Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities in 2014 submitted by Egyptian Patent Office

I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Outline of main policies and plans aimed at development of patent information activities and expected time frames for their realization

• Receiving Experts from WIPO concerning IPAS data base    
• Receiving 2experts from WIPO ( Giulio zanetti- Isabella Pimentel) concerning WIPO Academyprogram  
• Frame work contract for needs assessment  for EGPO to complete twinning fiche program 

Main areas of patent information activities and related information and communication technology (ICT) practices which were in the focus of attention last year

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

• In 2014 the granted patents form IPC section

•  A   human  necessities have been 16%

•  B performing operations; transporting   .15%

•  C   chemistry  31%

• D textiles 1.2 % 

• E fixed constructions 11.8 % 

•  F mechanical engineering, lighting heating weapons blasting 9.3%

•  G physics 9.2 %

•  H Electricity 4.5%

• 10.7  % less granted patent than 2013 

Statistics: changes in terms of application filings and grants with respect to previous year; trends or areas experiencing rapid changes

Applications FILING

PCT APPLICATIONS

Patents granted

Other matters and useful links (URLs): annual report of the Office, news page, statistics, etc.

Annual report linke : http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=17

New guide linke :http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=21

Magazine linke:http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=18

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

• There are applications form for registration  on egypo website        
•        Applicant can follow the status his application throw  mail office patinfo@egy.gov.eg
• Arab world country can send application for international search authority (ISA) and international permanently examination authority (IPEA) on ftp server through our  

website www.egypo.gov.eg

Availability of the application dossier in electronic form

Applicant can download application from our website:

 http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=21   

in word format and fill it after that copy  the application on  cd or dvd  and registration at EGYPO  receiving office  

Classification¹, preclassification² (if applicable), reclassification³ activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information

Patent applications are classified into the latest edition of the International Patent Classification. As of 1 January 2006, the examiners implemented the use of IPC 8 (reformed).

Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information contained in patent documents

 Bibliographic data, abstracts and full text of Egyptian national application (checked by examiners) can be searched on the Egyptian Patent Office database and all the other relevant databases.

Classification¹, preclassification² (if applicable), reclassification³ activities; classification systems used (e.g., International Patent Classification (IPC)); matters concerning indexing of patent information

• The Examiners request applicants to redraft the applications when are not fulfilled the requirements for searching.
• Patent applications are classified into the latest edition of the International Patent Classification. As of 1 January 2006, the examiners implemented the use of IPC 8 (reformed).

Abstracting, reviewing, and translation of the information contained in patent documents

Bibliographic data, abstracts and full text of Egyptian national application (checked by examiners) can be searched on the Egyptian Patent Office database and all the other relevant databases.

Other activities

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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)

we have searchable database for Egyptain   granted patent with two language arabic and english on our website on this two linkes for arabic search http://www.egypo.gov.eg/Search/ and for english http://www.egypo.gov.eg/Search/default.aspx

Official Gazettes: main types of announcements, frequency of publication, medium (on paper, on CDs, online - URL), etc.

The Egyptian patent office publishes two journals as follows

 1- The Egyptian Patent Gazette

 2- The Egyptian Patent Abstracts

3-Inpadoc  

These publications are published every month, and we send them to the Universities, Ministries, Industrial companies, and Research institutes inEgypt.

These publications are avaliable every month on our website on this linkes  for Patent Gazette and Patent Abstracts http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=18 and this linke for Inpadoc http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=20

Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to examiners, including external collections and databases

In-house systems (online/offline) 

 Technical searching can be carried out on combination of terms from different headings. IPC terms can be searched too.

To assist with IPC classification, examiners have access to TACSY and IPCCAT   .

 External databases:

 We have a list of some external databases that we use regularly, including Espace net, JAPIO, USPTO, SIPO, EPODOC KIPO,SIPO, and Patent scope.

Journals:  

 SCIENCE DIRECT, SCOPUS, SPRINGER LINK, IEEE XPLORE, EBSCO, OVID, PROQUEST.

Information products and patent document collections (coverage, medium, etc.) available to external users, conditions of access (e.g., free of charge, subscription, etc.)

we have searchable database for Egyptain   granted patent with two language arabic and english  for free on our website on this two linkes for arabic search http://www.egypo.gov.eg/Search/ and for english http://www.egypo.gov.eg/Search/default.aspx

we publishe the The Egyptian Patent Gazette and The Egyptian Patent Abstracts on our websit any extrenal user can download them for free from these linke   http://www.egypo.gov.eg/page.aspx?id=18

Legal status information (kind of information, coverage, medium, etc.)

The Egyptian patent office stores all the information concerning the legal status and technical documents on the Egyptian database to facilate the search procedures and assists clients to obtain all the required information.

Other sources

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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

• Current standard desktop software includes Microsoft Windows XP, win 7  and win8  with Microsoft Office 2007 and adobe acrobat professional 8 and Symantec antivirus .
• All office action is done on the application or Patent Produced Automatically from our data base as word processing.
• We check all patent abstracts provided by the applicant besides amending them when necessary to ensure that the abstract represents a useful search tool.

Hardware used to supporting business processes of the Office

Equipment used Hardware and software

Internal databases: coverage, updates, interlinks with external sources

•  The Egyptian patent office has a data base containing the Egyptian  applications and granted patents.
•  The office has a DVD and CD-ROM collections containing  published/granted patents for US, WO, EP, GB, etc. 
• We used paper, Microfilm, Microfilm jackets, tapes, HD, and DVD as mass storage for our Applications and Patents. Egyptian patent specifications are published on CD-ROM and on the Egyptian database.
• This database contains bibliographic and status information about invention patent applications filed inEgypt.

Establishment and maintenance of electronic search file: file building, updating, storage, documents from other offices included in the search file

• Each examiner built his own search file to ruse in case examaining a smilar application 
• We have a list of some external databases that we use regularly, including Espace net, JAPIO, USPTO, SIPO, EPODOC and Patent scope.and Journals( SCIENCE DIRECT, SCOPUS, SPRINGER LINK, IEEE XPLORE, EBSCO, OVID, PROQUEST).

Administrative management electronic systems (register, legal status, statistics, and administrative support)

• EGPO is starting with WIPO to use the new system Industrial Property Automation System (IPAS) and the office is a pilot with WIPO.
• EGPO is starting with WIPO to digitization, such as WIPO-Scan system. We replaced EPOSCAN system by WIPOSCAN
•   EGPO applies effectively the Automated IP Management Software IPAS system supported by WIPO.  IPAS is a fully automated system that includes the following steps :
•   Registering patent applications, sustentative examination, technical and legal examinations, granting patents, issuing formal gazettes. Inquiries, statistics, and annual fees. All applications documents in paper form are scanned on the automatic archive system.  Then the documents forms are adjusted according to WIPO standers and connected to the bibliographic database.
•   Patent applications that are received on paper form are scanned and use WIPO SCAN SYSTEM  After scanning step, the application contents are indexed and transformed to WIPO standard form, then the application is connected to the bibliographic database through IPAS by its number as PDF .  All bibliographic data and attached documents are available to EGPO officers to carry on the necessary procedures via IPAS , and search is conducted by patent number.
• Title of invention, name of applicant, and abstract, external users can access to granted patents only via EGPO website.
•   Technical examiners have access to all up-to-date PC sets with high internet speed to enable them to do their work with high quality.

Other matters

Planning, administration, automation, security:

• Replace our network and upgrade it .

• Speed up application reception.

• Speedup application communication.

• Simplify and speedup processing.

• Reduce bottleneck at reception.

• Full e-filing & e-payment system for applications and digital signature.

• Monitoring system for follow-up application processing.

• Create a Disaster Recovery system .

• Update security system

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

• The Egyptian patent office has a data base containing the Egyptian  applications and granted patents.
•  The office has a DVD and CD-ROM collections containing published/granted patents for US, WO, EP, GB, etc. 
• This database contains bibliographic and status information about invention patent applications filed inEgypt
• We scan the all contains of  application paper form  ( full text Arabic & English , claims, drawing and priority documents) and connected with database  .
• We have storage media to make backup for Database , archive system ,mail server ,web site and domain controller.

Publications related to different business procedures and patent information sources available to users, for example, books, brochures, Internet publications, etc.

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Office's initiatives on providing foreign patent information in the local language(s) (e.g., machine translation tools, translation of abstracts)

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Cooperation with universities, research centers, technology and innovation support centers, etc.

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Education and training: training courses, e-learning modules (URLs), seminars, exhibitions, etc.

Internal training:-

Training for focal piont:

• Training courses for 6 trainees from focal point in Cairo university faculty of Engineering & City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications – (5) trainees from  Ain shams university 

(2) trainees from National Authority for  Remote Sensing)  -  (8) trainees from faculty of veterinary medicine - (3) trainees fromNileUniversity  

• opening ceremony of the 3 new  focal point (FayomUniversity  , Ain shams university –faculty of agriculture and National Authority for  Remote Sensing)
•   Training courses for patent attorneys on patent drafting – training course for (17) trainer ofWIPOACADEMY                                                                         
• Seminar on over view on intellectual property
• Training course on computer ( power point , Excel , windows  ICDL) for (18) trainees
• Course in customer satisfaction (1)
• English language courses (23)
• Program for training legal examiners 
•  Course in executive management (1)- course in legal examination     
• Work shop on Egyptian Patent Office and its role in spreading awareness about intellectual property and establishingWIPOAcademy
• Memorandum of understanding between Egyptian patent Office and Oman Patent Office
• Training courses for (15) trainer of theWIPOAcademy( Giulio zanetti- Isabella Pimentel)
• IP Scholarship in   Helwan university for (9) EGYPO employees granted by EGYPO.
• Training course for 3 of employees on using modern technologies of research & recovery.

Receiving Experts from WIPO

• Receiving Experts from WIPO concerning IPAS data base Receiving 2experts from WIPO ( Giulio zanetti- Isabella Pimentel) concerningWIPOAcademyprogram  

Frame work contract for needs assessment  for EGPO to complete twinning fiche program 

External training courses :

•  Training course on the IP management ( Japan)  (1)
• WIPO training course for patent examiners on specified technology biotechnology  (Japan)(1)
• WIPO training course for patent examiners on specified technology (optical apparatus (Japan)(1) 

• A Comprehensive Training workshop on Intellectual Property- (China) (3) 

• the Advanced Training Course on Patent Documentation and Information -Austria
• The  Master of Laws of (LL.M.) in Intellectual PropertyItaly(1) 
•   The Use of Information Technology in Industrial Property Administration  Japan(1)
•  Patent Search and Examination in the Field of BiotechnologyGermany(2)
•  IPC Union - IPC Revision Working GroupGeneva(1) 
• The regional policy dialogue on the importance of the elaboration and implementation of national policies relating to intellectual
• Workshop on Advanced of distance learning courses and the WIPO Development Agenda Tunisia (2)
• WIPO training Course on the Examination of Industrial PropertyJapan  (1)
• Workshop on international patent classification Jordon (2)
• Trademarks in pharmaceutical sector choice and protectionTunisia(2)

Other activities

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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

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Participation in international or regional activities and projects related to patent information

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Assistance to developing countries

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Other activities

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VII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS

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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.