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Annual Technical Report 2004 on Trademark Information Activities submitted by Malawi (SCIT/ATR/TM/2004/MW)

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 number of applications filed in 2004 was 678 and registration were 501.

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

Applications an increase of 12.62% as compared to the previous year. Registrations an increase of 3.08% in relation to the number of registration in 2003.

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

Publishing, printing, copying techniques

Trademarks advertisement is done by Government Printer through the Malawi Trademarks Journal.

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

The journal is published once a month.

Mass storage media and microforms used

Trademark information is stored on paper and in electronic format.

Word processing and office automation

Word processing is done on typewriters.

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

Techniques used for the generation of trademark information are printing and recording.

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 International Classification of goods and Services for the purpose of the registration of marks under the Nice Agreement is used.

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

No electronic classification systems in place.

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

No obligation

Bibliographic data and processing for search purposes

File and classification numbers are processed for search purposes.

IV. Trademark manual search file establishment and upkeep

File Building

Trademark documents in paper form are shelved according to their assigned file numbers.

Updating

Index card system for word marks is regularly updated for searches.

Storage, including mass storage media

Storage is in both paper and electronic format.

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

Search is done locally.

V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems

In-house systems (online/offline)

Trademark database has been created.

External databases

Next year the office will be using IPRAS. Activities relating to WIPO's (IPRAS) Intellectual Property Registration and Administration System are underway and progressing.

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

The registration process, the examination for legality and the preparation of statistics is done by examining officers.

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

Compaq
Operating System name is MS Windows 2000 Professional
Version: 5.0
System model Compaq Desktop EN
Optical device: CD / DVD - ROM

VI. Administration of trademark 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)

Planning, administration, automation, security

Applications are lodged by clients through Agents. Personal aided search is allowed for interested applicants. All the necessary search is done within the office.

Collection management, preservation

Local trade mark journals are arranged according to publication date and foreign trademark gazettes, according to publication number and kept in the library.

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)

Computerized services available to the public includes CDs and DVDs from WIPO and Japanese Patent Office.

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

Trademark journals are sent to WIPO and ARIPO in paper form.Similary ARIPO Trademark journals are received on exchange basis, whereas Trademark world is received on subscription. Other publications and periodicals received on donations include: WIPO magazine, Intellectual Property Laws and Treaties, South African Intellectual Property Newsletter, Journal of the Japanese Group of AIPPI, Famous Trademarks in Japan, WHO drug Information.

Exchange of machine-readable information

The office receives CDs and DVDs from WIPO and Japan.

VIII. Matters concerning education and training including technical assistance to developing countries

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

During the period under review, the office held two workshops sensitizing the business community on the importance of intellectual property rights.Office staff were guest speakers.

Training courses for national and foreign participants

No training

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

No assistance to developing countries.

IX. Other relevant matters

In the year 2004 three officers attended workshops and conferences in the following countries:-


(a ) WTO Regional Workshop on TRIPS for English Speaking Countries in Sandtown, Republic of South Africa.

(b) Jitap Subregional Workshop on the Dissemination of Toolkit for Module II on Reference Centres and National Enquiry Points in Gaborone, Botswana.

( c) WTO Council for TRIPS in Geneva, Switzerland.

(d) Ministerial Conference on Intellctual Property for Least Developed Countries in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

(e) WIPO 40th Series of Assemblies in Geneva, Switzerland.

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