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The expression "industrial designs" covers industrial designs and models. Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in this series of Annual Technical Reports.
In 2009, 276 applications for the registration of 1339 industrial designs were filed with the Agency. Of these, under the national procedure were filed 83 applications (30.1 percent of the total number), including 455 industrial designs (34%), and under the Hague Agreement procedure 193 applications (69.9%) with 884 industrial designs (66%). As compared with 2008, both the number of filed applications and that of industrial designs embedded in these applications have decreased by 108 (28.1%) and, accordingly, 160 (10.7%). It should be noted that the number of applications and industrial designs filed under the national procedure decreased less by 18 (17.8%) and, respectively, 38 (9.1%), while the rate of decrease in the number of applications and industrial designs filed under the Hague Agreement procedure is almost double by 90 (31.8%) and, respectively, 198 (18.3%).
During the period under review, the national applicants have filed 67 applications (24.3 percent of the total number), with 434 industrial designs (32.4%) covered therein, being attested a decrease by 9.5 percent in the number of applications and, concomitantly, an increase by 13.3 percent in the number of industrial designs, as compared with the previous year. Most applications 66 (98.5%) and industrial designs 429 (98.8%) were filed by applicants from the Republic of Moldova under the national procedure, while under the Hague Agreement procedure was filed only 1 application covering 5 industrial designs.
The foreign applicants have filed 209 applications with 905 industrial designs, i.e. 75.7 and, respectively, 67.6 percent of the total of those filed, which is by 32.6% and, respectively, 18.9% less as compared to 2008. Most of them 192 applications (91.9%) with 879 industrial designs (97.1%) were filed under the procedure of the Hague Agreement, under the national procedure being filed 17 applications (8.1%) with 26 industrial designs (2.9%). These latter constitute 20.5% and, respectively, 5.7% of the indexes relating to the national procedure.
As in the previous years, the majority of applications filed under the national procedure (79.5%) proceed from the national applicants, and an absolute majority of applications filed under the procedure of the Hague Agreement (99.5%) – from the foreign ones.
In addition to applications for registration, 445 registration renewal applications for 1345 industrial designs were filed in 2009, which is by 18.6% and, respectively, 16.1% fewer than in the previous year. The absolute majority of renewal applications 390 (87.6%) came from foreign applicants, of which 372 were filed under the Hague Agreement.
During the year 2009 were subjected to substantive examination 104 applications with 401 industrial designs, filed under the national procedure, and 216 international applications with 942 industrial designs, received under the Hague Agreement.
In the year under review, there were issued 82 certificates of registration for 235 industrial designs, which is 6.8 percent fewer certificates and, respectively, 42.1 percent fewer industrial designs as compared with 2008.
During the period under review, there were adopted decisions of renewal for 50.4% of the international registrations (368 of 730), whose term expiring in 2009 (by 27.3% less as compared to 2008), including 960 industrial designs, and for about 35.4% of the national certificates (63 of 178), whose term of validity was expiring in 2009, the owners were issued 56 renewal certificates (by 7.7% more than in the previous year) for 171 industrial designs.
On December 31st, 2009, of the sum total of 1099 industrial designs registration certificates, issued by the Agency throughout its activity, 580 (52.8%) were valid, including 247 renewed, these constituting 42.6% of the valid certificates, and of the sum total of 5817 international registrations of industrial designs that have received protection in the territory of the Republic of Moldova during the same period, 3328 were valid (57.2%), including 2053 renewed, these constituting 61.7% of the valid international registrations.
Statistical data on industrial designs is provided on the AGEPI site: http://www.agepi.md/md/statistica/desene.php
The most important publications in the field of industrial design documentation are the following:
- The Official Bulletin of Industrial Property Protection (BOPI) – monthly publication (PDF format);
- The National Industrial Designs Register;
- The National Industrial Designs Applications Register.
BOPI includes Sections VI with information on industrial designs. Section VI contains:
- BA1L Applications for registration (bibliographic data and graphic reproduction);
- List of industrial designs applications containing a request on publication delay;
- FF4L List of registered industrial designs;
- FG4L List of industrial design certificates, issued in …(date of issuing);
- ND4L List of renewed industrial designs;
- FG4L List of industrial designs registered in the Republic of Moldova according to the Hague Agreement, ranged in the numerical order and in the order of the ICID;
- ND4L List of renewed industrial designs in the Republic of Moldova according to the Hague Agreement.
Section VII contains various types of notices referring to all amendments occurred to the legal status of the protected industrial property objects (List of amendments, List of cession contracts, Errata, FC9L List of rejected industrial designs, FA9L List of withdrawal industrial designs, MK4L List of industrial design registration certificates the term of validity of which has expired, etc), etc.
The Official Bulletin of Industrial Property Protection (BOPI) is provided on the AGEPI site: http://www.agepi.md/md/cid_pi/periodice/bopi.php
Announcements, notices and changes in the legal status of industrial design protection system or any other industrial design information are published in the Official Bulletin on Industrial Property (BOPI). The Bulletin is published also electronically on the public AGEPI website (in pdf format): http://www.agepi.md/en/cid_pi/periodice/bopi.php
The most important office notices regarding industrial designs and other IP rights are posted directly on the AGEPI website (www.agepi.md) for different kinds of users (applicants/owners).
The Patent Office uses Microsoft Office XP or 2003 which provides an integrated and extensive network of applications that are available to all staff. All staff has their own personal workstation on which numerous applications are available. Word processing can be carried out using Microsoft 2003; search tools including access to online databases, translation software, management and administration information etc. All staff has access to the Internet and has their own e-mail and official e-mail address.
Data Base “Industrial Design” is provided on the AGEPI site: http://www.db.agepi.md/DMI/Rom/Search.aspx
At present, the “Industrial Designs” Data Base contains information on the applications, published in BOPI, filed from 1993 up to date and on the registered objects. The users have access to the bibliographic data and graphic reproductions of industrial designs.
Since the year 2004 a Data Base, including the international applications filled under the Hage system and designating the Republic of Moldova is in place. In the year 2009, the Data Base contains all the graphic reproductions of industrial designs and is being used as a register of the industrial designs and for examination procedure. Moreover, this Data Base is used during the substantive examination of trademarks.
Republic of Moldova became a state party to the Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs (1968) on December 1, 1997.
The Agency uses the International Classification for Industrial Designs since 1994. All the documents are classified according to the Locarno Classification.
The classification symbols (the 9th edition of the Classification) of an application are allotted by the applicant. It is up to the Agency to afterwards check, and eventually to correct, the classification symbols.
The full texts (Romanian and Russian) of the 9th edition of the Locarno Classification (as in force on January 1, 2009) are provided on the AGEPI site:
http://www.agepi.md/pdf/cidmi/CIDMI-editia-9-[md].pdf
http://www.agepi.md/pdf/cidmi/CIDMI-editia-9-[ru].pdf
The classification is used for the novelty examination, for search purposes and for statistics.
At the disposal of examiners in their daily practice, there are the following databases:
- National automated searchable database “Industrial Design”, supporting a number of search fields. The searches cover a period of 16 years;
- International applications received in the International Design Bulletin (paper form and CD-ROM). The searches cover a period of 21 years;
- Collection of OHIM, RO, RU, UA, HU, UK, FI, SK, SI, CZ, PL, BG, HR, MK, EE, LT, LV, GE, BY, UZ applications received in the Design Bulletins (searchable database or CD-ROM).
Moreover, the manual paper search files consist of special books, periodicals, booklets, and a number of other lists and sources.
The examiner’s search files are updated on a regular basis.
In 2002 the interface for on-line searches in Data Base "Industrial Design" available in Romanian, English and Russian, was put into operation. At present, the "Industrial designs" Data Base contains information on the applications, published in BOPI, filed from 1993 up to date and on the registered objects.
The users have access to the bibliographic data and graphic reproductions of industrial designs.
Data Base "Industrial Design" is provided on the AGEPI site: http://www.db.agepi.md/DMI/Rom/Search.aspx
All examiners have access to the Internet at their desks.
In 2004 a Data Base, including the international applications filled under the Hage system and designating the Republic of Moldova, was elaborated. Since 2009, the Data Base contains all the graphic reproductions of industrial designs. This Data Base is used as a Register of the industrial designs and for examination procedure. Moreover, this Data Base is used during the substantive examination of trademarks.
During the period under review, AGEPI developed, implemented/improved the following information product: the registration procedure statistics and management programs for the database "Industrial Designs" according to Law No. 161/2007 on the Protection of Industrial Designs, being compiled the modules "Oppositions", "Observations", "Publication of the Application", "Rejected Applications", "withdrawn Applications" etc.
The Intellectual Property Information Retrieval Center (IP IRC) was created from January 1st, 2008, on the basis of the AGEPI Library, which took over its fund and information functions.
The IP IRC functions simultaneously as an in-house and public library and is open to the public during 5 days (except Saturday and Sunday) from 9:00 to 16:00. All the received documents are registered, classified and grouped for storage purpose.
The main information sources of the IP IRC collection are the official publications of the AGEPI, Official gazettes and literature (normative, methodical, reference books, dictionaries), periodicals.
On December 31, 2008, the collection of documents on the intellectual property information retrieval center constituted 25,810,327 publications and documents, including:
Books and pamphlets – 5212 copies (0,02%);
Periodicals (magazines, newspapers) – 10,663 copies (0,04%);
Official bulletins – 22,872 copies (0,09%);
Documents on electronic carrier – 25,746,008 copies (99,75%);
National documents (patent applications, patents, utility models, plant varieties, etc.) – 8,467 doc. (0,03%);
CD, DVD – 17,105 (0,07%).
At present, the digital library consists of 31 textual databases and 17 reference and bibliographic databases, with a volume of 25,75 million documents, and the literature collection includes 47,214 copies of books, magazines, dictionaries, encyclopedias in the scientific technical, legal, financial, economic and informational fields.
Due to the new acquisitions, the electronic catalogue of the IP IRC database was completed with the bibliographic descriptions of 561 titles (DB “BOOKS” – with 411 registrations and DB “IP ART” – with 150 articles from the periodical editions and collections of scientific materials).
Among the most important periodicals published by AGEPI is the magazine of intellectual property “Intellectus” appearing regularly since 1995 with a quarterly periodicity. According to the Joint Decision of the Supreme Council for Science and Technological Development (SCSTD) of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (ASM) and the National Council for Accreditation and Attestation (CNAA) No. 61 “on the Results of the Assessment and Classification of Scientific Profile Journals” of 30 April 2009, the magazine “Intellectus” was accredited to “B” category, on law, technology, biology, chemistry, economics profiles. In 2009, the four issues of the magazine included a total of 73 scientific articles. Nearly one third of the materials are signed by the authors of the AGEPI and two thirds by authors from outside, including from abroad.
Besides periodicals, about 20 works which have completed the collection of literature in the IP field have been written and published during the year under review:
The Annual Report AGEPI-2008 in three languages (Romanian, English, and Russian), published on paper carrier and on CD;
The collection of normative acts in IP field: vol. I Industrial Designs; vol. II Plant Varieties, vol. III Inventions;
The collection of communications presented at the VII edition of the International Conference “Theoretical and Practical Issues of the IP Economy” with the main title “Innovation in Support of SMEs”;
The booklet “Protection of Intellectual Property in the Republic of Moldova. Brief Information”;
The Catalog of ISE “INFOINVENT-2009”, which included a total of 407 abstracts of inventions/cycles of inventions in Romanian and English;
The booklet “WIPO Gold Medal Winners” (completed and updated);
The WIPO Guide for Exporting SMEs “Secrets of Intellectual Property” (signal copy).
During the year under review there have been updated and edited a series of booklets and leaflets from the collection “Library of Intellectual Property”:
“How to Register an Industrial Design in the Republic of Moldova”,
“Protection of Industrial Designs in the Republic of Moldova”;
“Welcome to AGEPI”;
“AGEPI Services”.,
“The ABC of Intellectual Property”;
At the users disposal was put, in bilingual booklets (Romanian and Russian), special regulation related to the special law in IP field adopted in a new version and entered into force in 2008-2009:
“Regulations on the Procedure of Filing, Examination and Registration of Industrial Designs”.
AGEPI continued publishing a series of periodicals, developed or updated new methodological and IP field popularization works on electronic and paper carrier which can be subscribed or consulted with the Intellectual Property Information Retrieval Center (IP IRC) of the Agency or accessed on the website www.agepi.md.
The AGEPI IP IRC has a general reading room and a specialized PC room. The total area constitutes 125 sq. m. During the year 2009, the IP IRC services were requested by 207 new readers, 862 persons have extended their subscription, including 170 employees of AGEPI. The loan of documents has reached 16,590 documents. Upon request, the beneficiaries have been rendered the necessary methodological assistance, 397 free consultations on the use of electronic database, the correct application of international patent, trademark, industrial design classifications in the documentary search process.
Since 1993 AGEPI elaborates, publishes and spreads the periodic publication Official Bulletin of Industrial Property (BOPI), which appears with a monthly periodicity on paper carrier (ISSN 1810-7095), CD-ROM (ISSN 1857-050X), and on-line on www.agepi.md.
In the BOPI publishing process there are applied the WIPO Standards and the INID Codes for Bibliographic Data Identification Concerning the IPO. At the end of each month, the ordinary number of BOPI is made available for public at IP IRC, on the AGEPI site and, printed on CD, is dispatched in more than 40 countries of the world. Through BOPI, users had access to 26 half-yearly systemized indexes of titles of protection granted in the Republic of Moldova and the annual Index of regulatory acts and information materials published in BOPI during 2009.
Sections “Monitor”, “Information Materials in Intellectual Property Field” and the heading “AGEPI Chronicle” of BOPI covered 97 materials, including texts of five normative acts on industrial property entered into force in 2009, official communications and information on most important events organized by AGEPI or conducted with the participation of AGEPI in the country and abroad, etc.
http://www.agepi.md/en/desene/
Services rendered by AGEPI
http://www.agepi.md/en/servicii/prestate.php#2
http://www.db.agepi.md/DMI/Rom/consultatii.aspx
Industrial designs. Databases
http://www.agepi.md/en/linkuri/dmi.php
Search in ID Databases
http://www.db.agepi.md/DMI/Eng/Search.aspx
Industrial Designs. Guides on filling in forms
http://www.agepi.md/en/desene/ghid/
In 2009, the main ways of completing IP IRC collection, remained the same – the bilateral exchange with homologous offices from abroad, subscription to the specialized periodicals, acquisition of the literature by means of libraries, publishing houses, book fairs, donations etc.
The AGEPI Library cooperates intensively with 36 territorial Libraries and 38 foreign libraries of Patent Offices abroad to which the IP information (official gazette) and other literature in this field is furnished regularly for further dissemination information in field of IP in the territory.
For instance, the magazine “Intellectus” is distributed to libraries of the country (of the Parliament and Government of the Republic of Moldova, ASM, university, district, municipal, republican specialized libraries in various branches of science, etc.) and from abroad, through exchange of special scientific publications with similar institutions (WIPO, EPO, EAPO, OSIM, etc.), as well as by subscriptions.
Dissemination of information in IP field is also made through the supplement of the magazine “Intellectus”, the digest “AGEPI Info”, which addresses various aspects of intellectual property protection, the mechanism of enforcement of rights and exploitation of IPO, publishes the most important events held on the initiative or with the participation of AGEPI, brief reports on delegation of AGEPI specialists to the main activities organized by WIPO, EPO, EAPO, etc., reproduces the most relevant occurrences of the Republican press with reference to the IP system. The four numbers of the digest “AGEPI Info” covered 153 materials on various aspects of IP, being distributed within the major IP promotion actions, at seminars and exhibitions, staff training courses organized by AGEPI. 55 patented inventions, developed by about 200 inventors, were promoted in 2009 by means of the heading “Stock of Inventions”. Over 920 inventions susceptible of implementation have been promoted in total during the period 2004-2009.
During the year 2009, AGEPI collaborated actively with press services of Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Government and Presidency, the agencies “Moldpres”, “ Basa-press”, “Infotag”, “Logos-press”, the weekly “Ekonomicheskoe obozrenie”, the newspaper “Nezavisimaya Moldova” , the Journal of Science and Innovation “Perpetuum Mobile” and the Moldovan Review of International Law and International Relations of ASM, the journal “Marketing” and the Economic Magazine “ECOnomist”, the radio stations “Antena C”, Teleradio Moldova broadcasting company post “Actualitati”, Moldova International, etc.
The activity of operational information of the general public on the events and activities organized by AGEPI or with the participation of AGEPI, diversification and expansion of the IP information dissemination space were on the agenda of the AGEPI during the reporting period.
In the given context, AGEPI cooperated systematically with 45 mass media, the journalists being invited to all the approximately 30 events organized by AGEPI. Seven press conferences were convened devoted to:
The national seminar “Respect for IP Rights”;
The World Intellectual Property Day with the theme “Protecting Green Innovations”;
The inauguration of ISE “INFOINVENT-2009”.
During the year there were distributed 14 press releases, various information and publications of AGEPI while being monitored the materials disseminated in the mass media on IP theme, the most representative, of the total of 90, being reproduced in the digest “AGEPI Info”.
With the participation of AGEPI experts there were organized 15 radio and television broadcasts, including the radio broadcasts cycle “Eureka” (11 editions), discussions on the protection of geographical indications, appellations of origin and traditional specialties guaranteed from the cycle “Modern Technologies” of the radio station “Antena C”, TV shows on the occasion of the World IP Day, 10-th anniversary since the establishment of the Association “Copyright and Related Rights (AsDAC)”, opening of ISE “INFOINVENT-2009”.
Promotion of the national intellectual property system among economic agents through exhibitions has proved successful over time. In 2009, AGEPI continued this tradition by actively participating in 22 exhibitions, including 7 international and 15 national, most of them being organized at IEC MOLDEXPO JSC.
Information stands, round tables and seminars related to procedures for the protection of trademarks and industrial designs, benefits of protection of geographical indications, appellations of origin and TSG, IPO evaluation, brand role in promoting goods and services were organized within 8 national exhibitions, such as:
Made in Moldova
ConsumExpo
Agrotech
Moldagrotech, Farmer
An extensive information dissemination and consultancy activity relevant to industrial design protection activities was conducted within 7 national exhibitions:
ExpoVin Moldova
Beauty
Moldconstruct, Moldenergy
Tourism, Leisure, Hotels
Cominfo
MoldMEDIZIN, MOLDENT
Furniture
One of the most valuable International Specialized Exhibition organized by the AGEPI: INFOINVENT (in 2009, the 11th edition) which welcomed industrial design examiners from abroad IP Offices:
State Office for INVENTIONS AND Trademarks of Romania (OSIM);
European Patent Office;
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO);
Romanian Office for Copyright and other institutions.
With the view of familiarizing with the provisions of the new national legislation on the protection of industrial designs with the Acquis communitare, AGEPI organized in Chisinau and in the territory Balti and Comrat, almost 21 actions, independently or jointly with several institutions, including 11 training and information seminars for researches, inventors, teachers, trainers for a doctor’s degree, students from research and development field.
During the period under review, 22 persons attended the long term IP courses organized by the AGEPI (addressing the Industrial Designs Protection issues, also), acquiring certificates of Counselor in Intellectual Property (in 2008-29 persons).
In the same period took place:
The attestation of 4 patent attorneys, their number amounting to 98 persons at the end of the year and
The re-attestation of five evaluators of intellectual property objects, the terms of validity of their certificates of qualification being extended.
The AGEPI employees have participated in the following industrial design related issues international events:
Sub-Regional Seminar on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in cooperation with the National Institute of Industrial Property of France (INPI) and the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks of the Russian federation (ROSPATENT), (Sank Petersburg, Russian Federation, June 8 – 9);
Interregional Intermediate Seminar on Industrial Property, to be organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) followed by a Practical training course on various aspects of industrial property at the Czech Industrial Property Office in Prague (Geneva, Switzerland, June 10 – 12/Prague, Czech Republic, June 15 – 26);
The 22th session of the Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT), organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), (Geneva, Switzerland, November, 22 -27).
http://www.agepi.md/en/acte/acte_normative.php?type=3
http://www.agepi.md/en/despre/raport/
http://www.agepi.md/en/noutati/