Thomas Maxisch

1. The UNEP-EPO-ICTSD Project on Patents and Clean Energy:Patent landscaping and Patent classification Thomas Maxisch 13.07.2010

2. Contents • EuropeanPatentOffice • Patents and Climate change mitigation technologies • A new classification scheme • Driving mechanisms in patenting • Patent information - esp@cenet

3. EuropeanPatentOffice: Locations The EPO has offices at five different locations. Its headquarters are in Munich. European Patent Office  Locations

4. Number of staff in 2009 Munich 3 718 The Hague 2 710 Berlin 274 Vienna 112 Brussels 4 Total 6 818 Around 60% are patent examiners European Patent Office  Staff

5. Contents • EuropeanPatentOffice • Patents and Climate change mitigation technologies • A new classification scheme • Driving mechanisms in patenting • Patent information - esp@cenet

6. Climate change mitigation technologies • Climate change mitigation technologies are technologies aimed at controlling, reducing or preventing the anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases. • With a growing awareness of the possible consequences of those emissions, there is increased political and social pressure to invest in continuing research into such technologies. • Indeed, since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 there has been a significant surge in research and development and thus also of patenting in the related fields. Climate change mitigation technologies

7. The need for information • In order to make informed decisions a reliable, comprehensive documentation of information is necessary: • Global coverage • Technical content • Industrial research and development • Historically complete • "Up-to-date" coverage • Reliable content • Easily accessible Climate change mitigation technologies  Information

8. Combining expert knowledge • Approx. 3800 patent examiners provide highly specialised expert knowledge in: • technical disciplines • patent classification • information retrieval • Collaborating EPO, ICTSD and OECD identified relevant the technical fields within climate change mitigation technologies • Expert group of examiners was set up to: • develop new classification system • classify patent publications according to the new scheme Climate change mitigation technologies  Expert knowledge

9. Contents • EuropeanPatentOffice • Patents and Climate change mitigation technologies • A new classification scheme • Driving mechanisms in patenting • Patent information - esp@cenet

10. Existing classification schemes: IPC and ECLA It has not always been easy to find sector-related information on patented technologies using the existing patent classification schemes. Here a view on the current International (IPC) and European Classification (ECLA): IPC: approx 70.000 codes; ECLA: approx 138.000 codes New classification scheme  IPC and ECLA

11. A new classification scheme: Y02 • Because patent documents relating to climate change mitigation technologies can be found in so many areas of technology, they do not fall under one single classification section • Climate change mitigation technologies as new, emerging technologies develop very quickly • New tagging scheme, similar to ECLA providing easy access to the general public to climate change mitigation technologies • Already online: New classification scheme  Y02

12. A new classification scheme: Y02E New classification scheme  Y02E

13. A new classification scheme: Y02E10 Energy generation through renewable energy sources: New classification scheme  Y02E10

14. A new classification scheme: Y02E10/70 - Wind energy New classification scheme  Y02E10/70

15. A new classification system • The newly developed classification scheme is: • unique in size and content • easily accessible • free of charge • maintained by the EPO experts • flexible to accommodate new developments New classification scheme

16. Contents • EuropeanPatentOffice • Patents and Climate change mitigation technologies • A new classification scheme • Driving mechanisms in patenting • Patent information - esp@cenet

17. Example: Battery technology Commercialisation Patenting trends are technology/market driven Driving mechanisms in patenting  Batteries

18. Example: Fuel cell technology Kyoto protocol Patenting trends are policy driven Driving mechanisms in patenting  Fuel cells

19. Example: Solar photovoltaic conversion Carter program Patenting trends are driven by state funding Driving mechanisms in patenting  Solar cells

20. Contents • EuropeanPatentOffice • Patents and Climate change mitigation technologies • A new classification scheme • Driving mechanisms in patenting • Patent information - esp@cenet

21. Patent information products and services from the EPO European publication server Free databases • esp@cenet - 65+ million patent documents from 80+ countries • Register Plus - follow European patent applications step by step • ESPACE EP - "full-text" searching in the latest European patent applications Patent information

22. esp@cenet • a database of 65 million records • a collection of patent documents (applications, granted patents, search reports, non-patent literature) • data from 85 patent authorities worldwide • data from 1836 to today • source of technical information • available free-of-charge via the internet at www.espacenet.com or http://ep.espacenet.com BUT: for critical decision ask for professional help Patent information  esap@cenet

23. Access via www.epo.org Patent information  Access

24. Access via www.espacenet.com Patent information  Access

25. Access via ep.espacenet.com

26. Support • Quick Help on esp@cenet • Help Index on esp@cenet • esp@cenet assistant • http://www.epo.org/wbt/espacenet/ • esp@cenet Forum • http://forums.epo.org • Brochures • Informationen • http://www.espacenet.com • espacenet@epo.org • Training (incl. live online) • http://www.epo.org/patents/learning.html • pitraining@epo.org Patent information  Support