Intellectual Property Office Automation
One of the Arab BureauÂ’s major tasks is the development and implementation of automated information systems for the national intellectual property offices. Therefore, in order to improve the performance of services and to satisfy the automation requirements in the framework of modernization of the intellectual property system in the Arab countries, the Bureau with the assistance of a local WIPO expert, developed a Software for the Management of Automated Systems of Arab Industrial Property Offices.
The Software is divided into three main modules namely: Trademarks, Patents, and Industrial Designs. It facilitates the search, examination and registration of the said three modules.
The Software is currently operational in the following ten Arab industrial property offices:
- Algeria: National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI)
- Bahrain: Industrial Property Department - Ministry of Commerce
-
Egypt: Egyptian Patent Office - Academy of Scientific Research & Technology
(ASRT)
Industrial Design office - Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade - Libya: Trademarks Office - General People's Committee for Economy and Trade
- Oman: Trademarks Office - Ministry of Industry & Commerce
- Qatar: Trademark Office - Ministry of Economy & Commerce
- Sudan: Industrial Property Department - Ministry of Justice
- Syria: Industrial Property Department - Ministry of Economy and Trade
- Tunisia: National Institute of Normalization & Industrial Property (INNORPI)
- Yemen: Industrial Property Department - Ministry of Industry and Commerce
In addition to the regular assistance to national offices in installing and customizing the said Software, the Bureau also reviews and revises working methods, procedures and manuals, and provides advice on selection, purchase and installation of hardware and software requirements of the intellectual property offices.
The Bureau has also recently taken the initiative to develop a Software for Collective Management Societies in order to provide an automation system customized to the needs of societies in the Arab region. The Software will be installed in a number of Arab countries at the beginning of the year 2005.
