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I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changeschanges
Changes experienced in terms of application filings and grants with respect to the previous year
The number of patent applications filed by domestic applicants in 2017 has increased by 0,25% compared to 2016. Domestic applicants in 2017 filed 794 applications for inventions, with the greatest number in the fields of transport and storage, building and health and amusement. In comparison with the year 2016, there were changes in patent and utility model activities as follows:
2017 | Compared to 2016 | |
National patent applications | 860 | +3 % 839 |
Utility model applications | 1279 | +1% (1264) |
PCT international applications | 25 | -26 % (34) |
Grant national patent | 669 | -14 % (781) |
Registrations utility model | 1107 | -7 % (1187) |
Supplementary protection certificate, application | 60 | +7 % (56) |
European Patent Office granted | 105635 | +19 % (89142) |
IPO CZ received EP translations | 6912 | +16 % (5964) |
EP patents valid in CZ | 35639 | +13 % (31431) |
National patents valid in CZ | 5985 | -8 % (6486) |
National utility models valid in CZ | 8166 | -3 % (8398) |
Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year
As regards the representation of individual segments, most of patent applications concerned transport and storage (16,16 %); building (6,86 %); health and amusement (6,28 %); %); etc. Regarding utility model applications, most of them came from the sectors of transporting, storing (10,95 %); building (10,71 % ; health and amusement (7,43 %).
Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.
Statistics
Since 2000 the Annual Reports and statistics have been available at the Office’s website: http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/annual-report/annual-report.html
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Use of an electronic classification system to check IPC (International Patent Classification): http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/classsification-systems/classification-patents.html
II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PATENT INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE
Information and support provided by the Office to applicants regarding filing on paper and/or e-filing (instructions, seminars, etc.) - URLs
IPO CZ carries out patent granting procedure resulting from patent application that can be filed by the inventor or by a person; this right was transferred to by the inventor. Patent applications ordinarily follow a set form which must also include a description of the invention and optionally (if necessary) related drawings and so called patent claims. The claims precisely define the subject-matter, for which the protection is requested. Application forms are available in the filing room of the IPO CZ and can also be downloaded from the IPO CZ website. Applications can be filed in person, by post or electronically.
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Patent classification system: http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/classsification-systems/classification-patents.html
Availability of the application dossier in electronic form
The content of the file (element of proceedings) is available at: http://isdv.upv.cz/portal/pls/portal/portlets.rejst.formular?lan=en
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Search system in bibliographic data on the web site allows full-text processing.
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)
Office notices are published weekly in the electronic Official Bulletin of the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic. Notices are also published at the Office’s website.
Mass storage media used are hard discs, magnetic tapes for backup and paper.
Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.
The Bulletin contains the following types of announcements:
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- Internal SyPP2 database – contains all pending as well as decided applications
- Internal database of patent and utility model applications since 1991
- EPO search tool EPOQUEnet – moreover within this tool: external databases BIOSIS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBCHEM, Non-Patent Literature)
- STN International
- Science Direct database
- Freely accessible databases on Internet: Esp@cenet, Google Patents, National Office databases, for example
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases
National and international patent (paper) documentation (EP, WO, US, DE (including DD), GB, FR, RU, CH)
Paid databases: STN International, DIALOG, QUESTEL and Science Direct database.
Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)
National and international patent (paper) documentation (EP, WO, US, DE (including DD), GB, FR, RU, CH)
Paid databases: STN International, DIALOG, QUESTEL and Science Direct database.
Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)
Internal and public Patent and utility model databases.
Other sources
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online publications 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:
http://internet.upv.cz/cs/publikace/vestnik-upv.html (Czech version - since 2000)
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The public Czech patents and utility models database – advanced search: http://isdv.upv.cz/portal/pls/portal/portlets.pta.formular?lok=en
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
Within the Office, there are obeyed, maintained and improved several business management systems:
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The business process management system (BPMS) internally named ADONIS that describes the office’s processes flow structure is also deployed, maintained and improved. Each employee can find information on organizational structure, valid laws, rules and other documents, available applications, databases and information systems.
Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office
Workstations - HP, processor Intel Core2Duo, Core I3 and Core I5, RAM 1- 8 GB, HDD 160 - 500 GB. 300 workstations connected in the Office network are of the Office staff direct service. Thereof 50 computers connected in the Office network are intended for the clients of the Office and staff training. MS OFFICE – 2007/2010/2013/2016 software. The Office uses CD, DVD and magnetic tapes as data mediums.
Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources
In-house systems (online/offline)
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The Office also performs searches on the EPOQUEnet and the commercial databases as STN International, and ScienceDirect databases (MEDLINE and Non-Patent Literature), national databases freely accessible in the Internet are used as well (the links to these databases are provided at the Office´s web site (http://www.upv.cz/en.html).
Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file
File building
Patent library stores more than 40 million patent documents from more than 20 countries including EPO and PCT documents. The collections of paper documents are arranged according to the IPC classification, the collections of national documents are arranged according to the IPC classification and by numbers. The national documents are also available in electronic version (Internet). The CDs and DVDs with full text and searchable collections are also available.
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Official bulletins of foreign offices are available in an electronic via Internet.
Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)
The Office uses the internal information system SYPP2 (starting from January 2014) to proceed the applications of patents, supplementary patent certificates, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks and geographical indications. The system has been developed since 2011 as a major upgrade of previous version SYPP which was used from 2004 until 2013. The new application is more flexible, based on Oracle Forms with easier maintaining and more flexible data structure. Data are stored in xml format including the history. The system is also more user-friendly. System is connected with central registers of the Czech Republic (ISZR). The project was co-financed by the European fund for regional development within the EU project Enforcement of Industrial Property Rights.The system enables to maintain official registers of all the industrial property rights. Furthermore it archives all incoming and outgoing communications of the Office, provides the information on the state of proceeding, legal status of registrations and statistical data. The Document Management System (DMS) is integrated as well. The system also processes foreign applications within PCT and the European patents valid in the territory of the Czech Republic. The data are transferred to the electronic Office’s Bulletin and to the public search database. The system is compatible with electronic filing recognizing authorized electronic certificates. The current version of on-line filing system was launched in 2017 and is based on web application. This system has replaced the previous application which was based on pdf forms.. Starting from January 2008, the system produces automatic electronic extracts from registers upon online request.
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The Office provides full range of brochures and flyers free of charge. They can be downloaded in PDF format from the Office´s web site, taken in the office headquarters or sent upon request. The Office publishes its own books and the Industrial Property Journal (6 issues per year) reflecting the current issues of IP rights.
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 library stores more than 40 million patent documents from more than 20 countries including EPO and PCT documents. The collections of paper documents are arranged according to the IPC classification, the collections of national documents are arranged according to the IPC classification and by numbers. The national documents are also available in electronic version (Internet) in the national Pantent and utility Model Database (patent applications published since 1991, European patents valid in the Czech Republic, granted patents from No. 1 and registered utility models.). The CDs and DVDs with full text and searchable collections are also available. The documents can be studied in the public reading room equipped with PC workstations available for visitors.
The Office cooperates with Regional Patent Information Centres (PATLIBs) on information product dissemination.
Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.
The Office provides full range all IP rights dedicated brochures, leaflets and guides free of charge. They can be downloaded in PDF format from the Office´s web site http://www.upv.cz/en/publications/information-brochures/information-brochures.html, picked up in the office headquarters or sent upon request. All the materials are distributed to visitors during fairs or exhibitions all year long. The Office publishes its own professional literature as well.
The Industrial Property Journal reflecting the current issues of IP rights is published six times a year.
Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)
„Patent Translate", a machine translator of patent documents, is available (via Espacenet) - the possibility to translate from English to Czech and from Czech to English.
Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.
Cooperation with Prague Metropolitan University on training in a bachelor´s programme in „Industrial Property“ and a master´s programme in „International and Regional Relations in Industrial Property“ continued. Lectures were held at a number of innovation and technology centres.
The IPO CZ also cooperates with other universities. There are seminars and educational activities (various topics) for students and academic staff organised in Office’s premises or in university headquarters. University students are also regularly invited for excursions and guided tours in the Office’s premises.
Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.
The IPO CZ regularly organizes wide range of training courses and seminars - such as IP Protection and National (CZ) and International Systems of IP Protection in particular PCT, Intellectual Property Protection in Business (SMEs), Technology Transfer, Enforcement of Intellectual Rights, IP Jurisdiction (administrative and judicial issues), Trademarks and Designs - National and International Legal Protection, Searches in the National and Foreign Patent Databases. All the educational activities are organized for public, mainly for students, academic staff of universities, representatives of SMEs or research institutions and IP professionals. Lectures were also held at a number of innovation and technology centres and companies.
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- 59th International Engineering Fair (Brno, CZ)
- 16th International Trade Fair of Engineering Technologies FOR INDUSTRY 2017 (Prague, CZ)
- The Science Research Innovation Trade Fair (Brno, CZ)
- Science Trade Fair (Prague, CZ)
- Science Festival (Prague, CZ)
- For Interior (Prague, CZ)
- Innovation 2017 (Prague, CZ)
- 20th Moscow International Inventions and Innovative Technology Salon (Moscow, RU)
- KIWIE - Korean International Women’s Invention Exposition (Seoul, KR)
- INTARG (Katowice, PL)
- IWIS (Warsaw, PL)
- IENA (Nuremberg, DE)
- INFOINVENT (Chisinau, MD)
Other activities
The IPO CZ continued its activities for children and youth (elementary school pupils and secondary school students). The Office offers to them short training sessions on industrial rights, guided field trips to the Office's headquarters and an example search in patent databases, as well as courses for teachers interested in adding the topic of industrial rights to their curricula. A special section for youth which is maintained on the IPO CZ website was launched with a new design. The leaflet and comics books on the topics of patents, trademarks and copyright can be downloaded in this section. All the materials mentioned are also available for children and youth during their excursions to the IPO or during the fairs and exhibitions. The new e-learning course on industrial property for elementary and secondary school students was launched. The course acquaints young people with the principles or individual institutes of industrial property rights protection in an entertaining way. The IPO also kept on cooperating with the RVP.CZ Methodological Portal, operated by the National Institute for Education to support of teachers.
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A presentation of the Amazing Physics Theatre group- (UDiF) was held in October 2017 together with a discussion on intellectual property. More than 300 pupils and students of secondary schools attended the program.
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
International and regional cooperation in the exchange of machine-readable patent information is realized on Internet. Czech patent documents in paper form were distributed to patent offices of two countries.
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Various courses and seminars were organized for students and representatives of SMEs or research institutions; Groups of university students were accepted for excursions and guided tours for excursions and guided tours in the Office’s premises.
Assistance to developing countries
At the request of foreign IPOs (or WIPO) the Office offers study visits for their staff members.
Other activities
The Industrial Property Office continued to fulfil responsibilities resulting from the Czech Republic's membership in the European Union especially related to the area of industrial property protection. It participated in the meetings of the EU Council Working Group on Intellectual Property.
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