Information on the following topics is desired:
The Italian Office is constantly evolving to improve its services for the users.
In June 2021 a national strategic plan on industrial property was approved at Ministerial level for the period 2021-2023. Its main goals are:
In line with the implementation of its strategic plan, the main areas of interest of the Office in 2022 were the following:
- improving publication times for bibliographic data and patent documents-improvement of full-text search technologies;
- improving workflows for examining patent applications;
- new service for requesting and issuing documents in plain copies;
- new IT platform project
In 2020, the Italian Patent Office (UIBM) introduced the national route for PCT applications designating Italy and implemented its online filing system. In 2021-2022, software tools for examining PCT applications were implemented and then consolidated.
A new service was made available to users for requesting and issuing documents in plain copy, i.e. without attestation of conformity to the original of the documents contained in the files relating to IP applications and licences, as well as related applications.
In late 2022, UIBM introduced from the 1st of January 2023 the pdf-a standard (ISO 19005:2005) as the only accepted format for filing patent documents.
New IT Platform
The feasibility study of the new IT technical infrastructure was completed in 2022.
Based on the information provided by the interested stakeholders, the new infrastructure will make the management of the administrative procedures at the Office more efficient and will, above all, significantly expand the IP services offered to the users, innovating those that are already in place.
Activities are envisaged to start by March 2023 and the end of the project is envisaged by mid-2025 with a full live operational integration with the new platform by the end of 2025.
Major improvements expected after the Go-Live are:
TTO call for proposal (measure fully managed by UIBM)
This initiative aims to increase the intensity of technology transfer flows to enterprises by supporting the enhancement and protection of industrial property of projects promoted by TTOs (Technology Transfer Offices). It is addressed to: Italian universities and public research organizations, as well as scientifically-oriented Institutes of Hospitalization and Care (IRCCS).
The TTO Call in 2022 was funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Mission 1. "Digitalization, innovation competitiveness, culture and tourism" - Component 2 "Digitalization, innovation and competitiveness in the production system" - Investment 6. "Industrial Property System" funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.
BREVETTI + call for proposals (with INVITALIA as implementing agency)
Brevetti+ is the incentive for the economic exploitation of patents, funded by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy and managed by Invitalia (Invitalia is the National Agency for Inward Investment and Economic Development.). Addressed to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, in 2022 Brevetti+ was refinanced with a budget of 30 million euro (of which 10 million are “National Recovery and Resilience Plan” resources, Mission 1. "Digitalization, innovation competitiveness, culture and tourism" - Component 2 "Digitalization, innovation and competitiveness in the production system" - Investment 6. "Industrial Property System" funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.).
This support measure funds the purchase of specialized services for the economic enhancement of a patent in terms of profitability, productivity and market development related to the following areas:
A - design, engineering and industrialization
B - organization and development
C - technology transfer
Links in Italian:
https://www.invitalia.it/cosa-facciamo/rafforziamo-le-imprese/brevetti
Proof of Concept (PoC) call for proposals (with INVITALIA as implementing agency)
This initiative supports patent enhancement activities. The objective of the measure is to raise the level of maturity of inventions patented by the research system to enable development actions also, and especially, by companies. It is addressed to: Italian universities and public research organizations, as well as scientifically-oriented Institutes of Hospitalization and Care (IRCCS).
The PoC Call in 2022 was funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 1. "Digitalization, innovation competitiveness, culture and tourism" - Component 2 "Digitalization, innovation and competitiveness in the production system" - Investment 6. "Industrial Property System" funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.
Link in Italian : https://uibm.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/pnrr-bando-di-8-5-milioni-per-i-progetti-poc-di-valorizzazione-dei-brevetti
Development of the Knowledge Share online platform
In partnership with NETVAL - Network for academic research valorisation – and Politecnico di Torino as partners, through a 1 million euro budget from the fund of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Mission 1. "Digitalization, innovation competitiveness, culture and tourism" - Component 2 "Digitalization, innovation and competitiveness in the production system" - Investment 6. "Industrial Property System" funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.
The European Commission (Directorate-General for Research and Innovation) has included in 2022 the KNOWLEDGE-SHARE.EU platform in the list of THE EUROPEAN BEST PRACTICES FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AT EU LEVEL.
Link: https://www.knowledge-share.eu/en/ (ENG link)
- Adaptation of the IT systems to the new sequence list standard (ST 26),
- Issuing of plain copies
- Implementation of online filing and examination tools regarding the new examination procedure of international patent applications.
In the framework of the UIBM Academy the following main topics were on the agenda:
ITEM | 2022 | 2021 |
Patents -National Filings | 9,077 | 11,031 |
Patents- National Grants | 7,325 | 7,248 |
Utility Models - National Filings | 1,678 | 1,768 |
Utility Models - National Grants | 1,674 | 1,766 |
PCT Patent filings | 144 | 15 |
PCT Patent Grants | 27 | 0 |
PCT- Utility Models filings | 30 | 5 |
PCT- Utility Models grants | 7 | 0 |
Link: https://statistiche.uibm.gov.it/
Specific reports on patents are published at the link: https://uibm.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/brevetti/reportistica-sui-brevetti
Reports on filings and grants are regularly published on an annual basis. Specific reports on technological areas and trends are also available.
Dedicated webpages on biotechnological patents are also available at the link: https://www.uibm.gov.it/biotech/index.html
A special observatory of the patenting activities of Italian Public Universities and Research Centres was set up in 2013 and is regularly updated. It is named PATIRIS and is available at the link: https://patiris.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/
The Official UIBM Annual Report 2022 is not yet available.
Link: https://uibm.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/comunicazione-ed-eventi/pubblicazioni-uibm
Information on the following topics is desired:
Link: https://servizionline.uibm.gov.it/deposito-online-new/pubblica/index.html (On_line filing -in Italian)
Link: https://uibm.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/deposito-titoli/modulistica-per-il-deposito-cartaceo (Paper-filing - In Italian)
Link: https://uibm.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/brevetti ("How to Get an Italian Patent”- in Italian)
The application dossier is available at: https://www.uibm.gov.it/bancadati/Advanced_search/type_url?type=pt&cl=1
Patent applications are assigned to a category in accordance with the International Patent Classification (IPC) after being submitted to the novelty search that is carried out by the European Patent Office. On 28th September 2022, the Italian Patent and Trademark Office officially joined the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC). Consultations with the EPO as well as the training initiatives for the staff are underway in order to effectively implement the CPC on Italian applications.
Patent applications are filed in Italian. The dossier submitted to the EPO for the novelty search, consists of all patent documents, both in English and Italian, (description, claims, abstract, if any). Only the Italian version is published. The abstract is not mandatory according to the Italian patent law.
Information on the following topics is desired:
All calls and incentives related to patents and described above are announced on the Italian Official Gazette and on the websites of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) and on the UIBM website.
The Patents of the Italian Public Research Institutes (PATIRIS): link https://patiris.mise.gov.it/index.php/en/
The PATIRIS platform’s database aims at establishing itself as a permanent patenting overseer for universities and public research institutes in Italy (PRIs). The new service, developed by the UIBM in collaboration with NETVAL stems from the upgrade of the original PATIRIS platform, first created in 2013 in collaboration with the University of Bologna.
Based on the Open Patent Services (OPS) data source provided by the European Patent Office (EPO), the new platform allows easy access to information relating to patents filed by 119 national research bodies since 1950. Through its own search tool, it enables user to use different search criteria simultaneously.
PATIRIS provides data and information based on the “patent families” generated by the Italian public research and shows direct links to the patent portfolio of each Institute mapped on the Knowledge-Share (KS) platform, a project jointly owned by UIBM, NETVAL and the Politecnico di Torino.
Access to the platform is free of charge.
KNOWLEDGE SHARE: link https://www.knowledge-share.eu/en/
The access to the platform is free of charge.
Patent data are published in compliance with Italian patent law, at the end of the 18th month from the filing or priority date if the deposit is accepted.
Patent information are available to external users on the public database:
link: https://www.uibm.gov.it/bancadati/Advanced_search/type_url?type=pt&cl=1
For the UIBM staff an on-site tool called NSARA is available.
Information on the following topics is desired:
An on-site tool called NSARA is used that consists of the back-end for patent examination and the front-end for online filing.
Cluster on-site Qemu (KVM-based)
Galera MariaDB Cluster
ElasticSearch and Solr
SNMP-Based (Nagios, Observium), NetBox
Information on the following topics is desired:
“KNOWLEDGE SHARE” in an online platform that facilitates the interaction between university technology transfer offices, academic researchers and industry partners, by providing a portal that enables users to easily access information related to patents and technologies that represent the excellence of the scientific know-how in Italy. See above .
The Office runs its own Academy. The UIBM Academy seminars (online, face-to-face or hybrid) target all stakeholders interested in IP. Advanced training is provided by the UIBM to the human resources involved in the TTO call – Knowledge Transfer managers and Innovation Promoters - who have, among other things, the difficult task of performing, as a free support service, the analysis of the IP portfolio of Italian SMEs and promoting the culture of IP innovation and technology transfer.
Master in Open Innovation and Intellectual Property (with LUISS University as managing body)
The Open Innovation & IP Master’s degree serves to cultivate experts or budding entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs in driving innovation and protecting intellectual property as a company asset. This interdisciplinary program will delve into the entire life cycle of innovation – from conceptualization of an idea to the creation, protection and commercialization of it – including anticipating and applying countermeasures in terms of appropriation of a firm’s IP by competition.
Link: https://www.luiss.edu/ammissione/offerta-formativa/master-open-innovation-intellectual-property (ENG link)
Master in IP valorization for Knowledge Exchange & Impact (KEI) (with University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum as managing body)
The program of Masterin “Intellectual Property Valorisation For Knowledge Exchange & Impact (KEI)” aims to:
- train participants to acquire knowledge and theoretical and practical managerial skills for the management of intellectual property and major activities of technology transfer;
- generate moments of confrontation and opportunities for growth in the network of relationships;
- raise awareness of the national innovation ecosystem through visits and appointments organized in partner universities throughout the national territory;
- deepen within the project work a topic of interest, accompanied by professionals in the field.
Link: https://master.unibo.it/kei/it (ITA link)
Information on the following topics is desired:
The UIBM exchanges bibliographic data and full-text information with the EPO by ftps connection. The authority file is shared with WIPO.
Participation in Working groups organized by the EPO on CPC, data quality and security.
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.