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Working Party on Technical Information
Current mandate
The Working Party on Technical Information shall provide the Administrative
Council
with opinions on the following questions:
1. Issues concerning
technical information, especially its dissemination; e.g.
1.1. Proposals for
guidelines concerning the production of and access to patent information data
for use by the Offices or by the public;
1.2. To this end, the Working Party
shall act as a forum for the ongoing exchange of information relating to
automation projects at the national Offices and at the EPO; the Working Party
shall work towards the adoption of common - or at least compatible - standards
as far as input media and the storage and exchange of data are
concerned;
1.3. The Working Party shall also act as a forum for exchanging
details of patent information dissemination projects in member countries and non
member countries, with a view to developing new information products, finding
more efficient distribution methods and encouraging co-operation between
national Offices themselves and also with the EPO;
1.4. The Working Party
shall bear in mind the possible effect of guidelines on the development of the
private sector of the information industry.
2. Trilateral co-operation
between the EPO, the USPTO and the JPO
2.1. Monitoring and examining
co-operation projects taking the interests of the national Offices into
account;
2.2. Drawing up proposals for the EPO's negotiation strategy and
preparing decisions to be taken by the Council in this connection.
3. In
addition, the Working Party shall provide the Administrative Council with advice
on any matter concerning technical information which the Council may
require.
Participants:
1. Representatives of the member states
2. President of the Office and his
staff
Observers:
1. States which have been invited to accede the EPC
2. World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO)
3. Board of Auditors
4. Staff Committee