1. IPC Reform Implementation at the Irish Patents Office

2. IPC Reform Implementation at Irish PO Background – Irish Patents Office System Adaptation System Functionality Data Exchange IE - EPO

3. IPC Reform Implementation - Irish PO Irish Patents Office –Founded 1927 –Accession to European Patent Convention 1992 –PCT member state; access only via EP Regional route –Full Term (20 year) and Short Term (10 year) patents –863 national applications in 2005 (405 FT, 458 ST) –31719 EP patents designating IE granted 2005 – EP(IE) –National collection: IE ~90,000 / EP(IE) ~160,000 –Examination staff - 4

4. IPC Reform Implementation - Irish PO Irish Patents Office –Ptolemy system in use since 1999 –Facilitates all transactions concerning intellectual property documents –Archives records and status –Carries (inter alia) classification information concerning documents

5. IPC Reform Implementation System Adaptation –Pre-reform System IPC entry, modification and archiving –National IE collection classified by examiners –EP(IE) collection imported via SPIRIT Search (Internal and Public) Ptolemy did not facilitate data exchange with external systems

6. IPC Reform Implementation System Adaptation –System needs Dual level IPC entry, modification and archiving –Facility with Core Level - IE collection –Facility with Advanced Level EP(IE) collection –Conversion functionality (AL – CL) Public Search system Data transfer with external systems e.g. EPO

7. IPC Reform Implementation System Functionality –Dual level IPC entry Core Level – IE documents Advanced Level – EP(IE) documents –Archiving –ST.8 mapping of existing codes –Deletion histories

8. IPC Reform Implementation – Core Level entry

9. IPC Reform Implementation – Core Level display

10. IPC Reform Implementation – Advanced Level entry

11. IPC Reform Implementation – IPC Archiving IPC Archiving –Deletions Generated by deletion, amendment or overwrite of existing codes Only generated for “OPI” (published) documents

12. IPC Reform Implementation – IPC Archiving

14. IPC Reform Implementation at Irish PO Dual level IPC entry – Miscellaneous –AL-CL conversions Using WIPO validity files Consultative Roll-up for CL classification

15. IPC Reform Implementation – AL-CL Roll-up

17. IPC Reform Implementation – AL-CL Consultation

20. IPC Reform Implementation - Search Search by classification –Web-based –National & European –Core and Advanced level –500 document results limit

21. IPC Reform Implementation - Search

24. IPC Reform Implementation at Irish PO Data Exchange IE - EPO –Incoming SPIRIT - not presently IPC(2006) compliant EBD direct access (in preparation) –Outgoing Flat ASCII files - carry IPC(2006) data Slovenian model –WIPO ST.36/EPO truncated version (awaited)

25. IPC Reform Implementation at Irish PO Ongoing issues –~11,000 patents not on system (1930 – early 70s) –System upgrade (.asp .net)

26. IPC Reform Implementation at Irish PO Thank you for your attention. QUESTIONS ???