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Annual Technical Report 2006 on Trademark Information Activities submitted by Poland (SCIT/ATR/TM/2006/PL)

Where URLs are requested below, it is preferred that either URLs which are likely to remain stable over time (three years or more) are provided, or home (main) page URLs are provided with a short explanation of how to access the corresponding information.

I. Evolution of registration activities

Changes experienced in terms of application filings and registrations with respect to the previous year

The provisions of Industrial Property Act of 30 June 2000 as amended on 17 December, applied in the field of industrial property protection in 2006.
In 2006, the Polish Patent Office created and launched electronic-interactive forms for applicants for registration of trademarks.

Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year

In 2006, the PPO received 21,624 trademark applications and notifications of international registrations designating Poland , including 15,338 applications filed under national procedure (in 2005-14,812) and 6,286 notifications under the Madrid Agreement concerning the International Registration of Marks and the Protocol to that Agreement (in 2005-6500). The rise in the number of applications was by 1,5%.
The Patent Office received from Polish applicants in 2006:
459 requests for international registration of Polish trademarks under the Madrid Agreement and the Protocol to that Agreement (10% less than in 2005), 333 requests were transmitted to WIPO (in 2005-336).
47 requests for Community trademarks were transmitted to OHIM.
In 2006, the PPO granted 19,793 rights of protection for trademarks filed under the national procedure (out of which 17,502 protection rights were given numbers), in 2005-11,460, and recognized 7,046 international trademark protection rights. At the end of 2006, the number of pending trademark applications and notifications amounted to 37,673 (a drop of 20,1% in comparison with 2005).
The number of rights of protection and registrations of trademarks valid on 31 December 2006 amounted in total to 205,694, including: 97,916 under the national procedure and 107,778 under the international procedure.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to trademarks

Statistics related to trademarks are presented in the Annual Report of the Patent Office, at the following address:
Annual Reports: http://www.uprp.pl/Polski/Wydawnictwa/Raporty+Roczne.htm ; http://www.uprp.pl/English/About+the+Polish+Patent+Office/annual/default.htm

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

Publishing, printing, copying techniques

Information on filed trademark applications is published in the "Patent Office's Bulletin" which is issued every two weeks both on paper and on our website.
The PPO has its own publication system, which enables production of the Office's publications on its own. The publishing process is based on the DTP system and covers preparation of the data contained in the Office's database, text editing and typesetting in InDesign 3.0. Printng is performed on the offset machine and digital reproducer. Publications are book bound in the last phase.
Information on registered trademarks is published monthly in the "Patent Office's Announcements". In 2006 15,286 announcements on registered trademarks were published in Patent Office's Bulletin and 12,380 in Patent Office's Announcements.

Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of trademark information

n/a

Mass storage media and microforms used

Information on trademarks is stored on papier carrier and machine-readable forms (discs, CD-ROM and DVD). In 2006, information was available:
1. For external users:
-on the premises of the PPO in the form of official bulletins on paper;
-in the PPO, for retrieval on the databases contained on CD-ROM (TRACES, DEMAS, CASSIS, TRADEMARK PENDING, CASSIS TRADEMARK ASSIGN, CASSIS TRADEMARK REGISTERED, COMMUNITY TRADEMARKS BULLETIN, TRADEMARKS OF RUSSIA, WIPO);
-via the Internet, from 8 workstations installed in the Office's Library to perform retrieval from the PPO database containing the complete verbal and graphic data on all trademarks filed and protected in Poland as well as information service on trademarks designating Poland prepared on the basis of the data received from the WIPO;
- from the user's computer via the Internet;
2. For the Polish Patent Office examiners:
- in-house database ROMARIN accessible in the network from examiners' workstations.

Word processing and office automation

n/a

Techniques used for the generation of trademark information (printing, recording, photocomposing, etc.)

n/a

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online trademark gazettes and other sources of trademark information, including download of bulk trademark data

Annual Reports: http://www.uprp.pl/Polski/Wydawnictwa/Raporty+Roczne.htm ; http://www.uprp.pl/English/About+the+Polish+Patent+Office/annual/default.htm

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

Classification and reclassification activities; Classification systems used, e.g., International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification), International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (Vienna Classification), other classification (please indicate whether goods and services for the registration of marks and whether the figurative elements of marks are classified by your Office and, if so, which classification(s) is (are) used)

The Polish Patent Office uses the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification) 8th edition as well as International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (Vienna Classification) 5th edition. Applicants should classify the goods and services properly. For figurative marks the PPO uses the Vienna Classification system.
During the granting procedure, goods and services classes can be amended by the Office's staff. Reclassification during the application stage is performed by the Office, in the trademark registered, reclassification takes place upon the request of the entitled person.
No electronic classification systems are used to check the classification symbols provided by the applicant.
Application documents of national trademarks are scanned and indexed: Server AIX, application-IBM Content Manager.

Use of electronic classification systems to check the classification symbols furnished by an applicant and which are contained in the lists of goods and/or services

n/a

Obligation for applicants to use pre-defined terms of the classification applied

n/a

Bibliographic data and processing

n/a

IV. Trademark manual search file establishment and upkeep

No manual search files are kept.

File Building

Information on trademarks is kept and made available to search in a paper form and on CD-ROMs. The collection is updated on regular basis.

Updating

n/a

Storage, including mass storage media

n/a

Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file

n/a

V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems

In 2006, the Polish Patent Office used the existing computerised trademark database for the internal purposes in the field of filing, examination and registration of trademarks. The database includes the following databases in the network system:

In-house systems (online/offline)

MARPOL - bibliographic and graphic database containing trademark applications and registrations as well as negative decisions under the national procedure, updated daily. The database is consulted by the Office's examiners in trademark search;
ROMARIN - database of registered international trademarks. MADRID EXPRESS;
6 ter - database created according to the Paris Convention, WIPO base-Appelation of origin;
MARMAD - search system for trademarks applied under the Madrid Agreement
UPNOTIF - administration service system for trademarks applied under the Madrid Agreement;
CTM - online system for searching Community trademarks
Data is stored in XML format.The access is carried out via a browser.
INN- WHO database for searching unregistered names of pharmaceutical products

External databases

Modernisation of the Office's Internet homepage (administration of services for outside users of the Office's information sources).
Databases on subjects of industrial property filed and under protection in Poland.

Administrative management systems (e.g., register, legal status, statistics, administrative support, etc.)

Functioning within suppport systems (including administrative service), operating off-line:
- law information system;
- patent attorneys information system;
- finance-accounting system;
- web-based application system with regard to fees control system.

Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used

Modern datacenter that assures the right and secure use of servers. The server-room has been furnished with air-condition appliances and a dozen of specifically equipped cabinets, fire-extinguisher devices, the CCTV system and the access control systems.
In-house computer network (LAN) based on the Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet solutions. Cisco and Alcatel switches and firewalls.
Telecommunication system with VOiP over WiFi improving direct communication with in-house and outside users.

VI. Administration of trademark information products and 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 PPO's registry extracts are available to every person who applies for such a registry and pays the appropriate fee. No registry extracts are available to supplementary registry of trademarks conducted for international registration of trademarks accepted on the territory of Poland.
As for official publications containing trademark information , they are available in the Office's library and the Internet:
-in "Wiadomosci Urzedu Patentowego" ("Patent Office's Announcements")
-in "Biuletyn Urzedu Patentowego" ("Patent Office's Bulletin")
The PPO database was rendered accessible for the outside users from 8 workstations installed in the Office's library to perform retrieval. This databse is accesible from the user's computer via the Internet.
Trademark information services for users were performed by the Information Unit of the Office and in the library where customers may obtain help within the retrieval and searching procedures.
Excerpts, duplicates and certificates officially confirming the specified entries in the trademark register were delivered under payment on user's request.

Planning, administration, automation, security

In 2006, the PPO implemented Acsepto trade mark search system integrating different databases for trademarks.

Collection management, preservation

n/a

Information services available to the public (including computerized services and search files contained in libraries remote from your Office and trademark information posted by your Office on the World Wide Web)

Information on trademarks is available in the 27 PATLIB centres in the form of CD-ROMS, DVDs, internet databases and printed bulletines.

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and registration procedures related to trademarks; opposition and appeal procedures related to trademarks; etc.

Filing with the PPO:
National Procedure:
http://www.uprp.pl/Polski/Procedura+krajowa/
International Procedure:
http://www.uprp.pl/Polski/Procedura+miedzynarodowa/
Forms (including those for electronic filing):
http://www.uprp.pl/Polski/Procedura+krajowa/Formularze/Formularze.htm
Databases:
Polish:
http://www.uprp.pl/patentwebaccess/databasechoose.aspx?language=polski
English:
http://www.uprp.pl/patentwebaccess/databasechoose.aspx?language=english
Procedures before the PPO - Basic Information:
http://www.uprp.pl/Polski/Informacje+o+UPRP/Podstawowe+informacje+i+poradniki/
http://www.uprp.pl/English/About+the+Polish+Patent+Office/Basic+information/

URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., trademark search service(s), trademark databases, etc.), as well as information on how to access and utilize them

see above

VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of trademark documentation and information

International or regional cooperation in the exchange of trademark information, e.g., in the form of official gazettes

In 2006, PPO received official bulletins containing among others data on trademarks from 27 countries, OHIM and WIPO.
The PPO received 50 numbers (300 booklets) of Gazette OMPI (WIPO) des Marques Internationales free of charge.
In 2006, the exchange of trademark documentation and information with foreign patent offices was continued. The PPO sent abroad:
-to 36 countries, 432 copies of "Patent Office's Announcements"
-to 16 countries, 416 copies of "The Patent Office's Bulletin"

Exchange of machine-readable information

n/a

VIII. Matters concerning education and training including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)

Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)

In 2006 within industrial property protection the following events were organised:
11th all-Poland conference for patent information centers;
All-Poland conference for representatives of science, pharmaceutical industry and patent attorneys on "The industrial property in biotechnology";
The conference on "The protection of geographical indications-challenges for Poland after accession to the European Union (in cooperation with the TAIEX Office from Brussels);
Krakow conference "Inteltrans 2006" on "The quality, innovation and technology transfer in the development of enterprises";
Seminar for employees of PPO and Patent Information Centres "Cooperation with the European Patent Office";
Seminar for patent attorneys from universities and academies in Cedzyna;
Awards ceremony of the winners of the 4th edition of Competitions organised by the Patent Office for the best poster, doctoral and master's thesis and student dissertation on the industrial property protection.

The Patent Office also organised exhibition, information and promotion stands at conferences, exhibitions and fairs:
Stand at PATLIB 2006 conference in Prague (in cooperation with EPO);
Stand at International Fairs in Poznan;
Stand at Scientific Picnic of the Polish BIS Radio;
Joint stand with EPO at epoline conference (Online services user day)in Warsaw;
Informational -promotional stand in the Museum of Technic in Warsaw during the 12th Exhibition of Inventions awarded at international exhibitions in 2005;
XI Nationwide Conference for Patent Information Centres;
-Promotional stand at international conference "EPO-Patent Information Conference 2006".

Training courses for national and foreign participants

Within the twinning programme project with the Danish Patent Office "Enforcement of the protection of industrial and intellectual property rights" a series of seminars and workshops were conducted from April to December 2006. In cooperation with patent information centres in 7 provinces the workshops were conducted in the following locations:
-Regional Patent Information Centre at Technical-Agricultural University in Bydgoszcz;
-Regional Patent Information Centre at the University in Lodz;
-Regional Patent Information Centre at Higher Vocational School in Kalisz;
-Multimedia Center for Management of Patent Information at Technical University in Szczecin;
-Scientific and Patent Information Centre of the Library of Technical University in Lublin;
-Conference centre of the Warminsko-Mazurski University in Olsztyn;
-Management Department of the Technical University in Bialystok.

Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)

n/a

Main trademark and industrial property information magazines/journals published in the country or region of the Office

n/a

IX. Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:

provide information on legislation related to trademarks

Legislation: http://www.uprp.pl/Polski/Akty+prawne/ ; http://www.uprp.pl/English/Law/

contain the Annual Report of the Office