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Meetings and conferences
World Patent Information,
Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 43-47, 1991.
Maxwell Online Inc. Printed in Great Britain.
Meetings and Conferences The editor welcomes contributions to this section Twenty-sixth FID/PD Committee Meeting, 7 September 1990, Sofia, Bulgaria This was the Twenty-sixth Meeting of the Committee and the venue was the building of the International Trade Center, Sofia. The Chairman, Dr R. Kazandjieva, Deputy Director Genera1 of the Bulgarian Patent Office? welcomed the members of the Committee present and gave the floor to Mr J. Marinov, member of the Council of FID and Director General of the Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, for a short ‘introductory sneech. Mr Marinov outlined the imdortance of patent information as a main source of technological information for all users from industry and research.
WIPO Handbook on Patent Information and Documentation there is presented information on the reclassification of patent documents according to the latest fifth edition of IPC. Members reported on the respective sessions of the working groups on General Information, Optical Disc technologies and Search Information. In the following discussions it was proposed that the Glossary of Terms and Expressions Used in Industrial Property Information should also be published in the official languages, English and French, and eventually in Spanish and Russian, with the assistance of the respective patent offices. It was suggested that the Introductory Handbook for Accessing Online Patent Information, with a view to speedy development in this area, should be regularly updated and complemented. Mr Makarov as a representative of WIPO gave valuable information on the present phase in the preparation of a synoptical publication of the various editions of IPC on a single CD-ROM, namely in three languages and including indexes and comparative tables. It was noted tliat this task initially proposed by the Patent Documentation Group is widely supported by FID/PD, being of exceptional importance for all public users.
Dr Kazandjieva started by presenting her basic conceptions and ideas for the future work of FIDlPD. She stressed the need of formulating to WIPO PCIPI working groups of the specific requirements OT all users and in oarticular of small and middle enterprisks, technical libraries, patent information units, individual inventors, etc. She stated that the further development of modern information carriers and in particular of optical disc technologies should bear in mind the restrictedY possibilities of mass users. Ways ought to be found to provide a non-expensive access to online hosts, e.g. of the respective patent offices. The standardization of patent documentation and of all kinds of information carriers is of vita1 interest to the users. It is also necessary to persuade information users to make greater use of patent statistics, monographs and surveys based on patent documents for assessment and forecasting of trends in developing new technologies and products in various industrial fields.
Mr Newton from the British Library, as Secretary of OLPI, gave some interesting details on the International Svmnosium on online information accomp&d by a respective fair scheduled to take place in July 1991 in Geneva.
Dr Kazandjieva made thereafter a comprehensive report on the sixth session of ihe Executivi Coordination Committee of WIPO/PCIPI, and the fifth session of the working group on Management Information. She underlined the wish of many patent offices to store, in future, in electronic form, the complete text of their patent specifications including drawings and figures, and to allow regular access to it. All were willing to cooperate to develop a common software in order to facilitate search in these new databases. The International Bureau was now preparing an Inventory of existing information products and computer searchable databases of full texts and abstracts. Further on it was decided to work harder on the unification in the layout of the content of patent applications. In a new part of the
Concerning the topic of further standardization of patent documents, the revised texts of WIPO standards ST11 and ST19, about the minimum indexes to be inserted in patent gazettes and the lavout of indexes oublished vearlv. half-yiarly and quart;rly by industr% property offices aiming at facilitating the work with them were presented. It was stated that the elaboration of WIPO ST40 and ST41 concerning facsimile images of patent documents on CD-ROM is advancing rapidly. For the users it is of interest that the draft of these standards is being elaborated in close coordination with IS0 standards 9660 and 10149. Similarly, the work on ST42 concerning retrieval software for use with CD-ROM containing images of patent documents is proceeding.
Following the brief summary on the ‘Round Table of Experts on the Use of Computerized Search Systems for the Purpose of Patent Search and Examination’, held in May 1990 in the British Patent Office, London, the members of FID/PD supported the conclusions of the Executi;k and Coordination Committee of WIPO-PCIPI to elaborate complete lists of features of communication software and of features found to be oarticularlv useful when orovided in hosi systems.‘It was agreed ‘that standardization efforts should be nursued in respect of data elements, field’names and command language.
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Mrs W. van der Voorde, Director of Polysearch Service, raised the problems encountered by users with regard to the new numbering of German patent documents. It was agreed that FID/PD would contact the German Patent Office and enauire about the problem with them prior d elaborating i’ts own standpoint on this rather specific topic concerning a national office. Concernine the forthcoming International SeminaYr ‘Patent InforYmation as a Source for Scientific and Technical Development’, 17-18 September, in Havana, the Meeting unanimously supported the view of the Chairman that it was urgent to popularize the activity of FID/PD among the participants of the Seminar and the Fortv-fifth Congress of FID in order to enlisl new membvers for the Committee, in particular from the representatives of several Latin-American countries expected to be there. Finallv. with regard to the following annuil’ meeting -in 1991 the general view was that this time it should be organized in Germany eventually with the assistance of Dr Lobeck from the HENKEL KGaA, who had expressed his readiness for it in the former annual meeting. It was agreed also that it might be useful to contact the FID/II Committee to discuss the possibility of organizing a joint meeting of both committees with a common main topic ‘Development of Optical Disc Technologies - Possibilities and Impact on Mass Users’, as proposed by the Chairman. International Seminar ‘Patent Information as a Source of the Scientific and Technical Development’, 17-18 September 1990, Havana, Cuba In the framework of the events accompanying the Forty-fifth Congress of the International Federation for Documentation (FID) taking place in Havana in September this year there was programmed a Seminar on patent information. The main organizer was the Cuban Patent Office (ONIITEM) together with the Committee for Patent Information and Documentation FID/PD. In the Seminar more than 50 experts participated among which were representatives of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva; the International Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, Moscow; the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil; the Institute for Electric Research (YEE), Mexico; and several Cuban scientific establishments and industrial enterprises. Greetings to the participants in the Seminar were expressed by Dr I. Clark, Vice-President of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, and Dr R. Kazandjieva. Chairman of FID/PD. At the Seminar seven papers were presented, followed by animated discussions. The basic paper according to the program was presented by Dr Kazandjieva, ‘Patent Information - Priority Activity’, which treated the following essential problems:
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patents further system; activity
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as a unique source of information; improvement of the world natent and priority tasks in the ‘future of FID/PD.
In the paper were stressed the basic features of patent documents permitting an easy access to the information contained in them, their actuality and multitude of aspects (technical, legal, economic, etc.). At present, there is accumulated an immense world patent file that is increasing vearlv bv aporoximatelv one million patent documents. The further efficient use of this huge wealth of knowledge requires a change in the patent slystem brganization, las well as m the information technologies used. Two main directions are indicated in order to improve the world patent system: internationalization of the patent system through harmonization of patent legislation and a broad computerization of the whole patent system. Dr Kazandjieva laid emphasis on the wide use of new information carriers including optical discs, further unification and standardization, as well as modern technical means, ensuring of complete compatibility between different databases in order to perform an efficient computerized search, including online search, and finally in seeking a solution of the aforementioned problems to take into account the specific interests of all users, in particular of the small and medium size enierprises and organizations, technical libraries as well as individual inventors and innovators. Along with this, is increasing the role of patent offices in permitting an easy access to their own databases directly or through other hosts. A particular interest among the participants was shown concernmg the aims and further tasks of the FID/PD. Dr Kazandjieva outlined concisely the concepts of the Committee as adopted recently at its session in Sofia, 67 September, 1990. Mrs Cavalcanti from INPI (Brazil). Mrs Esquivel from IEE (Mexico) and Mrs Riveras (ONIITEM, Cuba) expressed their willingness for membership and active participation in FID/PD. A large interest arose from the paper by Mr Wittich, representative of WIPO and expert in its Department, for help to developing countries. In it were accentuated the latest achievements in automatic information systems, optical disc technologies and computerized search online. He presented comprehensively the latest information products offered bv WIPO, namely a synoptical compact disc containing all five editions of IPC, including the alphabetic and systematic index, optical discs with full text and imaee information of the European Patent O@ice known as ESPACE, FIRST, etc. Amon the pa ers of foreign participants the folf.owmg Key-notes are of interest: (1) ‘Programme of INPUBrazil for Information Dissemination Contained in Patent Documents’, by Mrs A. Cavalcanti.
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According to this programme established in 1984 the research centres and technical universities are receiving each month, based on an a reement concluded with the Patent Of l!ce, a full set of patent documents related to their field of activitv. The number of subscribers to this’ service has increased in 5 years from 25 to 142 the majority of which pertain to the chemical and oil-treating industry. Besides,, the Patent Office is publishing periodically surveys and monoaraohs based uoon inventions. e.g. in getieti’c engineering, reverse osmosii, natural products, etc. Help is rendered to organizations maintaining their own files in specific industrial fields as shoe and leather industry, foundry industry, electronics, etc. in general on a regional principle. (2) ‘Patent Literature as Basic Source of Technoloeical Information’ bv Mrs Esquivel, Medico. After a comprehensive comparison between patent information and the information contained in scientific and technical publications there are outlined some essential parameters used in patent statistical analyses: index for inventive activity, index for actuality (‘age’ of patent documents), index for market domination, index of rouping (basic on strategical atents, gkfensive and attacking patents P. The patent department of the Mexican Institute for Electric Research (IEE) is serving more than 700 investigators from the Institute and further on 3000 engineers from the Federal Commissions of energetics. On their request the Department is carrying out searches for state of the art! novelty, companies strategy, licence pohcy, etc. Among the Cuban speakers, excellent papers were presented by Mrs Riveras from ONIITEM - ‘Information System for Innovations and Rationalizations as a New Source of Technological Information in Cuba’, Mr Campania - ‘Technology Transfer in International Scale and Use of IVi;iTeyhnologies in Patent Information Mr Frgarola - ‘Experience Accummated by Patent Information Services in Cuba’. In these three papers the immense work done in Cuba fo; collecting and utilization of patent information in all levels of economy, is described, as well as its direct linking to the scientific and technical develooment of the countrv. The fourth session of the 2-day Seminar was programmed as a creative and generalizing discussion of all important aspects of patent information activity in which more than 20 participants were involved. The Seminar termmated with handing of certificates to all narticioants by theYPresident of the Cuban Patent Office, Mr Finale, together with the Chairman of FID/PD Committee, Dr Kazandjieva. During the Congress the Chairman of the Committee for Information for Industry (FID/II), Mr Kalseth, was contacted and there was achieved an agreement in principle for a joint annual meeting of both committees of FID-PD and II in 1991, focused on a basic topic ‘Optical Disc Technologies and Problems for the Mass User of Information.’ Eventually, it
is foreseen to organize this common event in the Technical Universitv of Berlin in October 1991. There is a general assurance that such a meeting will be particularlv useful in order to coordinate closely the efforts and versatile activity of both committees of FID. PCIPI Working Group on General Information, Sixth Session, S-12 October 1990, Geneva, Switzerland The Working Group on General Information (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Working Group’) of the WIPO Permanent Committee on Industrial Property Information held its sixth session in Geneva on 8-12 October 1990. The following seventeen members of the Working Group were represented at the session: Austria, Canada. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America. Benelux Trademark Office and the European Patent Office (EPO). The International Patent Documentation Center (INPADOC) and the Patent Documentation Group (PDG) were represented by observers. The Working Group discussed the second draft of an inventory of databases covering trademark information, especially the presentation of the material in the inventory, its updating and the need to include in the inventory databases covering trademark information that are available only internally to an office. The International Bureau was requested to prepare a further draft of the inventory and to circulate it to all producers of such databases. The Working Group discussed the sixth draft of the Glossary of terms and expressions used in industrial property information and documentation and agreed that the Glossary should be finalized and published as soon as possible. The International Bureau was requested to elaborate a final draft of the Glossarv. The Workin Group agreed that the Glossary, when a c!opted, should be published in the introductory part of the WIPO Handbook on Industrial Property Information and Documentation. The Working Group discussed and agreed upon the final draft of the Introductory handbook for accessing online patent information. Furthermore, the Working Group agreed that guidelines on searching atent information by means of CD-R 8 M technologies should be elaborated. The Working Group approved the revision of the WIPO standard ST9 (INID codes for patent documents) and recommended-that the INID code system should remain based on two digits. In order to avoid any overloading of the INID code system, new INID codes should only be created, in future, for bibliographic data published by at least two offices. Additional two-digit codes should be introduced, with codes ‘91’ to ‘99’ being considered as an overflow
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Meetings and Conferences of category (80), and with codes ‘01’ to ‘09’ being considered as an overflow of the category (SO). A wider use of the category codes ending in the digit ‘O’, should be encouraged. The Working Grou agreed on the amended wording o F the draft WIPO standard ST60 (two-digit INID codes for trademarks) and also agreed that new INID codes should onlv be created. in future, for bibliographid data published by at least two offices. The Working Group discussed the proposal for adding to WIPO standard ST3 further two-letter codes for entities which issue certificates concerning industrial property titles. The Working Group considered it essential to maintain full alignment between WIPO standard ST3 and IS0 standard 3166.and recommended to the Executive Coordination Committee the adoption only of proposals based on codes existing in the said IS0 standard. The Working Group agreed that revision of WIPO standard ST16 should be restricted to maintaining the Appendix thereto UD to date. thus retaining the wording and philosophy of the p&sent text of the standard. If, in updating the Annendix to the standard. further letter codes were found to be necessary, then they should be chosen and added to the standard, taking into account the present coding system. The Working Group could see no strong reason for the introduction of a new coding system, separate from WIPO standard ST16 and identifying the type of patent document. The Working Group discussed the draft of the revision of WIPO standards STl, 2, 5 and 10 and agreed with the incorooration of standards ST1 and ST5 into itandard STlO. As far as standard ST2 is concerned, the Working Group requested the International Bureau to prepare a further working paper taking into account the recent change in corresponding IS0 standards. The Working Group discussed, in general terms but not concerning the technical content of, the draft WIPO Recommendation for the Presentation of Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequences in Patent Applications and in Published Patent Documents. In view of the urgency of the matter, the Working Group agreed to request the International Bureau to elaborate a further draft of the said Recommendation, taking into account all comments submitted by offices. Experts on this matter should have an opportunity to brief articipants in the forthcoming (seventh 5 session of the Executive Coordination Committee so as to enable a possible decision to be taken at that time. The Working Group considered the state of the standardization in the field of identification means for mass storage media and noted that no general need existed at the present time for further standardization of identification means for such mass storage media as microfilms and magnetic carriers of information. The standardization of identification means
for CD-ROM is under elaboration under the PCIPI Working Program. Identification means for magnetic carriers of information are standardized to a very low degree only, but the difficulties that had been renorted were of limited extent. 1 The Working Group noted the compilation of data concerning training courses and awareness programs on patent information. and reauested the International Bureau to infoim the International Association of Producers and Users of Online Patent Information (OLPI) of the results of the said survey and that the survey had highlighted the need to exchange exnerience in holding training coursecand -awareness programs on patent information. Finally, the Working Group also discussed the definition of the expression ‘patent family’,. and the proposal to establish Guidelines explaining strategies for computerized search. of Association The International Producers and Users of Online Patent I;zz;tion (OLPI), Seventh Plenary . 6 November 1990. Washington,%.S.A.
organizing jointly with OLPI a symposium in Geneva on 45 July 1991. Preliminary information about the symposium had been distributed to the 4000 subscribers of the WIPO publication Industrial Prouertv and copies were tabled. Extra copies could be-provided or members could make photocopies for further distribution. The symposium would be held at the Centre International de Conferences Geneve at the same time as the WIPO Industrial Property Information Fair. There would be no charge for the use of facilities in the conference centre. On the basis of an anticipated audience of 100 delegates a fee of’SF 200 was proposed for attekdance and a copy of the proceedings. WIPO would receive fees and pay expenses to lecturers from the income. Any surplus would be snent on the minting: of the proceedings: OLPI would not bear any financial risk. It was hoped to have the programme available in January. Mr Higham said that invitations for participation at the Fair had been sent lo industrial property offices and to some commercial organizations. Details could be sent to any other organizations on request.
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Welcome
The President welcomed participants to the OLPI plenary meeting and thanked CAS for their hospitality in hosting the meeting. Organizational matters New Members.The Secretarv said that the
only new member was Japan Patent Data Service Co whose representative was Mr Nakata. An undated membershin list was tabled and members were requested to inform the secretary of any changes. Position of president
Dr Bank said that he had agreed at the previous meeting to take over the presidency subject to the agreement of the Commission of the European Communities. Although he was able to continue in this position a lengthy term as president was not compatible with his position as a European civil servant and he proposed that the presidency be rotated. Mr Sergeant pointed out that the difficulty in the past had been that there were no candidates willing to take over rather than that the president had been obliged to stay in office. Mr Higham noted that the bylaws of OLPI as amended at the first meeting had made the term of the presidency 3 years but that a statement to the effect that the intention was to rotate the presidency could be introduced into the bylaws. It was agreed that the president should draft a note to this effect for the next meeting. Election of Vice-President
The Secretary said that MS Koch had indicated that she was willing to take this position. Her nomination was proposed by Dr Bank, seconded by Mr Buffet and agreed by the meeting. Symposium
Mr Higham
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Geneva 1991
said WIPO had agreed to
Dr Bank asked all members to place details of the symposium in appropriate newsletters. Dr Newton said that a press release had been prepared and would be sent out shortly. Dr Bank noted that Mrs Chamberlain was no longer able to serve on the working party. It was proposed that Mr Sergeant and Mrs Zahm should become corresponding members of the working party. Working groups Working group 1. Dr Bank reminded
the meeting that OLPI had asked WIPO to investigate training and that WIPO had responded by issuing a questionnaire. The reaction to the questionnaire had been good and some interesting results had emerged. For example at level A (professional training course) Japan and East Germany trained high numbers, whereas the number trained in West Germanv was very low. At the intermediate level (B) the numbers trained were generally low (e.g. JP 710, DE 506, CS 660). In general, content of the courses appeared to be deplorable from the point of view of OLPI. In answer to a question Mr Higham said that some countries had sent in a great deal of detail about their courses. The PCIPI recommended syllabus could now be compared with the practice in the more successful countries. The second ste in the programme would be to look at t t: e successes and the third could be for OLPI to draw the attention of less successful countries to the ideal coupled with offers of help in organizing training. Mr Higham said that if OLPI wished PCIPI to check on the implementation in certain countries this would require a letter from OLPI by A ril 1991 which could be put to the PCIPI PEXEC meeting in the middle of 1991.
46 Working group 2.Dr Bank noted that Mr Jacobiak. the coordinator of Working Group 2’ was not present. Dr Newto; said he had not had any contact with Mr Jacobiak recently and was unable to say whether he wished to continue. Mr Buffet said that it was important to reach a consensus on standards and to obtain input from the user groups such as the PIUG. Inpadoc was in a good position to provide a chairman for this work. Mr Paris said that In adoc was concerned about the standar $ ization work in OLPI and in PDG but that the contribution which Inpadoc could make would have to be reconsidered after the incorporation into the EPO in 1991. Mr Higham said that there were important issues for Working Group 2 to consider, such as Lexitran, in addition to standards for online. It was also to be hoped that OLPI would encompass CD-ROM in addition to online. Mr Rubitschka said that OLPI should not be restricted to uarticular technologies but should rather address the problems. There was a need to produce a general description of OLPI’s aims and to introduce them into the bylaws.
On the subiect of Lexitran, Mr Buffet explained that it was a project sponsored by the CEC to facilitate access to the IPC. The test data had been distributed to Mr Justin and to Inpadoc, and some feedback had been obtained. The project has similarities with EPOS, the EPO synonym project. The results had been reported to the CEC, and Questel and the French Patent Office were considering whether to continue the work in certain areas of the IPC. Future of workina zrouos
Dr Bank’asked wh”et”her-members thought it would be preferable to have coordinators for the working groups rather than chairmen. Mr Buffet said that he was in favour of having practical work done on standards and that it was necessary to have named people involved. Mr Justin agreed that working groups were necessary and that the work of Working Group 2 was very interesting and important. Mr Hizham said that OLPI had been deliberitely formed to bring together all the interested parties. If problems were to be solved the commitment of all groups was needed; OLPI was the ideal forum for discussion though not necessarily for resolution of problems. It was agreed that the decision on membership of the working groups would be postponed. Dr Bank noted that the consensus was that both working groups were necessary. It was agreed that Inpadoc should be re uested to investigate whether they cou9 d provide a chairman for Working Group 2. Mr Rubitschka agreed to pass on this request. Dr Bank a reed to continue chairing the Working 6 roup 1 until the following meeting. External activities
Dr Newton said that he had attended the meeting of the FID Patent Documentation “Group held in Sofia in September. The meeting had been very oorly attended and there were no sigm.Rcant developments to report.
Meetings and Conferences Mr Rubitschka said that the EPO takeover of Irmadoc would be effective from 1 January’l991. Inpadoc would be part of the Directorate-General under Mr Giroud.
User training and education
Mr Lawson said the views expressed were his own personal views and hid not represent those of the USPTO. Congress had in the last few days announced that the USPTO was to be fully fee funded in the current fiscal vear. The details had not yet been clarified and the implication for the level of filings was not yet clear.
Dr Bank said that the Commission of the European Communities had been involved since 1973. Since this time there had been a rapid change in availability and performance of patent information databases but little change in general awareness. OLPI had looked into this problem which had resulted in the training survey and the symposium. The survey had been well received bv patent offices. There was not only a lackbf knowledge about natents as information but also on patent’protection. OLPI was needed to tackle this problem.
Constraints on the patent system included the rapid growth in file sizes in the U.S. and elsewhere, and the difficulty in expanding examining staff. There was a need to break the relationship between resources and growth. The realities were the ability to capture in electronic form, the cost saving of CD-ROM and the lower telecommunication charges. The U.S. would at some point in the future use the IPC for searching. There would, in time, be a common patents database. Although the U.S. paperless office had missed the 1990 target, scanned images had been captured- and the full text database was becoming available. The EPO were ahead with CD-ROM and the Japanese with electronic filing but the trends were universal - it was the beginning of a revolution.
Mr Rubitschka said that there was still a lack of knowledge about patents in technical universities and some compulsion was required to make students study the subject. There was a problem of locating courses - a directory of courses was required. Mr Tracey said that CD-ROM had ovened UD a huge new market. Mr Rubitschka noted thzt online databases had large markets but that the potential was much greater even than at present. Mr Justin said that some effort was directed too high and that middle managers needed persuading. Mr Landau added that in orher to infl
Presentation by Mr Higham
Date of next meeting
Online databases were complex and help was reouired esneciallv bv the novice. Standardization ‘of command language, search qualifiers and data elements would hem. Svnonvms could provide the answer to {he introduction of astandardized command language. Standardized qualifiers could equally well apply to CD-ROM databases. The process required commitment by the hosts and producers.
Dr Newton said that FIZ Karlsruhe had offered to host a meeting in 1991 and that dates in April and May w’kre possible. The meeting could be timed to allow attendante at Infobase. Members welcomed the invitation but asked whether the meeting could be linked with the WIPO fair in Geneva. The secretary agreed to check whether the meeting could be held in Karlsruhe on l-2 July to enable members to travel on to Geneva or failing that on 2-3 July in Geneva.
Presentation by Mr Lawson
Mr Buffet said that data elements were the real problem; patent numbering was a jumble. Existing customers would not accept a common command language but interfacing may present a solution to this problem. A real concern was the rather similar languages, and prefixes and suffixes. There was certainly a need for Working Group 2. Mr Kurt said that there was no problem for the Orbit command language in introducing synonyms but there could be a confusion over too manv wavs of doing things. Cross-file searching-was an importani feature and had to be borne in mind. INID codes on documents could be replaced with more meaningful qualifiers as used online. Patent Information
User Group
MS Dorler said that the PIUG had been proposed in January 1988 to influence vendors and producers, to provide education and to provide a forum for discussion. A bulletin board was established on Dialmail. There were now 117 members. New committees had been set up for CD-ROM and for in-house databases. The major concerns were still as before - with CAS, Derwent coding, USPTO paper files, etc. PIUG was not necessarily restricted to the U.S. but at present had only U.S. members.
Other business
Dr Newton said that the Hungarian Patent Office had provided him with a demonstration version of a database on floppy disk for searching the IPC. It ran on a PC and enabled searching and display of text, and the hierarchy inherent in the classification. It had been arranged to demonstrate this database on the following day but as the meeting was to finish earlier than originally planned he would seek the permission- of the Hungarian Patent Office to send conies to inter&ted parties. Mr Buffet, Mr Justin, Mr Higham, Mr Goudeau, Mr Landau, Mr Kurt and Mr Brown indicated that they would like to see the system. Mr Ebe then gave a presentation of the CAS Marpat database covering Markush structures in patent claims. PCIPI Working Group on Search Information, Sixth Session, 19-30 November 1990, Geneva, Switzerland
The PCIPI Working Grou on Search Information (herinafter re Ferred to as the ‘Working Group’) held its sixth session in Geneva on 19 - 30 November
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1990. The following 14 States and one Organization, members of the Working Group, were represented at the session: Canada, Denmark, Finland. France. Germany, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea. Soviet Union. Suain. Sweden. Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, European Patent Office (EPO). The following items were dealt with:
members stated that thev were followine with great interest the- rapid technical develonments in this field and that the CD-RbM products that had become available were being actively used or were being tested. The Working Group established a revised inventory of available,. or soon to be available, CD-ROM disc products containing patent and trademark information.
IPC revision projects carried over from 1989 The Working Group dealt with the 31 IPC revision prolects still pending. Of those projects, 14 belonged to the mechanical field, 5 to the chemical field and 12 to the electrical field. Substantive amendments were made to subclass C 01 B, in its area relating to ‘zeolites’.
The Working Group discussed in detail the third draft of a WIPO recommendation concerning the exchange of patent documents as facsimile images on CD-ROM discs, and established a further draft. In establishing the said further draft, the Working Group identified a certain number of outstanding technical questions requiring resolution and agreed to recommend to the Executive Coordination Committee action to further progress on the establishment of a standard dealing with facsimile CD-ROM discs.
Other IPC revision projects on the working program The Working Group dealt with another 30 PIC revision prolects on the program for the 1990-91 biennium. Of those projects, 14 belonged to the mechanical field, 7 to the chemical field and 9 to the electrical field. Selection of patent documents for training purposes The Working Group further discussed selected patent documents to be used for training purposes, relating to the mechanical and the electrical fields, in order to illustrate the problem of laces classifying in function-oriented or in application places in the IP 8 . Reclassification of existing training examples The Working Group modified the information relating to the existing training example C 15 and changed its classification according to the fifth edition of the IPC, completing thereby the updating of the set of existing training examples. Use of expressions The Working Group continued its work in standardizing the use of the ex‘invention’ and ‘per se’ in pressions the IPC. PCIPI ad hoc Working Group on Optical Storage, Fourth Session, 3-7 December 1990, Geneva, Switzerland The ad hoc Working Group on Optical Storage of the WIPO Permanent Committee on Industrial Property Information held its fourth session in Geneva on 37 December 1990. The following 18 members of the Permanent Committee were represented at the session: Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America and the European Patent Office (EPO). The International Patent Documentation Centre (INPADOC) and the Patent Documentation Group (PDG) were represented by observers. Each member of the Working Group reported upon developments concerning optical storage within their offices. Many
The Working Group agreed upon a tentative definition of a mixed-mode CD-ROM disc and agreed to request the International Bureau to circulate that tentative definition to its members for comment, and, at the same time, to request members to submit comments on basic questions of principle. The Working Group felt that it would be difficult to elaborate definite performance standards for CD-ROM work stations since requirements of the system, e.g. printing speed, response times, depended mainly on the purpose of use of the said products,, but agreed that the establishment of minimum performance requirements for CD-ROM work stations, viz. search time, image display time. minting time. could be needed for users,‘especially in ‘developing countries, and requested, accordingly, the International Bureau to seek the appropriate information from offices having experience in this field. The Working Group noted a further survey relating to the general question of the exchange of patent information CD-ROM products between patent offices and noted the growing interest of offices in receiving patent documents on CD-ROM, agreeing that this tendency would certainly continue in the near future. PCIPI Executive Coordination Committee+ Seventh Session, 10-14 December 1990, Geneva, Switzerland On 10-14 December 1990, the PCIPI Executive Coordination Committee held its seventh session in Geneva. Twenty members of the Committee were represented at the session: Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Benelux Trademark Office (BBM), European Patent Office (EPO). The International Patent Documentation Center (INPADOC), the Patent Documentation Group (PDG) and the publisher of the journal World Patent
47 Information were represented ers.
by observ-
The Soviet Union and the EPO made detailed presentations of their automation plans and the progress made at their Offices in the field of industrial property information automation. Germanv. Jauan and Switzerland informed the Committee that they would make such presentations at the next session of the Committee, in June 1991. The Committee accepted five IPC revision requests submitted and agreed that the time frame for submission-and processing of IPC revision requests, which had been applied for a trtal period of the last 2 years, should be valid for future work. The Committee considered the 19 Annual Technical Reports on Trademark Activities (ATR/TM) prepared for the first time by the PCIPI members on a trial basis and published by the International Bureau, and decided that such ATRiTM should be prepared by the PCIPI members and published by the International Bureau on a yearly basis as a continuous activitv on the PCIPI working program. The Committee approved a new WIPO standard ST60: Recommendation concerning bibliographic data relating to marks (INID Code for Marks). The Committee noted that following its invitation, made at its last session. the International Bureau would organize a Seminar on ‘International Cooperation and Use of Computers in the Field of Trademarks’ on 27-31 May 199!, in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. The Seminar would be hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Committee considered the draft WIPO standard ST23: Recommendation for the Presentation of Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequences (DNA sequences) in Patent Apnlications and in Published Patent Doduments, and agreed that if no substantial obiections to the text of the Recommendation were submitted by the end of March 1991, the Recommendation would be finally adopted at the next session of the Committee. The Committee aunroved the addition of four further code’s to WIPO standard ST3. (Two-letter code for the renresentation‘of countries, and of other entities and international organizations issuing or registering industrial property titles.) The Committee held detailed discussions on the recommendation of the PCIPI ad hoc Working Group on Optical Storage on the action to be followed to further progress on the establishment of a new WIPO standard ST40: Recommendation concerning the Exchange of Patent Documents as Facsimile Images on CD-ROM. The Committee finally considered the reports of the sessions of the PCIPI Working Groups held since June 1990, and reviewed the status of the work on the tasks assigned to, and recommendations formulated by, these Working Groups and the International Bureau.
Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 43-47, 1991.
Maxwell Online Inc. Printed in Great Britain.
Meetings and Conferences The editor welcomes contributions to this section Twenty-sixth FID/PD Committee Meeting, 7 September 1990, Sofia, Bulgaria This was the Twenty-sixth Meeting of the Committee and the venue was the building of the International Trade Center, Sofia. The Chairman, Dr R. Kazandjieva, Deputy Director Genera1 of the Bulgarian Patent Office? welcomed the members of the Committee present and gave the floor to Mr J. Marinov, member of the Council of FID and Director General of the Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, for a short ‘introductory sneech. Mr Marinov outlined the imdortance of patent information as a main source of technological information for all users from industry and research.
WIPO Handbook on Patent Information and Documentation there is presented information on the reclassification of patent documents according to the latest fifth edition of IPC. Members reported on the respective sessions of the working groups on General Information, Optical Disc technologies and Search Information. In the following discussions it was proposed that the Glossary of Terms and Expressions Used in Industrial Property Information should also be published in the official languages, English and French, and eventually in Spanish and Russian, with the assistance of the respective patent offices. It was suggested that the Introductory Handbook for Accessing Online Patent Information, with a view to speedy development in this area, should be regularly updated and complemented. Mr Makarov as a representative of WIPO gave valuable information on the present phase in the preparation of a synoptical publication of the various editions of IPC on a single CD-ROM, namely in three languages and including indexes and comparative tables. It was noted tliat this task initially proposed by the Patent Documentation Group is widely supported by FID/PD, being of exceptional importance for all public users.
Dr Kazandjieva started by presenting her basic conceptions and ideas for the future work of FIDlPD. She stressed the need of formulating to WIPO PCIPI working groups of the specific requirements OT all users and in oarticular of small and middle enterprisks, technical libraries, patent information units, individual inventors, etc. She stated that the further development of modern information carriers and in particular of optical disc technologies should bear in mind the restrictedY possibilities of mass users. Ways ought to be found to provide a non-expensive access to online hosts, e.g. of the respective patent offices. The standardization of patent documentation and of all kinds of information carriers is of vita1 interest to the users. It is also necessary to persuade information users to make greater use of patent statistics, monographs and surveys based on patent documents for assessment and forecasting of trends in developing new technologies and products in various industrial fields.
Mr Newton from the British Library, as Secretary of OLPI, gave some interesting details on the International Svmnosium on online information accomp&d by a respective fair scheduled to take place in July 1991 in Geneva.
Dr Kazandjieva made thereafter a comprehensive report on the sixth session of ihe Executivi Coordination Committee of WIPO/PCIPI, and the fifth session of the working group on Management Information. She underlined the wish of many patent offices to store, in future, in electronic form, the complete text of their patent specifications including drawings and figures, and to allow regular access to it. All were willing to cooperate to develop a common software in order to facilitate search in these new databases. The International Bureau was now preparing an Inventory of existing information products and computer searchable databases of full texts and abstracts. Further on it was decided to work harder on the unification in the layout of the content of patent applications. In a new part of the
Concerning the topic of further standardization of patent documents, the revised texts of WIPO standards ST11 and ST19, about the minimum indexes to be inserted in patent gazettes and the lavout of indexes oublished vearlv. half-yiarly and quart;rly by industr% property offices aiming at facilitating the work with them were presented. It was stated that the elaboration of WIPO ST40 and ST41 concerning facsimile images of patent documents on CD-ROM is advancing rapidly. For the users it is of interest that the draft of these standards is being elaborated in close coordination with IS0 standards 9660 and 10149. Similarly, the work on ST42 concerning retrieval software for use with CD-ROM containing images of patent documents is proceeding.
Following the brief summary on the ‘Round Table of Experts on the Use of Computerized Search Systems for the Purpose of Patent Search and Examination’, held in May 1990 in the British Patent Office, London, the members of FID/PD supported the conclusions of the Executi;k and Coordination Committee of WIPO-PCIPI to elaborate complete lists of features of communication software and of features found to be oarticularlv useful when orovided in hosi systems.‘It was agreed ‘that standardization efforts should be nursued in respect of data elements, field’names and command language.
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Mrs W. van der Voorde, Director of Polysearch Service, raised the problems encountered by users with regard to the new numbering of German patent documents. It was agreed that FID/PD would contact the German Patent Office and enauire about the problem with them prior d elaborating i’ts own standpoint on this rather specific topic concerning a national office. Concernine the forthcoming International SeminaYr ‘Patent InforYmation as a Source for Scientific and Technical Development’, 17-18 September, in Havana, the Meeting unanimously supported the view of the Chairman that it was urgent to popularize the activity of FID/PD among the participants of the Seminar and the Fortv-fifth Congress of FID in order to enlisl new membvers for the Committee, in particular from the representatives of several Latin-American countries expected to be there. Finallv. with regard to the following annuil’ meeting -in 1991 the general view was that this time it should be organized in Germany eventually with the assistance of Dr Lobeck from the HENKEL KGaA, who had expressed his readiness for it in the former annual meeting. It was agreed also that it might be useful to contact the FID/II Committee to discuss the possibility of organizing a joint meeting of both committees with a common main topic ‘Development of Optical Disc Technologies - Possibilities and Impact on Mass Users’, as proposed by the Chairman. International Seminar ‘Patent Information as a Source of the Scientific and Technical Development’, 17-18 September 1990, Havana, Cuba In the framework of the events accompanying the Forty-fifth Congress of the International Federation for Documentation (FID) taking place in Havana in September this year there was programmed a Seminar on patent information. The main organizer was the Cuban Patent Office (ONIITEM) together with the Committee for Patent Information and Documentation FID/PD. In the Seminar more than 50 experts participated among which were representatives of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva; the International Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, Moscow; the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Brazil; the Institute for Electric Research (YEE), Mexico; and several Cuban scientific establishments and industrial enterprises. Greetings to the participants in the Seminar were expressed by Dr I. Clark, Vice-President of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, and Dr R. Kazandjieva. Chairman of FID/PD. At the Seminar seven papers were presented, followed by animated discussions. The basic paper according to the program was presented by Dr Kazandjieva, ‘Patent Information - Priority Activity’, which treated the following essential problems:
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patents further system; activity
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as a unique source of information; improvement of the world natent and priority tasks in the ‘future of FID/PD.
In the paper were stressed the basic features of patent documents permitting an easy access to the information contained in them, their actuality and multitude of aspects (technical, legal, economic, etc.). At present, there is accumulated an immense world patent file that is increasing vearlv bv aporoximatelv one million patent documents. The further efficient use of this huge wealth of knowledge requires a change in the patent slystem brganization, las well as m the information technologies used. Two main directions are indicated in order to improve the world patent system: internationalization of the patent system through harmonization of patent legislation and a broad computerization of the whole patent system. Dr Kazandjieva laid emphasis on the wide use of new information carriers including optical discs, further unification and standardization, as well as modern technical means, ensuring of complete compatibility between different databases in order to perform an efficient computerized search, including online search, and finally in seeking a solution of the aforementioned problems to take into account the specific interests of all users, in particular of the small and medium size enierprises and organizations, technical libraries as well as individual inventors and innovators. Along with this, is increasing the role of patent offices in permitting an easy access to their own databases directly or through other hosts. A particular interest among the participants was shown concernmg the aims and further tasks of the FID/PD. Dr Kazandjieva outlined concisely the concepts of the Committee as adopted recently at its session in Sofia, 67 September, 1990. Mrs Cavalcanti from INPI (Brazil). Mrs Esquivel from IEE (Mexico) and Mrs Riveras (ONIITEM, Cuba) expressed their willingness for membership and active participation in FID/PD. A large interest arose from the paper by Mr Wittich, representative of WIPO and expert in its Department, for help to developing countries. In it were accentuated the latest achievements in automatic information systems, optical disc technologies and computerized search online. He presented comprehensively the latest information products offered bv WIPO, namely a synoptical compact disc containing all five editions of IPC, including the alphabetic and systematic index, optical discs with full text and imaee information of the European Patent O@ice known as ESPACE, FIRST, etc. Amon the pa ers of foreign participants the folf.owmg Key-notes are of interest: (1) ‘Programme of INPUBrazil for Information Dissemination Contained in Patent Documents’, by Mrs A. Cavalcanti.
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According to this programme established in 1984 the research centres and technical universities are receiving each month, based on an a reement concluded with the Patent Of l!ce, a full set of patent documents related to their field of activitv. The number of subscribers to this’ service has increased in 5 years from 25 to 142 the majority of which pertain to the chemical and oil-treating industry. Besides,, the Patent Office is publishing periodically surveys and monoaraohs based uoon inventions. e.g. in getieti’c engineering, reverse osmosii, natural products, etc. Help is rendered to organizations maintaining their own files in specific industrial fields as shoe and leather industry, foundry industry, electronics, etc. in general on a regional principle. (2) ‘Patent Literature as Basic Source of Technoloeical Information’ bv Mrs Esquivel, Medico. After a comprehensive comparison between patent information and the information contained in scientific and technical publications there are outlined some essential parameters used in patent statistical analyses: index for inventive activity, index for actuality (‘age’ of patent documents), index for market domination, index of rouping (basic on strategical atents, gkfensive and attacking patents P. The patent department of the Mexican Institute for Electric Research (IEE) is serving more than 700 investigators from the Institute and further on 3000 engineers from the Federal Commissions of energetics. On their request the Department is carrying out searches for state of the art! novelty, companies strategy, licence pohcy, etc. Among the Cuban speakers, excellent papers were presented by Mrs Riveras from ONIITEM - ‘Information System for Innovations and Rationalizations as a New Source of Technological Information in Cuba’, Mr Campania - ‘Technology Transfer in International Scale and Use of IVi;iTeyhnologies in Patent Information Mr Frgarola - ‘Experience Accummated by Patent Information Services in Cuba’. In these three papers the immense work done in Cuba fo; collecting and utilization of patent information in all levels of economy, is described, as well as its direct linking to the scientific and technical develooment of the countrv. The fourth session of the 2-day Seminar was programmed as a creative and generalizing discussion of all important aspects of patent information activity in which more than 20 participants were involved. The Seminar termmated with handing of certificates to all narticioants by theYPresident of the Cuban Patent Office, Mr Finale, together with the Chairman of FID/PD Committee, Dr Kazandjieva. During the Congress the Chairman of the Committee for Information for Industry (FID/II), Mr Kalseth, was contacted and there was achieved an agreement in principle for a joint annual meeting of both committees of FID-PD and II in 1991, focused on a basic topic ‘Optical Disc Technologies and Problems for the Mass User of Information.’ Eventually, it
is foreseen to organize this common event in the Technical Universitv of Berlin in October 1991. There is a general assurance that such a meeting will be particularlv useful in order to coordinate closely the efforts and versatile activity of both committees of FID. PCIPI Working Group on General Information, Sixth Session, S-12 October 1990, Geneva, Switzerland The Working Group on General Information (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Working Group’) of the WIPO Permanent Committee on Industrial Property Information held its sixth session in Geneva on 8-12 October 1990. The following seventeen members of the Working Group were represented at the session: Austria, Canada. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America. Benelux Trademark Office and the European Patent Office (EPO). The International Patent Documentation Center (INPADOC) and the Patent Documentation Group (PDG) were represented by observers. The Working Group discussed the second draft of an inventory of databases covering trademark information, especially the presentation of the material in the inventory, its updating and the need to include in the inventory databases covering trademark information that are available only internally to an office. The International Bureau was requested to prepare a further draft of the inventory and to circulate it to all producers of such databases. The Working Group discussed the sixth draft of the Glossary of terms and expressions used in industrial property information and documentation and agreed that the Glossary should be finalized and published as soon as possible. The International Bureau was requested to elaborate a final draft of the Glossarv. The Workin Group agreed that the Glossary, when a c!opted, should be published in the introductory part of the WIPO Handbook on Industrial Property Information and Documentation. The Working Group discussed and agreed upon the final draft of the Introductory handbook for accessing online patent information. Furthermore, the Working Group agreed that guidelines on searching atent information by means of CD-R 8 M technologies should be elaborated. The Working Group approved the revision of the WIPO standard ST9 (INID codes for patent documents) and recommended-that the INID code system should remain based on two digits. In order to avoid any overloading of the INID code system, new INID codes should only be created, in future, for bibliographic data published by at least two offices. Additional two-digit codes should be introduced, with codes ‘91’ to ‘99’ being considered as an overflow
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Meetings and Conferences of category (80), and with codes ‘01’ to ‘09’ being considered as an overflow of the category (SO). A wider use of the category codes ending in the digit ‘O’, should be encouraged. The Working Grou agreed on the amended wording o F the draft WIPO standard ST60 (two-digit INID codes for trademarks) and also agreed that new INID codes should onlv be created. in future, for bibliographid data published by at least two offices. The Working Group discussed the proposal for adding to WIPO standard ST3 further two-letter codes for entities which issue certificates concerning industrial property titles. The Working Group considered it essential to maintain full alignment between WIPO standard ST3 and IS0 standard 3166.and recommended to the Executive Coordination Committee the adoption only of proposals based on codes existing in the said IS0 standard. The Working Group agreed that revision of WIPO standard ST16 should be restricted to maintaining the Appendix thereto UD to date. thus retaining the wording and philosophy of the p&sent text of the standard. If, in updating the Annendix to the standard. further letter codes were found to be necessary, then they should be chosen and added to the standard, taking into account the present coding system. The Working Group could see no strong reason for the introduction of a new coding system, separate from WIPO standard ST16 and identifying the type of patent document. The Working Group discussed the draft of the revision of WIPO standards STl, 2, 5 and 10 and agreed with the incorooration of standards ST1 and ST5 into itandard STlO. As far as standard ST2 is concerned, the Working Group requested the International Bureau to prepare a further working paper taking into account the recent change in corresponding IS0 standards. The Working Group discussed, in general terms but not concerning the technical content of, the draft WIPO Recommendation for the Presentation of Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequences in Patent Applications and in Published Patent Documents. In view of the urgency of the matter, the Working Group agreed to request the International Bureau to elaborate a further draft of the said Recommendation, taking into account all comments submitted by offices. Experts on this matter should have an opportunity to brief articipants in the forthcoming (seventh 5 session of the Executive Coordination Committee so as to enable a possible decision to be taken at that time. The Working Group considered the state of the standardization in the field of identification means for mass storage media and noted that no general need existed at the present time for further standardization of identification means for such mass storage media as microfilms and magnetic carriers of information. The standardization of identification means
for CD-ROM is under elaboration under the PCIPI Working Program. Identification means for magnetic carriers of information are standardized to a very low degree only, but the difficulties that had been renorted were of limited extent. 1 The Working Group noted the compilation of data concerning training courses and awareness programs on patent information. and reauested the International Bureau to infoim the International Association of Producers and Users of Online Patent Information (OLPI) of the results of the said survey and that the survey had highlighted the need to exchange exnerience in holding training coursecand -awareness programs on patent information. Finally, the Working Group also discussed the definition of the expression ‘patent family’,. and the proposal to establish Guidelines explaining strategies for computerized search. of Association The International Producers and Users of Online Patent I;zz;tion (OLPI), Seventh Plenary . 6 November 1990. Washington,%.S.A.
organizing jointly with OLPI a symposium in Geneva on 45 July 1991. Preliminary information about the symposium had been distributed to the 4000 subscribers of the WIPO publication Industrial Prouertv and copies were tabled. Extra copies could be-provided or members could make photocopies for further distribution. The symposium would be held at the Centre International de Conferences Geneve at the same time as the WIPO Industrial Property Information Fair. There would be no charge for the use of facilities in the conference centre. On the basis of an anticipated audience of 100 delegates a fee of’SF 200 was proposed for attekdance and a copy of the proceedings. WIPO would receive fees and pay expenses to lecturers from the income. Any surplus would be snent on the minting: of the proceedings: OLPI would not bear any financial risk. It was hoped to have the programme available in January. Mr Higham said that invitations for participation at the Fair had been sent lo industrial property offices and to some commercial organizations. Details could be sent to any other organizations on request.
~_. _
Welcome
The President welcomed participants to the OLPI plenary meeting and thanked CAS for their hospitality in hosting the meeting. Organizational matters New Members.The Secretarv said that the
only new member was Japan Patent Data Service Co whose representative was Mr Nakata. An undated membershin list was tabled and members were requested to inform the secretary of any changes. Position of president
Dr Bank said that he had agreed at the previous meeting to take over the presidency subject to the agreement of the Commission of the European Communities. Although he was able to continue in this position a lengthy term as president was not compatible with his position as a European civil servant and he proposed that the presidency be rotated. Mr Sergeant pointed out that the difficulty in the past had been that there were no candidates willing to take over rather than that the president had been obliged to stay in office. Mr Higham noted that the bylaws of OLPI as amended at the first meeting had made the term of the presidency 3 years but that a statement to the effect that the intention was to rotate the presidency could be introduced into the bylaws. It was agreed that the president should draft a note to this effect for the next meeting. Election of Vice-President
The Secretary said that MS Koch had indicated that she was willing to take this position. Her nomination was proposed by Dr Bank, seconded by Mr Buffet and agreed by the meeting. Symposium
Mr Higham
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Geneva 1991
said WIPO had agreed to
Dr Bank asked all members to place details of the symposium in appropriate newsletters. Dr Newton said that a press release had been prepared and would be sent out shortly. Dr Bank noted that Mrs Chamberlain was no longer able to serve on the working party. It was proposed that Mr Sergeant and Mrs Zahm should become corresponding members of the working party. Working groups Working group 1. Dr Bank reminded
the meeting that OLPI had asked WIPO to investigate training and that WIPO had responded by issuing a questionnaire. The reaction to the questionnaire had been good and some interesting results had emerged. For example at level A (professional training course) Japan and East Germany trained high numbers, whereas the number trained in West Germanv was very low. At the intermediate level (B) the numbers trained were generally low (e.g. JP 710, DE 506, CS 660). In general, content of the courses appeared to be deplorable from the point of view of OLPI. In answer to a question Mr Higham said that some countries had sent in a great deal of detail about their courses. The PCIPI recommended syllabus could now be compared with the practice in the more successful countries. The second ste in the programme would be to look at t t: e successes and the third could be for OLPI to draw the attention of less successful countries to the ideal coupled with offers of help in organizing training. Mr Higham said that if OLPI wished PCIPI to check on the implementation in certain countries this would require a letter from OLPI by A ril 1991 which could be put to the PCIPI PEXEC meeting in the middle of 1991.
46 Working group 2.Dr Bank noted that Mr Jacobiak. the coordinator of Working Group 2’ was not present. Dr Newto; said he had not had any contact with Mr Jacobiak recently and was unable to say whether he wished to continue. Mr Buffet said that it was important to reach a consensus on standards and to obtain input from the user groups such as the PIUG. Inpadoc was in a good position to provide a chairman for this work. Mr Paris said that In adoc was concerned about the standar $ ization work in OLPI and in PDG but that the contribution which Inpadoc could make would have to be reconsidered after the incorporation into the EPO in 1991. Mr Higham said that there were important issues for Working Group 2 to consider, such as Lexitran, in addition to standards for online. It was also to be hoped that OLPI would encompass CD-ROM in addition to online. Mr Rubitschka said that OLPI should not be restricted to uarticular technologies but should rather address the problems. There was a need to produce a general description of OLPI’s aims and to introduce them into the bylaws.
On the subiect of Lexitran, Mr Buffet explained that it was a project sponsored by the CEC to facilitate access to the IPC. The test data had been distributed to Mr Justin and to Inpadoc, and some feedback had been obtained. The project has similarities with EPOS, the EPO synonym project. The results had been reported to the CEC, and Questel and the French Patent Office were considering whether to continue the work in certain areas of the IPC. Future of workina zrouos
Dr Bank’asked wh”et”her-members thought it would be preferable to have coordinators for the working groups rather than chairmen. Mr Buffet said that he was in favour of having practical work done on standards and that it was necessary to have named people involved. Mr Justin agreed that working groups were necessary and that the work of Working Group 2 was very interesting and important. Mr Hizham said that OLPI had been deliberitely formed to bring together all the interested parties. If problems were to be solved the commitment of all groups was needed; OLPI was the ideal forum for discussion though not necessarily for resolution of problems. It was agreed that the decision on membership of the working groups would be postponed. Dr Bank noted that the consensus was that both working groups were necessary. It was agreed that Inpadoc should be re uested to investigate whether they cou9 d provide a chairman for Working Group 2. Mr Rubitschka agreed to pass on this request. Dr Bank a reed to continue chairing the Working 6 roup 1 until the following meeting. External activities
Dr Newton said that he had attended the meeting of the FID Patent Documentation “Group held in Sofia in September. The meeting had been very oorly attended and there were no sigm.Rcant developments to report.
Meetings and Conferences Mr Rubitschka said that the EPO takeover of Irmadoc would be effective from 1 January’l991. Inpadoc would be part of the Directorate-General under Mr Giroud.
User training and education
Mr Lawson said the views expressed were his own personal views and hid not represent those of the USPTO. Congress had in the last few days announced that the USPTO was to be fully fee funded in the current fiscal vear. The details had not yet been clarified and the implication for the level of filings was not yet clear.
Dr Bank said that the Commission of the European Communities had been involved since 1973. Since this time there had been a rapid change in availability and performance of patent information databases but little change in general awareness. OLPI had looked into this problem which had resulted in the training survey and the symposium. The survey had been well received bv patent offices. There was not only a lackbf knowledge about natents as information but also on patent’protection. OLPI was needed to tackle this problem.
Constraints on the patent system included the rapid growth in file sizes in the U.S. and elsewhere, and the difficulty in expanding examining staff. There was a need to break the relationship between resources and growth. The realities were the ability to capture in electronic form, the cost saving of CD-ROM and the lower telecommunication charges. The U.S. would at some point in the future use the IPC for searching. There would, in time, be a common patents database. Although the U.S. paperless office had missed the 1990 target, scanned images had been captured- and the full text database was becoming available. The EPO were ahead with CD-ROM and the Japanese with electronic filing but the trends were universal - it was the beginning of a revolution.
Mr Rubitschka said that there was still a lack of knowledge about patents in technical universities and some compulsion was required to make students study the subject. There was a problem of locating courses - a directory of courses was required. Mr Tracey said that CD-ROM had ovened UD a huge new market. Mr Rubitschka noted thzt online databases had large markets but that the potential was much greater even than at present. Mr Justin said that some effort was directed too high and that middle managers needed persuading. Mr Landau added that in orher to infl
Presentation by Mr Higham
Date of next meeting
Online databases were complex and help was reouired esneciallv bv the novice. Standardization ‘of command language, search qualifiers and data elements would hem. Svnonvms could provide the answer to {he introduction of astandardized command language. Standardized qualifiers could equally well apply to CD-ROM databases. The process required commitment by the hosts and producers.
Dr Newton said that FIZ Karlsruhe had offered to host a meeting in 1991 and that dates in April and May w’kre possible. The meeting could be timed to allow attendante at Infobase. Members welcomed the invitation but asked whether the meeting could be linked with the WIPO fair in Geneva. The secretary agreed to check whether the meeting could be held in Karlsruhe on l-2 July to enable members to travel on to Geneva or failing that on 2-3 July in Geneva.
Presentation by Mr Lawson
Mr Buffet said that data elements were the real problem; patent numbering was a jumble. Existing customers would not accept a common command language but interfacing may present a solution to this problem. A real concern was the rather similar languages, and prefixes and suffixes. There was certainly a need for Working Group 2. Mr Kurt said that there was no problem for the Orbit command language in introducing synonyms but there could be a confusion over too manv wavs of doing things. Cross-file searching-was an importani feature and had to be borne in mind. INID codes on documents could be replaced with more meaningful qualifiers as used online. Patent Information
User Group
MS Dorler said that the PIUG had been proposed in January 1988 to influence vendors and producers, to provide education and to provide a forum for discussion. A bulletin board was established on Dialmail. There were now 117 members. New committees had been set up for CD-ROM and for in-house databases. The major concerns were still as before - with CAS, Derwent coding, USPTO paper files, etc. PIUG was not necessarily restricted to the U.S. but at present had only U.S. members.
Other business
Dr Newton said that the Hungarian Patent Office had provided him with a demonstration version of a database on floppy disk for searching the IPC. It ran on a PC and enabled searching and display of text, and the hierarchy inherent in the classification. It had been arranged to demonstrate this database on the following day but as the meeting was to finish earlier than originally planned he would seek the permission- of the Hungarian Patent Office to send conies to inter&ted parties. Mr Buffet, Mr Justin, Mr Higham, Mr Goudeau, Mr Landau, Mr Kurt and Mr Brown indicated that they would like to see the system. Mr Ebe then gave a presentation of the CAS Marpat database covering Markush structures in patent claims. PCIPI Working Group on Search Information, Sixth Session, 19-30 November 1990, Geneva, Switzerland
The PCIPI Working Grou on Search Information (herinafter re Ferred to as the ‘Working Group’) held its sixth session in Geneva on 19 - 30 November
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1990. The following 14 States and one Organization, members of the Working Group, were represented at the session: Canada, Denmark, Finland. France. Germany, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea. Soviet Union. Suain. Sweden. Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, European Patent Office (EPO). The following items were dealt with:
members stated that thev were followine with great interest the- rapid technical develonments in this field and that the CD-RbM products that had become available were being actively used or were being tested. The Working Group established a revised inventory of available,. or soon to be available, CD-ROM disc products containing patent and trademark information.
IPC revision projects carried over from 1989 The Working Group dealt with the 31 IPC revision prolects still pending. Of those projects, 14 belonged to the mechanical field, 5 to the chemical field and 12 to the electrical field. Substantive amendments were made to subclass C 01 B, in its area relating to ‘zeolites’.
The Working Group discussed in detail the third draft of a WIPO recommendation concerning the exchange of patent documents as facsimile images on CD-ROM discs, and established a further draft. In establishing the said further draft, the Working Group identified a certain number of outstanding technical questions requiring resolution and agreed to recommend to the Executive Coordination Committee action to further progress on the establishment of a standard dealing with facsimile CD-ROM discs.
Other IPC revision projects on the working program The Working Group dealt with another 30 PIC revision prolects on the program for the 1990-91 biennium. Of those projects, 14 belonged to the mechanical field, 7 to the chemical field and 9 to the electrical field. Selection of patent documents for training purposes The Working Group further discussed selected patent documents to be used for training purposes, relating to the mechanical and the electrical fields, in order to illustrate the problem of laces classifying in function-oriented or in application places in the IP 8 . Reclassification of existing training examples The Working Group modified the information relating to the existing training example C 15 and changed its classification according to the fifth edition of the IPC, completing thereby the updating of the set of existing training examples. Use of expressions The Working Group continued its work in standardizing the use of the ex‘invention’ and ‘per se’ in pressions the IPC. PCIPI ad hoc Working Group on Optical Storage, Fourth Session, 3-7 December 1990, Geneva, Switzerland The ad hoc Working Group on Optical Storage of the WIPO Permanent Committee on Industrial Property Information held its fourth session in Geneva on 37 December 1990. The following 18 members of the Permanent Committee were represented at the session: Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America and the European Patent Office (EPO). The International Patent Documentation Centre (INPADOC) and the Patent Documentation Group (PDG) were represented by observers. Each member of the Working Group reported upon developments concerning optical storage within their offices. Many
The Working Group agreed upon a tentative definition of a mixed-mode CD-ROM disc and agreed to request the International Bureau to circulate that tentative definition to its members for comment, and, at the same time, to request members to submit comments on basic questions of principle. The Working Group felt that it would be difficult to elaborate definite performance standards for CD-ROM work stations since requirements of the system, e.g. printing speed, response times, depended mainly on the purpose of use of the said products,, but agreed that the establishment of minimum performance requirements for CD-ROM work stations, viz. search time, image display time. minting time. could be needed for users,‘especially in ‘developing countries, and requested, accordingly, the International Bureau to seek the appropriate information from offices having experience in this field. The Working Group noted a further survey relating to the general question of the exchange of patent information CD-ROM products between patent offices and noted the growing interest of offices in receiving patent documents on CD-ROM, agreeing that this tendency would certainly continue in the near future. PCIPI Executive Coordination Committee+ Seventh Session, 10-14 December 1990, Geneva, Switzerland On 10-14 December 1990, the PCIPI Executive Coordination Committee held its seventh session in Geneva. Twenty members of the Committee were represented at the session: Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Benelux Trademark Office (BBM), European Patent Office (EPO). The International Patent Documentation Center (INPADOC), the Patent Documentation Group (PDG) and the publisher of the journal World Patent
47 Information were represented ers.
by observ-
The Soviet Union and the EPO made detailed presentations of their automation plans and the progress made at their Offices in the field of industrial property information automation. Germanv. Jauan and Switzerland informed the Committee that they would make such presentations at the next session of the Committee, in June 1991. The Committee accepted five IPC revision requests submitted and agreed that the time frame for submission-and processing of IPC revision requests, which had been applied for a trtal period of the last 2 years, should be valid for future work. The Committee considered the 19 Annual Technical Reports on Trademark Activities (ATR/TM) prepared for the first time by the PCIPI members on a trial basis and published by the International Bureau, and decided that such ATRiTM should be prepared by the PCIPI members and published by the International Bureau on a yearly basis as a continuous activitv on the PCIPI working program. The Committee approved a new WIPO standard ST60: Recommendation concerning bibliographic data relating to marks (INID Code for Marks). The Committee noted that following its invitation, made at its last session. the International Bureau would organize a Seminar on ‘International Cooperation and Use of Computers in the Field of Trademarks’ on 27-31 May 199!, in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. The Seminar would be hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Committee considered the draft WIPO standard ST23: Recommendation for the Presentation of Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequences (DNA sequences) in Patent Apnlications and in Published Patent Doduments, and agreed that if no substantial obiections to the text of the Recommendation were submitted by the end of March 1991, the Recommendation would be finally adopted at the next session of the Committee. The Committee aunroved the addition of four further code’s to WIPO standard ST3. (Two-letter code for the renresentation‘of countries, and of other entities and international organizations issuing or registering industrial property titles.) The Committee held detailed discussions on the recommendation of the PCIPI ad hoc Working Group on Optical Storage on the action to be followed to further progress on the establishment of a new WIPO standard ST40: Recommendation concerning the Exchange of Patent Documents as Facsimile Images on CD-ROM. The Committee finally considered the reports of the sessions of the PCIPI Working Groups held since June 1990, and reviewed the status of the work on the tasks assigned to, and recommendations formulated by, these Working Groups and the International Bureau.