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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)
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- 854 volumes of books and magazines;
Information provided upon payment includes:
- bibliographic data of patent and utility model applications and granted exclusive rights.
Online sources of patent information and collections include:
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Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
Other sources
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
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
Other matters
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
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
Within promotion of knowledge on industrial property the Patent Office issues various publications such as guides, informational-promotional brochures addressed to wide audience, among others to entrepreneurs, students, school youth. Those publications are available free of charge both in electronic version and PDF format as well as on paper on the premises of the Office.
Publication titles are as follows: Your world of intellectual property, What is intellectual property, Inventor's guide, Inventions in SMEs activity, Inventions and patents. Use the past to create future, Industrial protection in a nutshell, Inventions in your house, Patents (comic book).
In 2015 the PPO completed implementation of the project aimed at preparing and distributing 22 booklets on different aspects of intellectual property. The booklets were distributed as training and conference materials at different events and were also posted on the Internet Educational Platform.
Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
Other activities
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
In order to make entries on the legal status of exclusive rights protected on the territory of Poland, the following registers are held: patent register, utility model register. Registers include information necessary to establish the subject and scope of protection (f. ex. date of filing, title), entity (or entities) entitled to rights concerning a given subject of protection (f. ex. holders, licensees, securities, seizure) and other useful information (f. ex. applications for revocation). Every person who submits relevant application and pays a fee to the account of the Office can obtain excerpts from the register. Legal status information is also available in Register Plus at: |
Other sources
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
EPOQUE Net is a professional patent information retrieval tool which supports the processes of search and patent granting. It consists of a bundle of search applications and tools and is accessible by Patent Office via the Patent secure network. EPOQUE Net is continuously improved by European Patent Office and distributed to National Offices. PPO uses 4.10 version, and it is planned to implement new versions in 2016.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
PPO uses thin clients, workstations and notebooks with Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro and Microsoft Windows 10; multimedia tablets with Apple iOS, Google Android and Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro; physical and virtual servers with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard & Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard & Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard & Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard & Enterprise, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10/11/12, CentOS Linux 5/6/7, Oracle Linux 5/6/7, Debian GNU/Linux 6/7/8 and Ubuntu Server LTS; hypervisor servers with VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2.
In 2015 PPO was in the middle of the migration process of expiring operating systems such as Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Windows Server 2003.
All of thin clients, workstations, notebooks and servers are secured by McAfee antivirus and antispam system.
All network connections are based on Cisco, McAfee and Extreme Networks equipment with 200 Mb/s access to the Internet.
Server infrastructure for the Online Portal includes 9 application servers; 5 database servers; 10 TB build-up array; back-ups for HP Data Protector, Fujitsu FI-5900C scanner, 125 packages for the purposes of qualified signatures. On-Line Portal servers are supported by local UPSs and they are also hooked to Main power supply unit for the PPO.
Main IT infrastructure units are located in a secure server room equipped with fire alarm, CCTV system, redundant air-conditioning and technical floor.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
Patent data are stored on the specialized, regularly updated internal databases, where image information and bibliographic details are held, for example:
- Soprano – system supporting the process of granting rights of protection for patents and utility models (national procedure, the SPC and the European patent validation procedure);
- databases supporting the process of publication of patents.
Most production databases are hosted by Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise and MySQL Server 4/5/6.
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
EP data are stored and accessed via Soprano system.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
Installed and adopted to work together are ePhoenix (electronic storage and access to our patent and case files) and Soprano (work-flow) systems. Register and legal status information are disseminated via Register Plus system. Off-line systems provide information to examiners, lawyers and the accounting staff (payroll and finance-accounting system).
Other matters
PPO has continued implementation of new Intranet site based on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise software.
PPO has maintained professional call center service based on Unify OpenScape Contact Center Enterprise software and new system of customer relationship management based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server 2015 software.
PPO has launched the registers containing lists of requests about public information and public information provided.
PPO has conducted configuration of Kofax application to allow the use of OCR (Optical Character Recognition) with the Polish language.
PPO has prepared a new version of the list of patent attorneys.
The leading office software used for word processing and spreadsheet is Microsoft Office 2003 Standard, Microsoft Office 2007 Standard, Microsoft Office 2010 Standard & Professional Plus, Microsoft Office 2013 Standard & Professional Plus and Apache OpenOffice 4.
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
Patent documentation on paper carrier is stored in the Office storage rooms on movable bookshelves, in numerical and class arrangements, and are grouped separately according to respective countries. Class collection is stored in special files, adjusted to this type of collection. Numerical collection is stored in bound volumes. The storage rooms meet all the requirements for collection's safety. Polish patent documents arranged according to the patent classification symbols are available in the Office's general reading room.
Collection of patent documents on CD-ROM and DVD is stored on special bookshelves adjusted to this type of collection. It is available in the reading room also to external users.
The Office's reading room is also equipped with computer stations where PPO employees and external users can retrieve patent information from internet databases.
Polish Patent Office cooperates with 26 PATLIB information centres, most of them located within libraries of schools of higher education. The centres provide patent information and consultancy and employ patent attorneys. They also conduct free of charge seminars and trainings for those interested in patent information.
Patent Office supplies the centres with patent literature and informational materials on paper and electronic carriers for further dissemination.
In 2015, the Office sent:
- 52 discs with full text of patent documentation;
- 35 discs with patent literature.
Decreasing number of discs sent to the centres results from the policy to post informational materials online rather than on disc and paper carrier.
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
Within promotion of knowledge on industrial property the Patent Office issues various publications such as guides, informational-promotional brochures addressed to wide audience, among others to entrepreneurs, students, school youth. Those publications are available free of charge both in electronic version and PDF format as well as on paper on the premises of the Office.
Publication titles are as follows: Your world of intellectual property, What is intellectual property, Inventor's guide, Inventions in SMEs activity, Inventions and patents. Use the past to create future, Industrial protection in a nutshell, Inventions in your house, Patents (comic book).
In 2015 the PPO completed implementation of the project aimed at preparing and distributing 22 booklets on different aspects of intellectual property. The booklets were distributed as training and conference materials at different events and were also posted on the Internet Educational Platform.
Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
In 2015 the PPO developed electronic versions of 7,669 European patent specifications translated into Polish, which are available on the Office’s Publication Server in PDF format.
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
The Patent Office collaborates with various institutions in the scope of promotion of knowledge on Intellectual Property (organisation of conferences, workshops, trainings, granting patronage of the PPO President over numerous initiatives etc.). In 2015, the Office collaborated with the following entities, to name a few: - collaboration with universities (Jagiellonian University in Kraków, University of Warsaw, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Łódź University of Technology, Kielce University of Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, Wrocław University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, etc.); - collaboration with science and business related institutions, including: Polish Federation of Engineering Associations, Association of Polish Inventors and Rationalisers, Polish Patent Attorney Chamber; National Information Processing Institute, National Chamber of Commerce, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development; |
- collaboration with governmental administration institutions: Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Regional Development.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
In 2015, the PPO participated in trainings and conferences, both in-house and online, organised by the European Patent Office (50 participants). The events focused on issues, such as: EpoqueNet search, Patent searching, Expert seminars on: computer-implemented inventions, disclaimers, extended subject matter, EPO Patent Information, Clarity and unity analysis of patent applications, Opposition procedure at the EPO, Cooperative Patent Classification, Novelty and Inventive step, How to understand EPO Search Reports, Efficient dialog between patent examiners and patent attorneys, The European Patent System from filing to grant, Drafting search reports and written opinions, EPOQUE Net searches (advanced level) including search in non-patent-literature.
In 2015, within industrial property protection the PPO organised or participated in the following events:
- 20th Conference "Patent Information for Science and Industry. Tools and strategies of innovation management" in Warsaw;
- 11th International Symposium "Industrial Property in Innovative Economy. Science-business-profit-development: Building effective innovation ecosystem" held in Kraków;
- 34th Seminar for Patent Attorneys of Schools of Higher Education in Cedzyna;
- Trainings on industrial property protection for MSEs and business-related institutions;
- PPO competition for a poster, short film and media information in the scope of intellectual property protection;
- 9th International Warsaw Exhibition of Inventions IWIS;
- 2nd edition of the competition “Ambassador of school innovativeness” organised in collaboration with the Polish Academy of Children;
- Ceremony of prize award in the 13th edition of the competition for the best artistic poster as well as post-doctoral, doctoral, master's and student's theses on the subject of intellectual property organized by the Patent Office;
- EPO Patent Information Conference in Copenhagen;
- Lectures within 19th Science Festival in Warsaw;
- Workshops organised within research project implemented with WIPO “Intellectual property and socio-economic development”.
In 2015 the PPO continued implementation of the project Internet Educational Platform (ipe.uprp.pl) which constitutes compendium of knowledge on intellectual property issues. The target group comprises enterprises (especially SMEs) business related institutions (including schools of higher education) and other entities.
- The Knowledge Zone includes information, publications and other materials addressed both to entities with advanced knowledge on IP issues and those looking for basic information on IP protection, procedures and management.
- Training Zone comprises e-learning course divided into 10 modules on intellectual property protection. Each module ends with a test to verify the acquired knowledge.
PPO has also implemented a new e-learning platform, IP Panorama, aiming at broadening and promotion of knowledge about the protection of intellectual property. It is available at http://ippanorama.uprp.pl.
Within the EU systemic project, in 2015 the PPO organised on its premises a series of advisory-informational meetings with renowned experts in the field of intellectual property, which gathered in total 244 guests.
Other activities
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
The Office provides several patent offices and organizations with its bibliographic data and abstracts in the flat text machine-readable format, and also xml format. Full-text information is provided in PDF fully searchable format. Electronic filings submitted to the PPO under EP and WO procedures are transferred to the EPO and WIPO respectively.
Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
Patent Office conducts many forms of activities aimed at promoting industrial property knowledge which also includes implementation of EU systemic project "Support for effective use of industrial property in innovative economy". The project entails five packages of tasks:
- education-training and advisory-consultancy activities;
- activities in the scope of promoting knowledge on intellectual protection;
- promotional activities concerning good practices and Polish achievements in industrial property protection;
- increasing access to patent literature databases and their use;
- project management.
In 2015 the PPO in co-operation with the European Patent Office completed the implementation of the "Bilateral Co-operation Plan” (BCP) which was a co-operation agreement covering a number of projects planned for the years 2013-2015. The co-operation activities concerned areas such as training, patent-related IT services and tools, patent information services as well as awareness and strengthening of the European Patent Network (EPN).
Various activities implemented within the framework of the BCP were targeted at raising patent awareness among the users of the IP system, including the "Awareness of the European patent system" project supporting organisation of promotional and informational stands at international fairs, exhibitions and conferences and organisation of patent-related awareness and training events to promote the European patent system. The main objective of these activities was to enhance the patent knowledge of SMEs, industry and academic institutions and to increase their use of the European patent system.
In 2015, the PPO developed the content of the new Bilateral Co-operation Plan for the years 2016-2018 which comprises 10 projects. In preparation for signing the new BCP for the years 2016-2018, the PPO staff has prepared Federated Register, Espacenet New and Quality at Source project cards which included planning the activities for the coming years and estimation of their costs.
Following the creation of the Visegrad Patent Institute (WIP), the PPO staff in cooperation with other national offices participated in the developing of website design
and necessary functionalities of application designated to handle the affairs of the Institute.Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information
Assistance to developing countries
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