On 16 June 2023, the 2023 TM5 host, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) organised a virtual IT Expert meeting among the TM5 Partners in the framework of the IT Support for Trade Mark Examination Project.
Discussions focused on new technologies utilising artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and blockchain. Among other things, JPO gave an update on the accuracy of the winning model from the ‘AI x Trade mark: Image Search Competition.’ In addition, JPO reported on future endeavours to verify the possibility of utilizing AI technology for character trade mark searches. The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) also reported on its new blockchain-based “Online Trademark Service System” that provides several new features such as third-party data storage and downloadable certification with e-signature.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) reported on its AI developments relating to machine translation, virtual assistants, goods and services semantic search, and image recognition, including the making available of trade mark images from the TM5 Offices in the EUIPO in-house TMview image search function. The EUIPO also gave a status update on its integration of European IP offices in the “IP Register in blockchain”. KIPO presented on its AI-based Image Search System and its trade mark classification recommendation system, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) reported on its re-vamp of internal examination systems and on its electronic tools, notably the retirement of “Trademark Reporting and Application Monitoring“ (TRAM) and an operational update of the “TM Exam” system.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a regular observer at TM5 meetings, also participated in the meeting and gave updates on the new Madrid Monitor feature called “Designation Status,” a feature that helps users find information on the status of each designation and the transaction history.
This recurring event has once again provided a useful platform for Partner Offices to exchange information and learn about each other’s initiatives regarding IT tools and other developments, in the spirit of creating interoperable trade mark systems, where possible, that are adaptable to the changing trade mark landscape.
