Annual Technical Report 2002 on Trademark Information Activities submitted by The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (SCIT/ATR/TM/2002/MK)

 

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I. Evolution of registration activities

In the year 2002, the total number of trademark applications (including national applications and international applications - Madrid System) was 3,441, which is a decrease of 20.3% compared with the previous year. In the year 2001, the total number of trademark applications was 4,318, an increase of 114.5% in the number of trademark registrations. In 2001, the number of trademark registrations was 571. In 2002, the total number of trademark registrations was 1,225.
Most of the received applications were for pharmaceutical products, class 5 of the Nice classification (370 applications with 20.3% participation). In second place were foodstuffs, class 30 (140 applications and participation of 4.9%) and in third place was class 9 (90 applications and participation of 4.9%).
The most significant participation was represented by applicants from Germany 32.2%, Switzerland 12.2% and France and Italy 11.9%.

II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of secondary sources of trademark information, i.e., trademark gazettes

The Industrial Property Protection Office of the Republic of Macedonia issues the official gazette “Glasnik”. The Gazette is issued four times yearly, every three months. This official gazette contains data concerning recognized trademarks and information regarding other activities of the Office, in the country and abroad. There are very often commentaries of ongoing activities in protection of industrial property rights. The Office issues an Annual Report of its activities from the previous year. This Report contains basic data for trademarks.

III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of trademark information

The Industrial Property Protection Office of the Republic of Macedonia uses International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification).
Bibliographic data of trademark applications and registered trademarks are stored in a database on magnetic disc and they are machine searchable.
WIPO Standard ST.60 is used for bibliographic data coding.

IV. Trademark manual search file establishment and upkeep

Trademark files are kept in paper form in the library, and they are updated continuously.

V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems

- In-house systems:
At the moment there is no global in-house system, but in cooperation with the WIPO, WIPO TMS software is planned to be implemented by the end of 2003. However, the WIPO and ROMARIN CD-ROM publications are widely used on dedicated workstations or servers with multiple access.


- Hardware:
- 100 Mbit/per seat switched Ethernet network
- Xylan switches (48 ports)
- Motorola vanguard router
- 26 Celeron 430 MHz (or higher), 128 MB RAM, 4,3 (or higher) GB HDD PCs and 17” monitors
- 1 application server with dual PII 400 MHz, 320 MB RAM, and 9GB SCSCI HDD
- Pairgain modem 64 Kbit-2Mbit
- Windows NT 4 as a platform deployed on more than 80% of the computers and there are also 6 Win 2000 Professional systems
- Windows 95/98 where hardware requirements for Windows NT are not met
- Windows NT server

VI. Administration of trademark services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, registering trademarks, assisting clients with search procedures, obtaining official publications and registry extracts)

The Office disposes of information relating to trademarks entered into the Office register.
The Library has a collection of relevant publications and periodicals, which are available to all interested persons at the Office library.

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of trademark documentation and information

The Office sends and receives trademark gazettes in paper form. The official gazettes, as well as the Annual Report are distributed to the following countries: AM, AU, AZ, AR, BR, BA, CA, CN, FI, CY, EE, EG, DE, GR, IT, IL, LI, LV, LU, NL, LT, MA, NO, RO, YU, HR, SI, BG, CZ, PL, SE, TR, AT, AL, BY, BE, FR, HU, CH, UA, GB, US, JP, PT, RU, SK, ES, MD and FI. The Office receives gazettes and annual reports from the following countries: AT, BG, ER, BY, MD, PL, HU, UA, FI, CZ, RU, SK, JP, YU, HR and SI.

VIII. Matters concerning education and training including technical assistance to developing countries

In the year 2002, the educational and training activities of the employees of the Trademark Department was as follows:
WIPO
Seminar: International Classification of goods and services for the purposes of registration of marks under the Nice Agreement (Geneva)
Seminar: Madrid System for International Registrations of Marks (Geneva)
Seminar: Madrid Agreement for International Registration of Marks and Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement (Geneva)
Seminar: Administrative Issues in the Patent and Trademark Procedure (Geneva, Alicante, Hague)
Study visit: French National Institute for Industrial Property (Paris)

GTZ
Study visit: German Patent and Trademark Office (Jena)

IX. Other relevant matters

Nothing to report.