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Member States Take Stock of WIPO's Automation Projects

Geneva, March 3, 2004
Press Updates UPD/2004/222

Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization meeting in Geneva from February 23 to 27, 2004, endorsed the Organization's commitment to using information technologies to promote greater efficiency in delivery of intellectual property services worldwide. Delegates attending the Standing Committee on Information Technologies (SCIT) underlined the importance of WIPO's efforts to automate the intellectual property (IP) offices of developing countries and countries in transition in enabling effective delivery of IP services. WIPO presented a progress report of the various automation initiatives which aim to facilitate administrative and business procedures, electronic publication of IP information and handling of statistical data within all IP offices. WIPO further encouraged its member states to take full advantage of the services that were being made available. The meeting was attended by representatives from 71 countries and seven international and regional organizations.

During the meeting, delegates reviewed the status of a range of on-going IT projects designed to generate efficiency gains and cost-savings in the delivery of WIPO's global IP services and IP service delivery at national and regional levels. These include:

  • WIPONET: this initiative, which has now reached its final stages of deployment, is designed to create a global intellectual property information network to integrate the IP resources and services of the global intellectual property community, and, in particular, to enable electronic integration of developing countries in the international intellectual property system. Some 103 offices have benefited from the computer equipment and training made available under this project. It is anticipated that the 14 remaining offices requiring WIPONET deployment will be fully operational by the end of March 2004. Statistics reflect consistent growth in the use of WIPONET as deployment has progressed and this is expected to continue. Day-to-day operational responsibility of the WIPONET components deployed in IP offices by WIPO will gradually be transferred from WIPO to those offices in the interests of the network's long-term sustainability. A number of countries reported on the benefits of WIPONET in terms of enhancing their administrative and business procedures and called upon WIPO to continue to actively enrich and develop the services available through the WIPONET platform, particularly in relation to database sharing.
  • Interconnection of IP Networks (WIPONET, TriNET and Patnet): Delegates expressed broad support for the interconnection of these networks which will further enable global access to, and exchange of, intellectual property data. This in turn should facilitate patent searches and generate cost-savings. These three networks are hosted by WIPO, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Japan Patent Office and the European Patent Office respectively.
  • Automation of Intellectual Property Offices: Delegates were given an overview of the automation assistance that WIPO provides to developing countries, least developed countries and countries in transition in the general framework of cooperation for development policies. They were informed of the new focus given to this area and the new strategic approach that has resulted in concrete deliverables. In the 2002-2003 biennium, a total of 155 automation assistance activities were carried out in 72 member states ranging from advice and guidance to comprehensive automation solutions including completion of automation projects in 24 IP offices. A technical support structure and training is an integral part of the new approach. Delegates underlined the importance of promoting the use of information technology by IPOs and the automation assistance provided by WIPO which contributed significantly to their modernization and facilitated administrative and business procedures, electronic publication and dissemination of IP information. WIPO's automation assistance is demand-driven. The components of a full automation project include: the provision of the IP automation kit (network, server, up to four workstations, printers, scanner, Anti-Virus and standard desktop software, etc.); customization of the WIPO software; establishment of a national IP data base; on-site training of the IPO staff; problem reporting and technical support; post deployment monitoring and impact assessment and free upgrades of the new releases of the software. The full implementation of an automation project could take between three to six months, with about three weeks dedicated to the on-site deployment of the WIPO software and training of IPO staff. At the end of deployment, the IPO is able to start receiving new IP applications on-line and perform all the steps that are required for processing them using the new system. Once successfully deployed, ownership of the system passes to the IPO for the day-to-day operation and administration of the system.
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Information Systems:
    • PCT-SAFE: The full deployment of the PCT-SAFE ("Secure Applications Filed Electronically") system in February 2004, means that applicants from all of the PCT's 123 member states may file their international applications electronically with WIPO at a reduced fee of up to 300 Swiss francs.(For further details, please see PR 2004/374;)
    • PCT CLAIMS is a set of computerized administrative tools supporting the reform and revision of the International Patent Classification (IPC). CLAIMS is expected to be fully deployed by the end of June 2004 and covers a range of activities including the setting-up of a master classification database in cooperation with the European Patent Office and the development of advanced tools for the sharing and searching of highly reliable patent classification information.
    • Work on the further automation of the processing of international patent applications under the PCT continues to make steady progress. WIPO is seeking, as a matter of priority, to put into place systems that will enable paperless processing of PCT applications through the establishment of electronic dossier facilities.

The next session of the SCIT will take place from February 21 to 25, 2005.

For further information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO:

  • Tel: (+41 22) - 338 81 61 or 338 95 47
  • Fax: (+41 22) - 338 88 10
  • Email: publicinf@wipo.int.
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