as the third copy) had continued. 145 applications on the electronic carrier were submitted.

VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)

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

Office experts gave the lectures on intellectual property objects in Higher Educational Institutions; About 800 listeners have participated in lecture and practical work in 2009.

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

In a view of understanding the role and importance of IP in stimulation creation and innovation and separation knowledge of IP among public, the SPO organizes a different kind of competitions, seminars, events for representatives of government, science-research organization, Higher Education, patent attorney, enterprisers and developer of technology. 45 seminar-trainings were hold in 2009.
In accordance with the Decision of President of Republic of Uzbekistan dated July 15, 2008 №PP-916 “Additional measures on stimulation encouragement innovation projects in technology” the State Patent Office participates in Republic fair of innovation ideas of technology and projects. Within the Fair and in connection with celebrating World IPDay the SPO, United Nation Development Program and Ministry Economy organized the practical seminar “Protection of IP objects”. It was organized the exhibition on patent-information resources, including banner illuminating legislation in the field of intellectual property objects and cooperation SPO with international and another organization, publication of SPO and foreign publication. More 600 booklets on IP objects was distributed.
The Regional seminars on the theme “Legal protection IP objects and its role in innovation activity”. The professors, lectures, postgraduates, masters, and also engineers from enterprises, representatives of small enterprises, scientific research organization were participants of seminars. The issue on legal protection of IP and commercialization were discussed in seminars. The materials of seminar, including journals “Management IP”, booklets “SPO”, Legislation on IP in CD-disks and etc. were distributed by State Patent Office during the seminars. The total of participants of seminars was more over 1200 persons.
In a view of professional development of specialist in the field legal protection of IP objects and co-organize holding seminars, conference, round-table discussion and other events, SPO has concluded the Cooperation Treaty with the World Economy and Diplomacy University, Novoiy Mining and Smelting Complex and Bukhara State University.
During 2009 year eight specialists form Mining and Smelting, Oil-gas, Chemical Complexes trained in SPO.
SPO has continued the work on providing assistance in creation of conditions for development of scientific and technical creativity among youth. SPO together with the Republican Center of Technical Creativity of Pupils organized the Republican competition of scientific and technical creativity for school pupils. The experts of SPO have participated as jury in Republic competition “Kelajak ovozi” organized by Youth Initiative Center under fund “FORUM.UZ”.
In a view of informing public about new and more important innovations, created by uzbek inventors, it has published the collection “Perspective innovation of Republic of Uzbekistan”. Innovation, including a number perspective, corresponds to priority directions of development science and technology in Uzbekistan.
Materials concerning SPO activity on various issues of legal protection of intellectual property have regularly published in mass media. Employees of SPO participated in shows of TV channels "Uzbekistan", «Tashkent», «Youth».

Representatives of office have participated active in different events, organized by republic organization.

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 patents

The information under the legislation on inventions and utility models is available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/zakons.htm. Access to the given page is carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section « Legislation » Office acts.

contain the Annual Report of the Office

The Annual Reports of SPO is available on the following link: http://www.patent.uz/bul.htm. Access to the given page is carried out through the main page web-site SPO from section «Electronic publication».

X. Other relevant 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.