An ordinance of the prime minister dated May 15 2008, with regard to the electronic filing of inventions, medical products, plant protection products, utility models, industrial designs, trade marks, geographical indications and topography of integrated circuits, and correspondence in electronic form, was published in Dziennik Ustaw (the Journal of Laws) 89 on May 23 2008.

This ordinance, which came into effect on June 7 2008, was notified to the European Commission on January 14 2008 under document number 2008/0017/PL. It sets forth detailed technical requirements for the filing of electronic applications for inventions, medical products, plant protection products, utility models, industrial designs, trade marks, geographical indications and topography of integrated circuits, and the relevant correspondence exchanged in electronic form with regard to obtaining and maintaining the rights of protection.

Applications shall be filed using a special form, which can be obtained from the Bulletin of Public Information through the official website of the Polish Patent Office at www.uprp.pl The applicant may attach other materials in electronic format to this form.

Electronic applications, together with the attached materials and correspondence, should be prepared by means of software and formats used by the Patent Office, and filed during the working hours of the Patent Office.

Preparing the documents using software other than that used by the Patent Office does require prior acceptance of the Patent Office.

Technical documentation connected with the application may be attached in the original format, provided that the format is one of those that were earlier accepted by the Patent Office.

Documents filed electronically should be followed by a printed version, which should identify the applicant or his representative, and indicate the correspondence address as well as the means of exchanging further correspondence.

If the documents in electronic form have to be signed, it is necessary to affix to them a safe electronic signature, which should be verified by virtue of a valid qualified certificate in the meaning of the Law of September 18 2001 on electronic signatures (Journal of Laws 130, item 1450, with amendments).

Slawomira Piotrowska

Patpol
162J Nowoursynowska Str.
02-776 Warsaw
Poland
Postal address
PO Box 168
00-950 Warsaw
Tel: +48 22 644 96 57 / 96 59; +48 22 644 96 68 / 97 69
Fax: +48 22 644 96 00 / 44 02
patpol@patpol.com.pl 
www.patpol.com.pl