Rospatent published a report on the results of its activities in 2020.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the downturn in the economy, the intellectual property market is growing in Russia. At the end of 2020, Rospatent received a 7.3% increase in the number of trademark applications compared to 2019 – 93.926 thousand versus 87.509 thousand.
At the end of the year, 68.048 thousand TM were registered, while in 2019 – 66.707 thousand.
However, foreigners began to submit fewer applications – the number of applications from non-residents under the national procedure decreased by 6.4% and the number of applications under the international (Madrid) procedure fell by 9%.
Also, the number of applications for industrial designs increased by 11.8% – up to 7740. Half of them were filed by non-residents.
Compared to 2019, in 2020 the number of applications for inventions in Russia decreased by 1.5%, for utility models – by 9%.
At the same time, Rospatent was able to increase the speed of examination of applications. Thus, the average duration of expertise of applications for registration of a trademark was reduced to 5 months (5.96 months in 2019). The average duration of consideration of applications for an invention at the end of 2020 was 4.07 months (5.69 months in 2019), and the average duration of the first examination was 3.1 months (4.95 months in 2019).
According to the action plan of Rospatent for 2021, the need to create a comfortable information environment in the field of intellectual property is indicated as one of the priority goals. To do this, it is planned to launch a unified digital platform for the registration, protection, and circulation of intellectual property rights objects, to provide free access to individuals and legal entities to the global fund of scientific and technical information.
It is planned to develop legal mechanisms aimed at stimulating inventive activity and increasing the level of protection of IP rights, including by changing the system of payment for state services provided by Rospatent, introducing public opposition to applications for industrial designs, expanding rights in terms of ownership and disposal of rights to a trademark by citizens engaged in entrepreneurial activities without state registration as an entrepreneur.
Rospatent recalled that from January 17, 2021, amendments to the Civil Code entered into force, allowing 3D models of IP objects to be attached to applications and to carry out their consideration using algorithms and artificial intelligence methods.
In addition, from August 1, 2021, a new procedure for the examination of applications for inventions and utility models is introduced. Applicants will be able to contact scientific or educational organizations accredited by Rospatent to conduct a preliminary information search on applications, as well as provide a preliminary conclusion of their patentability.