NCIP expects an increase in filing activity in relation to industrial property objects

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, NCIP continues to operate at almost full capacity, ensuring the protection of intellectual property rights at levels, while performing the patent authority functions. This was facilitated both by the management’s timely response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and by professional work of the NCIP personnel.

In the first half of 2020, 4,481 applications for registration of trademarks were filed; 4,583 – for the same period of 2019.

521 applications for the issuance of patents for inventions, utility models, industrial designs, plant varieties and registration of topographies of integrated circuits were submitted in the first half of 2020; 679 applications for the same period of 2019.

Thus, in the first half of 2020, the number of applications for registration of trademarks decreased by 102, while that related to inventions, utility models, industrial designs, plant varieties and topographies of integrated circuits by 158 compared to the same period in 2019.

The dynamics of the filing activity in the first half of 2020 is illustrated below.

The diagram proves that it is from March 2020 that the most significant decrease in the filing activity has been observed, which corresponds to the period of active growth in the incidence of COVID-19.

It should be noted that the increase in the number of applications for registration of trademarks (May – June 2020 in relation to April 2020) resulted from a decrease in the incidence of coronavirus infection, in particular from mitigation of sanitary and epidemiological measures.

Simplification or removal of restrictive measures caused by the COVID-19, the production of goods, work and services is intensified (in most cases, trademarks are used). Moreover, in the context of the pandemic, additional personal protective equipment and other items were needed to overcome the impact of the pandemic and its consequences, which also influenced the increase in applications for registration of trademarks.

At the same time, there is a decrease in the number of applications for the grant of patents for inventions, utility models, industrial designs, plant varieties and registration of topographies of integrated circuits, which is due to the abovementioned reasons, but also attributable to the fact that the creation of inventions, utility models, industrial samples, plant varieties and topographies of integrated circuits belongs to the scientific sector. Due to the spread of the COVID-19 infection, most of the employees, including those employed in the scientific sector, were transferred to remote work. This impeded testing the results obtained in laboratory conditions, and, consequently, creation of objects that meet patentability requirements.

As follows from the abovementioned, the spread of the COVID-19, causing adoption of sanitary and epidemiological restrictive measures, had a significant impact on the filing activity in relation to industrial property objects. It should be noted that according to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, the incidence and spread of the infection is declining now. The indicators of the filing activity, which turned out to be lower in April 2020, are beginning to level off.

Thus, taking into account the research projects and programs that are to be completed this year, there is reason to believe that by the middle/end of the 4Q of 2020, the filing activity will return to its previous rates.