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Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of paten= t information activities and expected time frames for their realization
The Office is looking to transform our business processes and technology= we use so that we can deliver new fully end-to-end digital services for ou= r customers across Patents, Trademarks and Designs over the next few years.=
New projects launched or resumed this year in the context of the= policies and plans mentioned above, short description: aims, partners, tas= ks
See entry ab=
ove in relation to the transformation of our IP services.=E2=80=AF=E2=80=AF=
The first new cross rights IP Renewal servi=
ce was launched in July 2019.
Main areas of patent information activities and related informat= ion and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of= attention last year
See entry above in relation to the transformation of our IP services.
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants w= ith respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes
Applications for national UK patents dropped by 8% between 2018 and 2019= , with 19,245 applications in 2019, compared with 2018=E2=80=99s 20,948.&nb= sp; Of these, the proportion of applications from UK residents increased sl= ightly, from 61% in 2018 to 63% in 2019. The number of Patents grante= d in 2019 was little changed from those of the previous year, dropping from= 5982 to 5948 (-0.6%).
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Offi= ce, news page, statistics, etc.
Our website www.ipo.gov.uk moved in October 2014 to a new Gover= nment website GOV.UK and the new web address is now: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati= ons/intellectual-property-office
Research and statistics, this includes information on statistics: <= a class=3D"external-link" href=3D"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics?= departments%5B%5D=3Dintellectual-property-office&parent=3Dintellectual-= property-office" rel=3D"nofollow">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics?= departments%5B%5D=3Dintellectual-property-office&parent=3Dintellectual-= property-office
Transparency and freedom of information of information, this includes in= formation on annual reports, annual reviews and figures: https://www.gov.u= k/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?organisations%5B%= 5D=3Dintellectual-property-office&parent=3Dintellectual-property-office=
Information on filing, including Patents application guide and other mat= erials, is available from the following web page: h= ttps://www.gov.uk/patent-your-invention
The procedure after filing, including publication, examination and grant= is described at: https://www.gov.uk/patent-your-in= vention
Information regarding dispute resolution, including hearings, mediation = and opinions may be found here: ht= tps://www.gov.uk/intellectual-property-mediation https://www.gov.uk/opinions-resolving-patent-disputes<= /a>
Results of past patent decisions are available at: https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-challenge-decision-results.htm= a>
Information on how applicants may appeal is provided at: https://www.gov.uk/patent-disputes-resolution-hear= ings
Other business procedures such as the Patents Act, finding patents, how = we classify and renewals are covered by web pages accessible from the main = Patents portal: https://www.gov.uk/to= pic/intellectual-property/patents
A link to the EPO search dataset Espacenet is provided from the online p= atent services portal: https://www.gov.uk/search-for-pa= tent
The UK patent register may be searched by publication or application num= ber at: https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum.htm
The UK patent register may also be searched by publication date at: = ;https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-publication.htm<= /p>
Information and support provided by the Office to applicants reg= arding filing on paper and/or e-filing (instructions, seminars, etc.) - URL= s
Information on filing, including Patents application guide and other mat= erials, is available from the following web page: https://www.gov.uk/topic/intellectual-property/patents
Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
The UK patent register and some of the documents from may be searched by= publication or application number at: https://www.i= po.gov.uk/p-ipsum.htm
Classification1, preclassification2 (if applicable), reclassification3 activities; = classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC= )); matters concerning indexing of patent information
All UK patent applications are classified in the IPC and CPC. Pre-= classification (i.e. allocation of applications to examining groups) is don= e manually at subclass level using the CPC. Clusters of subclasses pr= ovide the basis for the structure of examining divisions and groups. = Where necessary, IPC and CPC reclassification is performed prior to publica= tion to ensure the validity of symbols upon A publication and B publication= (grant). The UK IPO does not reclassify documentation after publication.= p>
Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information conta= ined in patent documents
Our staff can translate any document into English using translation soft= ware made available by the European Patent Office and other national patent= offices. Patent examiners check all patent abstracts provided by the= applicant and amend them where necessary to ensure they form a useful sear= ch tool.
Other activities
The IPO is an active participant in the work of the IPC Union Committee = of Experts and the IPC revision working group and meets regularly with othe= r participating offices at WIPO to discuss ongoing revision of the IPC.
Main types of publications of the Office (patent applications, f= ull text, first pages, abstracts, bibliographic data, granted patents, etc.= ), medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URLs)
(1) PDF
A-documents
These are prepared in-house in a 5 week publication cycle using a bespok= e IT system linked to PDAX (the IPO=E2=80=99s electronic case management sy= stem).
The front page is compiled by downloading bibliographic data (XML format= ) from the corporate database COPS and is married with the abstract text fr= om our internal examiner database (PROSE). The abstract drawing is ex= tracted from PDAX and merged to finalise the front page. The finished= front page is added to the rest of the specification pages from PDAX and r= eproduced in a single PDF image. The PDF image is then loaded onto th= e IPO=E2=80=99s publication server on our external website for customer dow= nload. The IPO no longer publishes =E2=80=9CA=E2=80=9D documents in p= aper format, the official publication means being electronic (please see th= e following link): ht= tps://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-find/p-find-publication.htm).<= /p>
The PDF A documents are then transferred via Secure File Transfer Protoc= ol (SFTP) to the EPO. This is done on a weekly basis and includes a s= eparate ST.36 XML file for the bibliographical and full text abstract data.=
B-Documents
These are prepared in-house in a 5 week publication cycle using a bespok= e IT system linked to PDAX (the IPO=E2=80=99s electronic case management sy= stem).
The front page is compiled by downloading bibliographic data (XML format= ) from the corporate database COPS and merged with the rest of the specific= ation pages from PDAX and reproduced in a single PDF image.
The PDF image is then loaded onto the IPO=E2=80=99s publication server o= n our external website for customer download. The IPO no longer publi= shes =E2=80=9CB=E2=80=9D documents in paper format; the official publicatio= n means being electronic (see the following link): https://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-f= ind/p-find-publication.htm).
The PDF B documents are then transferred via Secure File Transfer Protoc= ol (SFTP) to the EPO. This is done on a weekly basis and includes a s= eparate ST.36 XML file for the bibliographical data.
Corrected =E2=80=98Errata=E2=80=99-Documents (A8, A9, B8 & C)=
These are prepared in-house in a 2 week publication cycle using a bespok= e IT system linked to PDAX (the IPO=E2=80=99s electronic case management sy= stem).
The front page is compiled by downloading bibliographic data (XML format= ) from the corporate database COPS and merged with the rest of the specific= ation pages from PDAX and reproduced in a single PDF image. The PDF image i= s then loaded onto the IPO=E2=80=99s publication server on our external web= site for customer download. The IPO no longer publishes =E2=80=9Cerra= ta=E2=80=9D documents in paper format, the official publication means being= electronic (please see the following link: https://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-find/p-find-pu= blication.htm).
The PDF Errata documents are then transferred via Secure File Transfer P= rotocol (SFTP) to the EPO. This is done on a weekly basis and include= s a separate ST.36 XML file for the bibliographical data.
(2) Patents and Designs Journal (PDJ) and the on-line e-Patents Journal.=
Up until 26th March 2008, the official notices and selected bibliographi= c data relating to UK patent applications and granted patents were publishe= d in the official weekly electronic newspaper called the Patents and Design= s Journal (PDJ) on the date of publication, and are available on our websit= e in PDF format.
From 5 March 2008 the e-Patents Journal became searchable online, and ma= y be downloaded in PDF or XML formats. It also includes a back-file o= f the UK applications filed section from 26th July 2006. The Pat= ents Journal and archived PDJs may be accessed from:
https://www.gov.uk/check-the-patents-journal<= /p>
(3) ESPACENET, EPOQUE etc.
The full text, drawings and bibliographic data of all newly published UK= patent applications and granted patents is published on the EPOQUE system = soon after the domestic publication date.
Espacenet is a free internet service which contains a number of differen= t patent collections. GB patents published from 1895 and Granted from= 2002 are available through the worldwide database, please see: = https://worldwide.espacenet.com/
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of pub= lication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.
Up until 26th March 2008 the official notices and selected bi= bliographic data relating to UK patent applications and granted patents wer= e published in the official weekly electronic newspaper called the Patents = and Designs Journal (PDJ) on the date of publication, and are available on = our website in PDF format.
From 5 March 2008 the e-Patents Journal became searchable online and may= be downloaded in PDF or XML formats. It also includes a back-file of= the UK applications filed section from 26 July 2006. The Patent= s Journal and archived PDJs may be accessed from:
https://www.gov.uk/check-the-patents-journal<= /p>
In relation to the dissemination of more general notices regarding paten= ts and other IPR, our website: (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-prop= erty-office) plays an important role. In particular, we fre= quently hold consultations with our community of users. However, we c= ontinue to place such announcements in our on-line e-Patents Journal, which= is available without charge on our website. Website statistics = are available here: htt= ps://www.gov.uk/performance/site-activity-intellectual-property-office<= /p>
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, = medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and da= tabases
We have a long list of external databases that we use regularly, includi= ng EPODOC, Derwent=E2=80=99s World Patent Index and CAS ONLINE, as well as = other specialised chemical, biotech, electrical and other databases, such a= s defensive publications. We interrogate these databases using a numb= er of online hosts that we subscribe to, including EPOQUEnet, STN and = others.
Our official policy is that a worldwide search should be carried out as = part of every patent search done in this office.
Examiners are encouraged to access National Patent Office Organisation w= ebsites as necessary to search collections of patent documents, or to retri= eve family member search and examination reports (e.g. EPO, USPTO, WIPO).= p>
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, = medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free= of charge, subscription, etc.)
Our main office is located in Newport, Wales, where the public can file = applications and discuss possible IP protection with an IPO Advisor. = In addition, we also have a front office in London where customers can file= any correspondence for the attention of the Office.
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium,= etc.)
Legal status information is contained on the UK patent register and may = be searched by publication or application number at: https= ://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum.htm
This data is complete for all UK national applications in force in the U= K and granted EP (UK) applications which are in force.
Other sources
Nothing to report.
Specific software tools supporting business procedures within th= e Office: general description, characteristics, advantages, possible improv= ements
We use Microsoft Windows 10 which provides an integrated and extensive n= etwork of applications that are available to all staff. Office 365 pr= ovides access to a suite of applications including Outlook, Word, Exce= l and PowerPoint; all major classification keys that are used by the examin= ers are accessible, as are office notices, manuals, search tools including = access to online databases, translation software, management and administra= tion information etc.
There is also a bibliographical register (COPS) which runs on a Windows-= based platform and is written in Microfocus Cobol, a VB.NET database (PAFS)= for recording file movement data and examining group statistics, and autom= ated production of search and examination reports using the PROSE system. &= nbsp;We also have a PDAX electronic case file system whereby all the docume= nts relating to patent applications are available electronically to examine= rs at their desktop. The Office intranet contains a very large collec= tion of essential information for staff, including search and classificatio= n tools.
Copies of documents cited in search reports are produced by the in-house= Computerised Image Management System (CIMS) for supply to applicants, and = in addition this system has been extended to enable the ad hoc ordering by = technical staff of any types of patent documentation, direct from their&nbs= p;desktop. All staff have access to the Internet and to the Office In= tranet and have their own e-mail (via Microsoft Outlook) and official e-mai= l address.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Staff access their Windows 10 desktop using a Microsoft Surface Pro devi= ce which connects to 24 inch wide screen monitors via a dock.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external = sources
Register and legal status information is stored on our bibliographical r= egister (COPS), as are a number of types of statistics. Examining gro= up statistics, file movements etc., are recorded using a VB.NET system call= ed PAFS (see previous entry above). In addition, we use an in-house s= ystem called PDAX to electronically store and access our patent application= case files. The databases referred to are updated continuously = and views of the data contained on COPS and PDAX are made externally availa= ble via our website.
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file bu= ilding, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the sea= rch file
GB patent bibliographic data is available electronically and may be sear= ched on our COPS database. Published GB patent specifications may be = accessed and searched via EPOQUE and from our on-line publication server, s= ee "Main types of publication" above.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal st= atus, statistics, and administrative support)
See entry in relation to internal databases.
Other matters
Nothing to report.
Patent library: equipment, collection management, network of pat= ent libraries in the country, cooperation with foreign patent libraries
PatLib UK forms part of a 340 strong European Network of Patent Informat= ion Centres administered by the European Patent Office, with the IPO Uk hol= ding autonomy over the UK network.
The UK Network comprises 18 regional centres (Birmingham, Exeter, Glasgo= w, Aberdeen, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Cambridge, Manchester, Newcast= le, Northampton, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Norwich, Sheffield, Gloucester and B= righton and Hove. The majority based in city centre libraries. = They have experienced staff offering practical assistance on the main IP ri= ghts, including Patents.
A key offering of the network is access to patent databases and support = in searching. All centres have a minimum requirement to supply assist= ed searches to businesses. Many take this further however by providin= g classes to guide businesses on completing basic initial searches.
Training to deliver these services has been supplied by the IPO through = the IP Masterclass programme as well as ongoing individual training session= s as needed. Larger centres have had in-depth patent searching coveri= ng, Prior Art and freedom to operate searches.
In addition to the guided searches some PatLib centres also offer a comm= ercial patent searching service. This is at a low cost and is availab= le to anyone; it is regularly used by businesses and individuals as well as= IP Professionals.
As the centres are located within local libraries, they make the most of= free databases such as Espacenet and PatentScope and due to lack of fundin= g do not pay for any additional databases or tools.
The largest and most used PatLib centre, The British Library, located in= St. Pancras, London, houses the national collection of patents, science an= d technology. The other libraries also have collections of patent jou= rnals and other relevant publications of varying size, but there are also s= ubstantial deposits in Glasgow.
Our office, through the British Library, takes part in numerous exchange= and grant programmes with other patent offices around the world as in prev= ious years.
Publications related to different business procedures and patent= information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Int= ernet publications, etc.
Our main office is located in Newport, Wales, where the public can file = applications and discuss possible IP protection with an IPO Advisor. = In addition, we also have a front office in London where customers can file= applications.
Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in = the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abst= racts)
Nothing to report
Cooperation with universities, research centres, technology and = innovation support centres, etc.
We continue to raise awareness of the resources we have developed = for universities to help them think more strategically about their IP, ensu= ring they can make informed decisions on IP issues.=E2=80=AF=E2=80=AF
https://www.g=
ov.uk/government/publications/ip-in-education/ip-in-education
The Lambert toolkit provides guidance and model agreemen= ts to facilitate negotiations between universities and businesses= undertaking collaborative research projects.=E2=80=AF &n= bsp;
The Intellectual Asset Management for Universities guidance helps = senior university leaders set strategies to optimise the benefits from the = intellectual assets created by their staff and students. =
This is primarily done through interaction with our IP for Univers= ities and Colleges (IPUC) stakeholder group, which includes patent and trad= emark attorneys, lecturers and industry professionals.
Our Business Outreach continues to raise awareness of IP, helping = businesses reach an informed decision on how to use, manage, and enforce th= eir IP to its full potential.=E2=80=AF This is done via a portfolio of busi= ness tools including mobile and online resources, seminars, workshops/train= ing and working with partners to deliver broader dissemination and understa= nding of IP=E2=80=AFhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/intellectual-prope= rty-for-business
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (UR= Ls), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
We continue to communicate IP awareness to young people from prima= ry through to secondary school. For schools we = ;have developed a range of curriculum linked education resources to raise a= wareness of innovation, creativity and intellectual property in p= artnership with UK Music, Aardman Animations and the Industry Tru= st.=E2=80=AF Campaigns are supported through crackingideas.c= om an online hub to support UK and devolved Governmen= ts=E2=80=99 curriculums plus advice and guidance for schools on intellectua= l property.
For colleges, we developed the Future Innovators Toolkit (FIT), a = comprehensive resource pack on intellectual property, how to protect it and= where it fits into future careers, for teachers of Level 3 Science, Techno= logy, Engineering and Maths (STEM) students.
For universities, we have introduced a new online tool (IP Tu= tor), an online resource for university students and lecturers to provide t= hem with a basic understanding of IP and IP rights.=E2=80=AF We also offer = a set of teaching resources for lecturers (IP Tutor Plus) to help them teac= h university students about IP and how it is useful to their future careers= . https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/i= ntellectual-property-for-universities/ip-tools-for-universities<= span>
Our IP for Research programme helps PhD students and researchers u= nderstand how IP fits into their research and the commercialisation process= . In addition to six online guides on IP, we offer a half day worksho= p to universities.=E2=80=AF
As part of our commitment to increase IP=E2=80=99s impact through = awareness and education, in 2018 we commissioned a comprehensive review of = our education resources. =E2=80=AFWe will be drawing upon the findings of t= his review to develop an IP Education Policy to ensure = our resources and activities are most effectively targeted.=E2=80=AF <= /span>
Other activities
All marketing and PR carried out within the External Communication= s team is achieving great coverage particularly on our social net= working platforms. =E2=80=AF
International exchange and sharing of patent information in mach= ine-readable form, e.g., priority documents, bibliographic data, abstracts,= search reports, full text information
We apply all relevant WIPO standards including ST.8 for machine-readable= records and ST.36 for xml transfer of bibliographic data.
In October 2009 we launched a Patents Digital Access Service for the dig= ital preparation and transfer of patent priority documents to WIPO. T= he service is free to electronic filers and will benefit both UK business a= nd the IP community.
The service automatically prepares digital patent priority documents and= securely stores them at WIPO for future use. This service removes th= e financial burden on our customers who currently pay National IP Offices t= o prepare priority documents for filing at other IP offices. Please s= ee the following link for further information https://www.ipo.gov.uk/pro-types/pro-pat= ent/pro-p-os/pro-p-apply-online-pdas.htm.
It is also possible to exchange priority documents in paper and on CD pr= ovided the appropriate electronic signature is provided.
Participation in international or regional activities and projec= ts related to patent information
Nothing further to report.
Assistance to developing countries
Nothing to report.
Other activities
The IPO provide reports to World Trade Organisation on TRIPS Agreement, TRIPS responses details work done w= ith other offices and relate to all areas of IP, reporting on activities ar= ound technology transfer and technical cooperation.
Nothing to report.
= 1.Classification is allotting one or more classification symbols (e.= g., IPC symbols) to a patent application, either before or during search an= d examination, which symbols are then published with the patent application= .
= 2. Preclassification is allotting an initial broad classification sy= mbol (e.g., IPC class or subclass, or administrative unit) to a patent appl= ication, using human or automated means for internal administrative purpose= s (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 replaceme= nt of one or more previously allotted classification symbols to a patent do= cument, following a revision and the entry into force of a new version of t= he Classification system (e.g., the IPC). The new symbols are availab= le on patent databases.