Annual Technical Report on Patent Information Activities in 2004 submitted by EAPO (SCIT/ATR/PI/2004/EA)

Click here to print the ATR form.

The term "patent" covers utility models and Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs).

Offices which issue design patents should report their design patent information activities in their Annual Technical Reports on Industrial Design Information Activities.

I. Evolution of patent activities
There were 1630 patent applications filed at the EAPO in 2004, or 22,6 percent increase as compared to 2003.
International applications made up the bulk of Eurasian applications received in 2003 - there were 1321 international applications, or 81 percent of the total number of applications filed that year. The number of international applications increased by 16,6 percent compared to 2003. 149 applications, or 9,1 percent of the total number of Eurasian applications, were filed directly with EAPO. The number of Eurasian applications filed decreased by 55,21 percent compared to 2003.
The number of Eurasian applications filed through national patent offices of the Agreeing States in 2004 was 164, or 9,8 percent of the total number of Eurasian applications filed this year. The number of those applications increased by 53,9 percent compared to 2003.
The applicants from the states that are parties to the Eurasian Patent Convention (EAPC) filed 231 Eurasian applications. It is 32 percent more than in 2003
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, distribution and use of primary and secondary sources of patent information
EAPO issues its official publications using own publishing facilities for all prepress processes. The unified publication technology involves scanning, optical character recognition, editing, proofreading and blueprint make-up. All data used for publications (including bibliographic data in Russian and English, pages in facsimile mode, full-text descriptions, first pages, blueprints etc.) is stored in one database (IPDL HIVE system, developed on outsourcing basis for EAPO). Information is extracted from the database by client software in required formats. The client software also provides broad automation of everyday operations at every workplace of the publication department. About 14450 Eurasian documents were stored in IPDL HIVE system's database at the end of 2004.

Printing of EAPO publications is performed by other companies on contractual basis.

See attached file EAPO_Publications_2004.pdf for detailed information on publications of EAPO in 2004.

All mentioned information is published in Russian, with the exception of Eurasian Patent Specifications CD-ROM that contains reference bibliographic data and claims in English as well, and Annual Report with text both in English and Russian.
Annual Report contains most complete information on the activities of the Organization and the Office in past year and can serve as additional source of information to this Annual Technical Report.
Announcements of the Office of legal and norm-setting kind are published in Bulletin "Inventions"; more general announcements can be also found at Web-site of EAPO at www.eapo.org

Procedural letters to applicants are formed automatically in Common Software legacy system and sent mostly on paper by mail. EAPO uses Microsoft Word for text processing of most of the office documents.
attachedfileEAPO.htm 

III. Matters concerning abstracting, classifying, reclassifying and indexing of technical information contained in patent documents
Bibliographic data for applications and patents and full texts of patents are stored in database storage of IPDL HIVE system. All documents are automatically indexed on upload to the database. Full text search and patent documents retrieval using various criteria (IPC class, other bibliographic data, keywords in title, abstract, claims or full text) can be performed using client software or Web interface. The search engine allows to use Russian and English morphology to obtain more integrate search results. IPDL HIVE system also allows extracting data in required format for further loading to other external search systems. For example, this extracted data is used in EAPO owned EAPATIS (See Chapter IV and V of this Report) and in Esp@cenet.
IV. Search file establishment and upkeep
EAPO's search file consisting of local searchable databases of patent and non-patent documents making part of EAPATIS (Eurasian Patent Information System) grew as a result of the retrieval and initial processing of information from CD/DVDs, its indexing and uploading into EAPATIS current and new databases, the addition of new lines to the Internet's public-access databases and the introduction of meta-search. EAPO's search file is made up of 22 local subject databases.

They include patent documentation from the EAPO, PCT Minimum countries, EAPC states and CIS member-states (Ukraine, Georgia and Uzbekistan). Information from over 800 current CD/DVDs was retrieved and put through initial processing, with a total of 2 million patent documents uploaded into the local databases. A digital PCT applications file (IMPACT database) was produced on the basis of IMPACT-COR discs ordered from WIPO by EAPO Formal Examination Department. It was made fully operational in June 2004.

Under a "Plan to Improve the Quality of EAPATIS Patent Databases in 2004-2005", approved by EAPO President, the following activities were carried out in 2004:
- The structure of the PCT patent documentation database (WIPO DB) was modified due to the introduction of 10-digit document numbers by WIPO, with the database supporting both the old and the new coding systems;
- WIPO DB was supplemented with complete specifications of PCT applications for 2000 - 2004, transported from CD/DVDs to the EAPATIS server; this information is now readily available to examiners;
- A database of Eurasian patents in English was created supporting search by English nominal features and key words, thus making it unnecessary to know their correct transliteration into Russian.

Over 1,500 documents retrieved from the Internet electronic libraries as a result of searches for reference documents were added to the EAPO's local non-patent documentation databases. Toward the end of 2004 the EAPO search file stored over 22.6 million patent and non-patent documents.
V. Activities in the field of computerized and other mechanized search systems

  In-house systems (online/offline)
  1. Regional Eurasian Patent Information System (EAPATIS).
As part of the overall effort to create a common Eurasian patent-information space, work continued in 2004 on the creation of the Organization member-states' national patent documentation back files, their transfer to the EAPO search file, their integration with PCT Minimum Documentation countries' databases and providing standardized access to them via EAPATIS. With this in view, most national offices prepared and sent CD-ROMs with back files to the EAPO, whereas EAPO specialists put into place local databases consolidated with other databases of the EAPO patent information archive.

Local search databases with back files from six Organization members' national patent offices (Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Turkmenistan) were made fully operational. A test database with the USSR and Russia's back files (1974-1993 patents) was created on the basis of DVDs received from Rospatent. In the first quarter of 2005 back files will be furnished by Azerbaijan's and Tajikistan's national offices.

The most notable achievement in this area was the creation of a database with national patent documentation of Armenia. It contains back files on CD-ROMs prepared by the Armenian national patent office and current information retrieved from CISPATENT discs. The database's structure and its search and service mechanisms using the EAPATIS search engine make it possible to search, download and process information in three languages - Russian, Armenian and English. Users can access this fully operational database via the Armenian national office site on the Eurasian Portal. There are plans to emulate Armenia's success and create other national offices' patent documentation databases organic to EAPATIS with the possibility of search in three languages (Russian, the national one and English), and to provide standardized access to all EAPATIS information resources from the national offices' sites. Implementation of the plans would be yet another step toward the creation of a common Eurasian information space.
Measures to improve the efficiency and quality of services provided to EAPO and the Organization member states' national offices' examiners and other specialists were designed to widen access to EAPATIS, maintain and develop the system in the interests of both domestic (EAPO examiners) and outside users (national patent offices' specialists). In 2004 EAPATIS received over 100,000 search requests from EO and national offices' examiners, and over 35,000 documents were reviewed. Every day the system was used by over 70 examiners from national patent offices. The greatest number of requests came from the national offices of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova.

On the strength of the system's full-scale operation and recommendations from EAPO and national offices' examiners, the following main improvements were added to EAPATIS in 2004:
- a new functionality - "Request Analyzer"- was added; it controls and analyzes search requests and generates recommendations about correcting data entry errors;
- two new service tools were added - the possibility of viewing the structure of the request prior to its dispatch and the possibility of analyzing "zero" search results and producing recommendations about subsequent steps;
- a separate non-patent documentation search sub-system was created; it includes local databases, a large updateable catalog of references to sources of non-patent documentation in the Internet and external databases meta-search facilities;
- facilities for integration with the Common Software System (CS) were developed for EO examiners enabling them to search and view reference documentation, to conduct search by Eurasian application number, and to view information from РСТ and IMPACT discs stored in the EAPATIS database;
- facilities for meta-search in the Internet's remote databases (espacenet, USPTO, epoline, etc.) were updated and upgraded.

2. IPDL HIVE system.
The system supports publication process and own patent fund processing in EAPO. It offers reliable storage of all materials used for publication, automation of most of the publication tasks, structured access to the stored patent information via client software or Web interface, multiplex search in bibliographic data and full texts considering languages morphology (Russian and English) and provides statistics on documents stored and on publication process.
Equipment and software used: SUN Enterprise UE250 CPU 2x300MHz, RAM 384 MB; Solaris 2.6; Informix Internet Foundation 2000; Redlab Russian Text Datablade; complementary PC CPU 450MHz; Windows Nt 4.0 Server; Microsoft IIS 4.0; Scanner Fujitsu M - 30 99 GH.
3. Administrative management system Common Software. The system is used by all examination divisions of EAPO. It supports all technological stages of consideration of Eurasian applications (applications filed through the patent offices of the Contracting States, applications filed directly with the EAPO and PCT applications) and provides broad statistics.
In 2003 a new functionality in Common Software enabling storage of procedural letters in Common Software database was developed.
Equipment and software used:
- SUN Enterprise UE3500 CPU 2x250MHz, RAM 1,25 GB; Solaris 2.6; Storage Array D1000 4x18.2 GB; SPARC storage Library Model 8/400; Solstice Backup
5.0.1; Informix Dynamic Server 7.3; HyperScript Tools v.1.1.x/1.5.
- Sun Fire 280R CPU 2x750 MHz, RAM 1 GB, Solaris 8.
In the reporting year a new server providing statistical data was put into operation:
- PC CPU Xeon 2x2.0 GHz, RAM 1,25 GB; Crystal Reports.

  External databases
  EAPO examiners are using test access to EPOQUE-BNS search and retrieval system via Patnet 2 provided by the European Patent Office.
EAPO employees widely use Internet resources at their desktops for carrying out searches in databases supported by other patent offices (WIPO, European Patent Office, Canada, Australia, Japan, United States of America and others).

All described services are accessed via local area network (Ethernet 100 Mbps, 90 PCs, 30 personal/network printers). Internet connection: 1 Mbps fibre-optic line.

VI. Administration of the industrial property office library and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, for assisting clients on searching procedures, for obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
2004 saw the continuation of exchange of patent documentation with the leading national, regional and international patent offices and the transfer of the EAPO's patent information databases to CD/DVDs. All in all, under the exchange program the EO received over 1,000 CD-ROMs and current-series DVDs with patent documentation from international organizations and PCT-Minimum Documentation countries (WIPO, EPO, the USA, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, etc.). As before, the EAPO continued receiving discs from the Korean Patent Office, CISPATENT (CIS member-states), GlobalPat, BENELUX, and PRECES.

In 2004 new disc series were added to the EAPO's patent information database: DVDs (a total of 86) with the USSR and Russia's back files (1924-1993); 88 CD-ROMs of the IMPACT-COR series; CD-ROMs with back files from EAPO member-states' national patent offices. Towards the end of 2004 the EAPO's machine-readable database consisted of over 10,000 CD-ROMs and DVDs.
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of patent documentation and information
EAPO exchanges official publications on CD-ROMs with 23 international organizations and national patent offices including those of the EAPC countries, and its annual report exchange program includes 48 countries. EAPO's mailing list consists of seven official publications: the Bulletin; two CD-ROMs with invention specifications to Eurasian patents and applications; a CD-ROM with EAPO legislative, normative-methodological and reference documentation: a CD-ROM with "Eurasian Applications and Patents. A Cumulative Index"; an annual index and an annual report.

VIII. Other relevant matters concerning education and training in, and promotion of, the use of patent information, including technical assistance to developing countries
EAPO gives highest priority to the cooperation with national patent offices of the EAPC Contracting States. In the past period it was effected through meetings of the Organization's Administrative Council, Budget Working Group, and by organizing and holding joint seminars and training sessions for the representatives of national patent offices, assisting national patent offices in efficiently using up-to-date information technologies, and sending joint delegations to participate in various international, national, and specialized events.

Third session of the Permanent Working Group on Information Technologies of Administrative council of Eurasian Patent Organization was held in EAPO headquarters in Moscow 28-30 April, 2004. A wide range of matters associated with implementation of joint projects in the area of information technologies, cooperation in this field with other IP offices, present situation and exchange of gathered experience in the field of automation in patent offices of the Contracting States of the Eurasian Patent Convention was considered at the session.
Implementation of the project on technical co-operation with the national patent offices of the Contracting States of EAPC was continued in 2004. Each national patent office uses dedicated 64 kbps Internet line provided by EAPO for access to world patent resources. EAPO also hosts and supports Web-sites of national offices in the framework of the common Eurasian Web portal at www.eapo.org. In 2004 works on regular update of contents of the sites and other maintenance procedures upon request of national offices have been carried out.
The practice of regularly sending EAPO's printed publications to patent offices of the member states and distributing information on CD-ROMs made at EAPO continued in the reporting year. National offices were also provided by extended statistical data upon request.
In order to improve cooperation of the EAPO staff with Eurasian patent attorneys, regular seminars are organized summarizing the experience of applying the EAPC, optimizing the normative and legal base and improving and expediting examinations. Such a seminar with Eurasian patent attorneys took place at the EAPO headquarters in April 2004.
The Workshop " Practical Use of the EAPATIS Eurasian Patent Information System by National Patent Offices" that took place in Dushanbe (the Republic of Tajikistan) in April 2004 discussed some topical issues and objectives of information support for the examination process, the underlying principles of the creation and development of EAPATIS, and its main characteristics and capabilities. The participants discussed the modalities of the formation of a common Eurasian patent information space. The workshop's agenda also included the sharing of experiеnce in the use of EAPATIS by the EAPO and national patent offices, and a training session for future users of the system.

Further enhancement of EAPATIS would involve widening the circle of persons with free access to the system's information resources. With this in view, the 16th (11th regular) meeting of the Organization Administrative Council decided to grant interested third parties free access, via EAPATIS, to bibliographic descriptions, abstracts (claims) and principal drawings of inventions stored in EAPO's and national patent offices' patent documentation databases. It was also decided to grant the patent offices of Ukraine and Uzbekistan, as well as other interested organizations specializing in the field of patent documentation, access, via EAPATIS, to EAPO's and national patent offices' full-text patent documentation database if they agreed to reciprocate by furnishing their full-text patent documentation (for inclusion in EAPATIS) or by granting EAPO and the Organization members' patent offices free access to information systems containing such documentation. Pursuant to these decisions it is planned in 2005 to make EAPATIS freely accessible for Eurasian patent attorneys and examiners from Ukraine's and Uzbekistan's patent offices on the basis of reciprocity. The Organization Administrative Council also recommended to the national offices to furnish, on a quarterly basis, CD-ROMs with their current patent documentation files to the EAPO for inclusion in EAPATIS.

The EAPO took part in the 8-th Moscow International Salon of Intellectual Property "Archemedes" that was held in Moscow, March 15 to 18. The International Salon' Jury was headed by EAPO President A.N. Grigoriev. Within a press-conference devoted to the official ceremony of the Salon' opening A.N. Grigoriev made a presentation "The Eurasian Patent Organization, its role in the international system of industrial property protection".
IX. Other relevant matters
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.

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